WoodNCanvas
LOVES Wooden Canoes
I've posted about an upcoming project....that a group of wood canoe builders (including Pam Wedd and John Hupfield) have been working together to set up a restoration project of several Freighter canoes in Fort Severn First Nation....this will involve a month long workshop for band members in February/March....to teach them the methods involved in restoration and repair of these workhorses of the North....so they continue on their own on the rest of the Freighters....and those from nearby communities.....a follow-up month is planned later on to see progress....one of the canoes we'll be working on is pictured....everything we need to work with has to be trucked in by ice road....
These Freighters are workhorses....meant to be used....and subject to rough use at that....
As I mentioned in another post under Wood & Canvas, one of the things we are debating over is the type of covering for the canoes....to fibreglas or to canvas....
Bill Miller was most gracious to supply a wealth of info on fibreglassing....and provided some great insights into its use....
But we had some concerns over fibreglas vs. canvas....one, that we just prefer canvas....two, that fibreglas on a wood hull can be difficult to remove for future restoration, especially if one uses epoxy resin in fibreglassing instead of polyester....three, that interior wood such as planking will get wet, and swell; as the planks absorb moisture they expand; as they expand they move and come in contact with the other planking next to them; in a rigid hull like one fiberglassed there is little or no room for such movement, possibly resulting in cracks; canvas permits more 'flexibility' of the hull....
So whether fibreglass or canvas, we needed to create the most durable covering....if we used canvas, then we needed to possibly use an alternative filler....like an epoxy filler....
There was discussion on epoxy filler in other threads here....we met with Dick Persson....and Dick kindly provided more details on his use of and approach with WEST epoxy....personally I really love the finish on his canoe done with the WEST filler....
But we found out that the company responsible for building the canoes, Nor-West Canoes, was using an epoxy as filler from the same Quebec company, Tri-Tex (that also produces the EAST epoxy system)....although they were using a different formula from that of EAST system....so we will be trying that out (we have been able to get small enough batches of this epoxy finally, after it seemed that we might only be able to get 55 gal. drums of their product....for each of two different resins....and for one hardener)....
We will also be trying an epoxy manufactured in New York by Delta, apparently specifically made for marine use....
We will be trying out each of these epoxies as filler....and comparing results before the final decision of which to go with....
We have had to go with a lighter weight canvas than what Nor-West uses....they use #4 canvas....partly because of the availability of #4....but also that a lighter canvas is much easier to work with....to add to the strength of the canvas covering (in addition to the epoxy filler), we will be adding a fiberglass strip to the harder wear areas of the hull (this will be on top of the canvas)....
From Nor-West Canoe website, http://www.nor-west.ca/html/canoe/canot_norwest_en.htm, comes this description of the canoes we’ll be working on:
Norwest 20′
Length: 20 feet
Beam: 52 inches
Depth: 20 inches
Weight: 325 pounds
Capacity: 2540 pounds
Recommended motor: 15 to 30HP
Persons: 5
The last photo is one of the actual canoes we'll be working on....
I'll be posting here on the progress of this project....
These Freighters are workhorses....meant to be used....and subject to rough use at that....
As I mentioned in another post under Wood & Canvas, one of the things we are debating over is the type of covering for the canoes....to fibreglas or to canvas....
Bill Miller was most gracious to supply a wealth of info on fibreglassing....and provided some great insights into its use....
But we had some concerns over fibreglas vs. canvas....one, that we just prefer canvas....two, that fibreglas on a wood hull can be difficult to remove for future restoration, especially if one uses epoxy resin in fibreglassing instead of polyester....three, that interior wood such as planking will get wet, and swell; as the planks absorb moisture they expand; as they expand they move and come in contact with the other planking next to them; in a rigid hull like one fiberglassed there is little or no room for such movement, possibly resulting in cracks; canvas permits more 'flexibility' of the hull....
So whether fibreglass or canvas, we needed to create the most durable covering....if we used canvas, then we needed to possibly use an alternative filler....like an epoxy filler....
There was discussion on epoxy filler in other threads here....we met with Dick Persson....and Dick kindly provided more details on his use of and approach with WEST epoxy....personally I really love the finish on his canoe done with the WEST filler....
But we found out that the company responsible for building the canoes, Nor-West Canoes, was using an epoxy as filler from the same Quebec company, Tri-Tex (that also produces the EAST epoxy system)....although they were using a different formula from that of EAST system....so we will be trying that out (we have been able to get small enough batches of this epoxy finally, after it seemed that we might only be able to get 55 gal. drums of their product....for each of two different resins....and for one hardener)....
We will also be trying an epoxy manufactured in New York by Delta, apparently specifically made for marine use....
We will be trying out each of these epoxies as filler....and comparing results before the final decision of which to go with....
We have had to go with a lighter weight canvas than what Nor-West uses....they use #4 canvas....partly because of the availability of #4....but also that a lighter canvas is much easier to work with....to add to the strength of the canvas covering (in addition to the epoxy filler), we will be adding a fiberglass strip to the harder wear areas of the hull (this will be on top of the canvas)....
From Nor-West Canoe website, http://www.nor-west.ca/html/canoe/canot_norwest_en.htm, comes this description of the canoes we’ll be working on:
Norwest 20′
Length: 20 feet
Beam: 52 inches
Depth: 20 inches
Weight: 325 pounds
Capacity: 2540 pounds
Recommended motor: 15 to 30HP
Persons: 5
The last photo is one of the actual canoes we'll be working on....
I'll be posting here on the progress of this project....
