Hello, New here

[reachdean]

Hello,

I just joined after lurking for a few weeks. I've been canoeing since before I've been able to form long term memories, but have plenty of good memories that HAVE stuck around. Many revolve around a 16'6" cedar strip that weighed in at about 39lbs, a beautiful, but fragile canoe. I've always wanted one that is similar, as my own.

A few weeks ago, I spotted a stripper canoe at a garage sale, needing some work. The price was right, and the hull is sound, so I picked it up and have started the restoration. I'll no doubt have lots of questions. I have a pile of photos, but haven't hosted them anywhere yet to share. It's on my list of to dos, hopefully to be accomplished this weekend.

I'm looking forward to the help from the community, and am equally looking forward to putting my canoe into the water in the spring.

 

[Treewater]

Welcome. You're in the right place.

 

[pklonowski]

Yes, welcome!

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Greetings! If you want to get a headstart by posting a handfull of pictures, go ahead (we're waiting patiently)... if you can't figure out how to post pictures, check FAQs here in forums.

Welcome!
Kathy

 

[pklonowski]

We're waiting patiently? I beg to differ!

 

[reachdean]

Finally had some time to get photos sorted, and uploading as I type.

It looks to my untrained eye as if the canoe was build by someone with a bit of care, given the inset pinstriping just below the gunwhales. Then someone else got it, and put crappy plywood and fibreglass decks in, and extra braces to the hull at the inboard end of the decks, and then managed to store it in a garden, rotting out the stems a bit, along with SOME of the planking at the stern. However, the hull is sound (maybe thanks to the three layers of fibreglass in the football area - fun times - and isn't soft anywhere. The seats and thwart appear to be more recent additions, and cheapie kit items. The seats may stay, but the thwart is getting replaced by a yoke.

I, nor the folks I bought the canoe from have any idea of it's origins, and so far, I've found no markings. The wife I got it from had bought it for her husband because he said he wanted to do a restoration. Then he changed his mind. A year and a half later, I got it. I won't be heartbroken if it's nothing special, it will be special when I'm done with it.

So far, I've acquired a small but comfortable workspace with electricity and some insulation. I've strung up the canoe, rather than building cradles, just to get started, but cradles are on the build list for the second part of the project. Sounds weird, but hear me out. I wanted to get cracking right away, and I knew space would be limited, so hanging it to work on the outside of the hull seemed like a good starting point. I can move teh canoe up and down and roll it to get teh working area right in front of me, which has been handy. When I do the interior, I'll do it in cradles.

So far, I've made the following progress - removed the one remaining deck, removed the outwhales, removed all the fibreglass from the outside of the hull. Removed one rotten outer stem and patterned hull to prepare mold to make replacement. Taken some measurements for number and size of strips to rebuild the stern.

Next steps will be to finish stripping the epoxy from the wood hull. Am I ok on using the heatgun on low, and just being careful? I'm assuming any sort of solvent will also damage the wood and destroy the glue holding the strips together.

Rebuild the stem and stern stripping.

Then sort out any issues with the hull (fill any small divits, cracks, etc) and then fair the hull and prep for fibreglass. Glass it and then get ready to do the inside.

I'm using Canoecraft as a reference, as well as here, and taking my time. While I haven't done woodworking before, I did work in a ski shop and often did repairs with epoxy, including base, edge, and topsheet grafts, which all require patience, detail and care.

And the flickr uploader is done, so have a look at the gallery and let me know what you think.

Flickr gallery

 

[pklonowski]

That boat's in rough shape... I wouldn't have touched it. But it will be a great learning experience... Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

[MrPolarZero]

Welcome to the forum. I'm also new here and a canoe hobbyist as well. Good luck on your canoe restoration. Hope you'll finish it.