Id Help - Thompson ?

[workingbadger]

Too bad. Thanks Dan.

 

[Scotty]

Just following up on the deck configuration, the covering boards came off in three pieces. I am either going to replace with sapele or cherry, the latter of which I have plenty of. Still trying to figure out the outside gunwale, which appears to be covered by the deck. Maybe these photos will help, thanks

 

[MGC]

Scotty, much of this thread has been about the OPs (probably) Seneca.
Your canoe may be a horse of a different color.
According to the catalog posted at Wooden Canoe Museum, Racine long decks would have been made from either cedar with an oak king plank or mahogany. Maple is mentioned as a possible seat material in their catalog. It is not mentioned as a choice for decks. Cherry does not appear to have been offered at all.
The Navaho model would have been built using mahogany for the outside and inside rails. Seats and thwarts would also be mahogany.
The Seneca (the OP's boat) would have Oregon white cedar inside and outside rails.
Do you know which of these models you are restoring?
Whichever one it is, the outside rails should match the insides. It appears that you might want to use mahogany.

 

[Scotty]

Thanks MGC! I am pretty sure it is mahogany, so I am thinking the Navaho model. Mahagony is pretty tough to get around here so that is why I was considering using the sapele. The sapele matches the inside rail almost perfectly. I'll probably go with the sapele on the decks but have a small sawmill in the backyard and have an abundance of clear cherry. I've just stretched and filled the canvas so need to be working on seats, decks, outwale, etc. Of course, as soon as I put the filler on it gets abnormally cold here (SE NC). I'd like to get the canoe completely finished by the end of March when we have an annual boat show in Wilmington.
Thanks for the information, this is my first attempt at putting a canoe back together so this is all very helpful!

 

[Dave Osborn]

Scott
I’m not sure of the condition of the original decks, but sometimes they can be modified to be used again.
I have on occasion shortened and narrowed them enough to get rid of the bad wood that might be present. The under support would need to be refit and moved forward.
I do everything I can do to keep original parts on a canoe. The decks moved forward a couple inches will never be noticed.

 

[Dave Wermuth]

Hey Davie O. Who's garage is that? And what is that car?

 

[Dave Osborn]

Dave,
It was much more than a garage. It was a palace/museum where my customer displayed his passions. Unbelievable the things that money can buy! Cars, boats, fire trucks, vintage toys, racing carts, you name it.
The car in the photo once belonged to Hitler’s SS or Gestapo. He also had a Lincoln with 800 miles on it that belonged to Nelson Rockefeller. Everything there was flawless.
When I picked up the canoe, I got an extensive tour and details about many of the objects in the collection.
My parting words were, “Well Karl, you’ve certainly set a high bar for this restoration”! He just grinned…that was his purpose, I’m sure.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

And I see the bottom of a lift to help get under the toys. (currently thinking about one for my project).

 

[Dave Wermuth]

When it comes to clearing the bar, you clear it by a wide margin.

 

[Tom Little]

Here’s some Racine Navajo pics.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Tom, what can you tell me about that canoe - where is it, etc?
Never mind, mystery solved.

I sold a project to Frost River 10 years ago, and thought this canoe might be it, it's not,
the one I sold them is hanging unrestored in their store.

Dan

 

[Tom Little]

This was hanging at Frost River. I asked if they wanted it restored. They did and it is back at Frost River. Fun project, it was a little more work than I thought it would be, but that’s usually the case.
I did a Rehbein for them as also.

 

[Tom Little]

Dan, did you sell the Racine to them or another one? There is one more uncanvassed canoe there, but it looks homemade

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Back in 2013 I sold (passed on) a canoe we had ID'ed as a (Correction Racine Navajo) Thompson Ranger that my BIL had bought many years before.
I had remembered it as being either Frost River or Duluth pack, but didn't know. After seeing your pic, I looked at the 2 web sites and the buildings vie google, and saw that it was indeed Frost River, I thought the guy said it was going on the outside on top his building but maybe I heard wrong. Anyway in looking at the images they had on the web site, I spotted the canoe.

I am a bit uncertain as to which store/location this would be, and if this is the current location or an old location.

 

[Tom Little]

Dan, yes that is the Racine I restored for Frost River in West Duluth. It’s in the front window now.
Where do you think it originally came from?

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Tom, are we talking about the same canoe?
The one I sold them we (Dan M and I) thought was a Thompson, and had all the features of a T.
The canoe I sold them was bought by my BIL from a co-worker many years ago at her garage sale in south MPLS for $25. During his ownership of it, at one point, he had it stored outside under the eves with a small sailboat on it, resulting a lot of "hog". I tried to get some of it out with some boards/braces pushing it down/out, and wetting it ever so often, but it was still there when it was sold.

Oh, the canoe we had, had a S/N stamped in a rib just behind the ft stem, "1030 16", large letters, perpendicular to the length of the canoe.
No SN in the rear of the canoe.

 

[Tom Little]

It’s the same canoe.
The sn is a Racine.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Now it is really solved. Any more pics?

 

[Tom Little]

Pictures of it at Frost River before, then the restoration and finally back at the store.
Also, thank you for the Seliga decals. They are fragile but I made it work.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Thanks for the pics, and no problem (suppling) the decals.
I'll let the PO know that his old canoe got new life.