Info on this canoe we want to restore
- Thread starter ab10bo
- Start date
Welcome and congratulations, the Carleton canoe with serial number 17167 is a 17 foot long, AA (or top) grade, Carleton model with red Western cedar planking, open mahogany gunwales, mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts, mahogany seats, a keel, and a floor rack. It was built between June, 1922 and February, 1923. The original exterior paint color was dark green with a gold stripe and Greek ends edged in carmine (red). This was probably similar to the one shown at https://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/designs/design37.gif with different colors. It shipped on May 31st, 1923 to New York City. A scan showing this build record can be found below.
This scan and several hundred thousand more were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will donate, join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See https://www.woodencanoe.org/about to learn more about the WCHA and https://www.woodencanoe.org/join to donate or join.
It is also possible that this canoe could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match. The list of restorers at https://www.woodencanoe.org/builders-suppliers may help if you want to pay for a restoration. The book at https://www.woodencanoe.org/books and others explain the process if you want to restore it yourself. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
This scan and several hundred thousand more were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will donate, join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See https://www.woodencanoe.org/about to learn more about the WCHA and https://www.woodencanoe.org/join to donate or join.
It is also possible that this canoe could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match. The list of restorers at https://www.woodencanoe.org/builders-suppliers may help if you want to pay for a restoration. The book at https://www.woodencanoe.org/books and others explain the process if you want to restore it yourself. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
These forums are chock full of information about canoe restorations, plus, you can post your questions as you go for nearly instantaneous assistance.
This list of books will also get you started with information about restoring your canoe.
In the mid-west, the Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum has an active canoe shop and offers chances to learn and work on canoes.
This list of books will also get you started with information about restoring your canoe.
- The Wood and Canvas Canoe by Jerry Stelmok and Rollin Thurlow, Tilbury House.
- This Old Canoe: How to Restore Your Wood-Canvas Canoe by Mike Elliott, Kettle River Canoes.
- This Fancy Old Canoe: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring Antique Canoes, by Mike Elliott, Kettle River Canoes.
- Sharpen This by Christopher Schwarz, Lost Arts Press.
In the mid-west, the Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum has an active canoe shop and offers chances to learn and work on canoes.
OP
OP
ab10bo
New Member
Thank you both for such a quick reply! We live in middle Georgia with 3 kids ages 4-7 so not sure we could make a class, even though it sounds like an incredible learning opportunity.
I will definitely be looking at the books and slowly working our way through it. We got it for a steal and its just been hanging in our shop until we finished a couple other projects. We both love to learn and the history we have alrwady found in a few days is fascinating.
I will definitely be looking at the books and slowly working our way through it. We got it for a steal and its just been hanging in our shop until we finished a couple other projects. We both love to learn and the history we have alrwady found in a few days is fascinating.
Worth Gretter
LOVES Wooden Canoes
Your canoe looks to be in reasonably good condition, so you are starting from a good place.
Old canoes often have rot from bad storage conditions (don't think you have that), impact damage from colliding with rocks (likely not), and poor quality earlier repairs. That last one is present in your canoe. One of the outwales, near the bow, seems to be poorly scarfed. (A scarf is an overlapping wood joint, but it needs a longer overlap to be strong.) Of course, I may not be reading the picture right, it might just be a break.
Anyway, it is a wonderful and very worthwhile project!
And, most of the people on this site are old timers, not parents of young kids! So some new blood is very welcome!
Old canoes often have rot from bad storage conditions (don't think you have that), impact damage from colliding with rocks (likely not), and poor quality earlier repairs. That last one is present in your canoe. One of the outwales, near the bow, seems to be poorly scarfed. (A scarf is an overlapping wood joint, but it needs a longer overlap to be strong.) Of course, I may not be reading the picture right, it might just be a break.
Anyway, it is a wonderful and very worthwhile project!
And, most of the people on this site are old timers, not parents of young kids! So some new blood is very welcome!
