Looking for info serial # 15445 17 & repair help

[jordan]

I just bought what I think is an Old Town wood canvas canoe serial # 15445 17 I would like info on the canoe
I need help finding info on how to fix the canoe & what the original material are
1) I need to re-caine the seats - I want to use the right material & design
2) The canvas is in good shape, there is one small 3/4" rip that need to be repaired - need to learn how to do it
3) The paint is flaking and needs to be redone before I use the canoe - need to learn how to do it
4) I have to make a gunnel repair, something chewed a 8" section on the inside gunnel at the mid point - I don't know is I should scarf joint it back together to replace the damaged section - I need advice & ID the material (looks like red cedar)
5) The gunnels, seats & thwarts were painted black at some point - should I remove it and refinish? If yes how?
Thanks in advance, Jordan

 

[Benson Gray]

Welcome, the Old Town canoe with serial number 15445 is a 17 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade Charles River model with red Western cedar planking, closed spruce gunwales, ash decks, spruce thwarts, and spruce outside finish rails. It was built between 1910 and March, 1911. The original exterior paint color was N. H. (New Haven railroad) green. It was shipped on March 22nd to New York City. A scan showing this build record can be found by following the link at the attached thumbnail image 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/ot_records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/about-the-wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://store.wcha.org/WCHA-New-Membership.html to join.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe. There are several good books about canoe restoration including http://store.wcha.org/The-Wood-and-Canvas-Canoe.html and http://store.wcha.org/This-Old-Canoe-by-Mike-Elliott.html for example. See http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?2217 for some cane sources. Silver duct tape can be a good short term solution to a small canvas tear. It sounds like your canvas really needs to be replaced. Flaking paint will need to be scraped, sanded, and repainted. Your gunwales are spruce and a good long scarf can usually repair a chewed section. Paint remover and effort will take off the black paint on the trim. This was varnished originally.

Others here with more restoration experience may offer more detailed comments. All of these questions have come up before so the search function can help you locate previous discussions on these topics. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions. Good luck with the restoration,

Benson