My Detroit 15 is Finished

[JClearwater]

Friends,

At long last I can say it's done. Now I just have to wait until spring to try it out. Now Jean and I each have a solo canoe.

Hull was half built by the late Jack McGreivey, completed and finished by me. It is his Detroit 15 Bantam model of which he built only three. White Cedar ribs and planking, cherry outwales, thwarts and seat. I bought just the hull from Jack. It did not have thwarts or a seat. I made those. No. 12 canvas, Kirby enamel, Epifanes varnish on gunwales, decks, seat & thwarts. Total Boat varnish on interior. I bought it from Jack a number of years ago but just recently finished it. I will bring it to Assembly in July.

Jim C.

 

[dtdcanoes]

Very nice , Jim. Esp. the elegant spacers. Maybe a little heavy on the band bedding ? The extended tips make the boat for me.
Dave D.

 

[Norm Hein]

WOW! really looks good. I like the two tone a lot

 

[JClearwater]

Thanks Dave and you are right, a little heavy on the stem band bedding. I should have cleaned that up before I took the pictures. I'll get right on it.

Does anyone know what happened to Jack's building forms? I know he had a couple different models.

Jim

 

[Benson Gray]

Does anyone know what happened to Jack's building forms?

A posting at https://www.facebook.com/groups/219179608982/ indicates that Mark Giovannetti and Andy Derby are carrying on his work at “Itchydog Boatworks” in Fair Haven, NY. See https://issuu.com/oswegohealth/docs/summer_active_living_2019_web for more information about them.

Benson

 

[Ron Bedard]

Gorgeous!
I experimented with dyeing the bedding compound for the stems,(the canoe is dark green). Wound up using very clear silicone caulk made for shower enclosures. Can't see it and I'm sure it is very waterproof.
Certainly not traditional but I think the old timers would have used our new stuff if they had it.

 

[JClearwater]

Thanks guys.

You can't see it in the photos but I made the thwarts with a slight arch in them and I made the seat rails with a slight curve as well. The whole idea was to take out all parallel lines. Nothing straight, everything is curved.
Not being a restoration I didn't feel bound by convention so I went for something a little different. The seat cane pattern is also not the "normal" one usually seen. I did the "Daisy Pattern" just to be a little different.

Jim

 

[dtdcanoes]

A lot " out of the box " and all of it elegant. Very fun to see. I have at times also colored the bedding using Grumbaker oils in the tube, It is a good solution to the issue when you do not have the surface you would like. It will be fun to see the boat for real.
Dave D.

 

[Craig Johnson]

Beautiful Jim. Makes me want to get to work on mine (number two of three built) but have a couple in front of it.
I usually put the stem band on before the final coat of paint and tape it off so the paint covers any visible bedding compound.