woodworker
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Just got this old town. Would like to know it's history. This conoe needs a bunch of work. Serial #143781 18 square stern.
Thank you
Thank you
Old town #143781
- Thread starter woodworker
- Start date
woodworker
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Thank you for the response. It's going to take awhile to get back in the water.
The Old Town canoe with serial number 143781 is an 18 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, square end paddling model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, half ribs, a keel, outside stems, sponsons, a rowing seat, and row locks. It was built between January and March, 1946. The original exterior paint color was maroon. It shipped on May, 1st, 1946 to Forest Station in Brookton, Maine. The back side of the card indicates that it retuned on February 24th, 1949 to be repainted. It came back again on September 15th, 1958 for repairs, recanvas and refinishing. These were finished on November 13th, 1958 and it was picked up on June 10th, 1959. Scans showing all of these build records can be found below.
These scans 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/shop to donate or join.
It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. The 1946 catalog at https://www.woodencanoe.org/_files/ugd/537308_776124813b6849f28c495680b5ff1e01.pdf has more details on page 14. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
These scans 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/shop to donate or join.
It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. The 1946 catalog at https://www.woodencanoe.org/_files/ugd/537308_776124813b6849f28c495680b5ff1e01.pdf has more details on page 14. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
woodworker
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Thank you Benson.
This information is very helpful. This canoe has seen better times but I think worth restoring. I do have a few more questions that would be helpful. Yes i am doing two canoes at the same time, the Kingsbury and this Old town. The questions for the OT are.
1) what wood was used for the transom and how thick ? Was it rabbited for the planking and canvas?
2) All the thwarts are missing.Is the ash they list just for the frames with Cain insert? There is a spruce board at the transom.
3) would the outer rails also be made of ash?
4) does anyone have distance from the bow to the thwart locations?
5) would the warlocks be the Davis type?
I would like to thank all the WCHA members for their help.
This information is very helpful. This canoe has seen better times but I think worth restoring. I do have a few more questions that would be helpful. Yes i am doing two canoes at the same time, the Kingsbury and this Old town. The questions for the OT are.
1) what wood was used for the transom and how thick ? Was it rabbited for the planking and canvas?
2) All the thwarts are missing.Is the ash they list just for the frames with Cain insert? There is a spruce board at the transom.
3) would the outer rails also be made of ash?
4) does anyone have distance from the bow to the thwart locations?
5) would the warlocks be the Davis type?
I would like to thank all the WCHA members for their help.
