Going to repace a wood keel in my recanvased 100 year old canoe. Got a question regarding the materials. Thinking of using a #8 18-8 stainless steel finish washer with a 1 1/4 inch silicon bronze wood screw. Placing washers and screws about three ribs apart. The keel is 3/4 inch thick. All items can be purchased from Jamestown Dist. or Merton's. Any ideas, comments or suggestions would be appreciated. Ron
replacing keel in a wood and canvas canoe
- Thread starter Ron Bull
- Start date
Dave Osborn
LIFE MEMBER
Keels on vintage canoes were typically fastened with brass slotted flat head screws and brass finish washers, cup washers, or NO washers and fastened every other rib.
What was the spacing of keel screws originally in your canoe? I go with whatever was there originally..
I normally use # 8 x 1" screws.
Not sure why stainless was considered for the washer... To me, it would not be age appropriate to use stainless, as well as look wrong.
What was the spacing of keel screws originally in your canoe? I go with whatever was there originally..
I normally use # 8 x 1" screws.
Not sure why stainless was considered for the washer... To me, it would not be age appropriate to use stainless, as well as look wrong.
Thank you Dave for your reply. Will go with your suggestions if I can find the materials. I believe Jamestown Dist. carries these items. The spacing on the canoe is every fourth rib, except in the front (every other rib) and in the back (every rib). Would you suggest installing a new keel or using the old one if still usable? If a new one, what kind of wood is best? Stainless was considered as that was all that Merton's had to offer. Thanks for the suggestion of the #8 X 1" screw. Ron
Greg Nolan
enthusiast
Brass finish washers are readily available from several sources including Jamestown Distributors, bolt Depot, Amazon, McMaster-Carr, etc, and bronze ones are nearly as available.
Dave Osborn
LIFE MEMBER
I always use the old keel if it is in good shape.
If you need to make a new one, I'd suggest Ash or White Oak.
If you need to make a new one, I'd suggest Ash or White Oak.
Howie
Wooden Canoe Maniac
I use typically #8x1" or 1 1/4" silicon-bronze flat-head screws with brass cup washers. I get the washers from Island Falls Canoe. Screws are typically the slotted type, an exception being Penn Yan which used Frearson screws (a little like Phillips). Both available at Jamestown Dist or eBay. In addition some older Old Towns use use screws with built-in flat washers. I've seen them on a '37 Yankee and a '39 50 Pounder.
Rob Stevens
Wooden Canoes are in the Blood
I am about to afix a new shoe keel on a restored canoe. I sealed the keel using epoxy. Will also bed it using Dolfinite, and use #8 silicon bronze screws with brass cup washers. Length doesn't matter much if you plan to screw right through the keel then file or grind the protruding bit flush. Begin by positioning the keel then temporarily screwing though the ends into the stems to hold it in position while you screw it from the inside with cup washers.
Craig Johnson
Lifetime member
The spacing of every fourth rib in the center of the canoe makes me wonder if some of the ribs have been replaced. I noticed that in a boat the other that the ribs where I would have expected a keel screw but were missing were replacements. Actually an easy tell when looking for replaced ribs.
