Rub Rails on 1942 Old Town Otca

[Gregory Messier]

I am restoring a 1942 Old Town 18’ AA grade Otca design #45. I’ve completed the paint job but at some time in the past the rub rails were taken off. Two questions:

The original screw holes still show on the ribs but do not go all the way to the stems. They stop approximately at each seat. The only other example I’ve seen pictures of on this forum had external stem bands and the rub rails went all the way to the stems (mine did not have external stem bands). Does anyone know of an example where the rub rails didn’t go all the way to the stems? If so what are the profile dimensions of the original rub rails so I can mill new ones that are correct?

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[Benson Gray]

The rub rail on mine shown at http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?attachments/5305/ is roughly one half inch vertical and three quarters of an inch horizontal. The screws go in from the outside at the ends and out from the inside in the middle. The picture at http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?attachments/9137/ shows this in more detail. See http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/7380/ and https://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/15911/ for more information. Good luck,

Benson

 

[Gregory Messier]

Hi Benson,

Thank you for the quick response, that is very helpful. Now I just need to go find a 20’ long piece of Mahogany

Btw your boat is gorgeous! I’ve referred to your pictures numerous times while figuring out the paint scheme. Did you do the oak leafs in gold leaf or gold paint?

 

[Benson Gray]

Did you do the oak leafs in gold leaf or gold paint?

The green and white Molitor came from the factory with a copper based gold paint stripe that slowly turned green after a few years of use in the ocean. It has been replaced with gold leaf which doesn't have that issue but is more expensive. A few good long scarf joints can work if you can't find a 20 foot piece of mahogany. Another option is to contact some of the restorers listed at https://www.woodencanoe.org/builders-suppliers to see if one of them has any long mahogany to sell.

The pictures at http://forums.wcha.org/index.php?threads/12325/ show an older Molitor with a rub rail and gold leaf design that you may like.

Benson

 

[Howie]

For what it's worth, I had a 18ft 1921 Molitor which had the outer rails attached with both screws and nails. The 2-1/2ft ends of the rails (I'm guessing based on the pic below) were held by steel nails; screws were used for the center 13ft of the rails (the screw heads were on the inside of the canoe). Maybe this was true with your canoe as well? Nail holes night be easy to miss or be misconstrued as canoed by tacks.
.

 

[David Satter]

Gregory, I just made rubrails of birch to match the seats and thwarts on this canoe. Each one is scarfed once on each side 3 inch scarf and you cant even see it when done.

oops I may have put up 2 photos.

 

[Gregory Messier]

Hi David,
Yours came out beautiful! Nice to see another finished design #45! I think I might just do scarf joints too as the lengths will be much easier to work with. I don’t think I can rip a 20’ board in my shop. I guess I just need a bigger shop!

 

[David Satter]

you don't need a bigger shop just a saw to cut a hole in the wall at each end of your table saw . My table saw is positioned so there's a door at both ends. So I can rip very long boards . My band saw also has a window at one end so I can stick long boards out.

 

[Gregory Messier]

you don't need a bigger shop just a saw to cut a hole in the wall at each end of your table saw . My table saw is positioned so there's a door at both ends. So I can rip very long boards . My band saw also has a window at one end so I can stick long boards out.

David I love where your going with this! Only problem is my shop’s in the basement.

 

[Rollin Thurlow]

problem solved!