Strip canoe shellac bottom?

[Huron15]

Hello!
First post, but I’ve visited the forum and found it a great source of info. I Appreciate all the knowledge and experience that has been shared.

Given all the knowledge and experience, I am very curious to know if anyone has used shellac on the bottom of a strip canoe.

All the reasons for using it on a wood and canvas canoe would seem to apply. I know that many or most like a bright finish on all sides of their strip canoe, and maybe the blotchy opaque brown is an instant deal breaker for them. I get that, but it’s just not an issue for me. I painted the outside of mine, and I ‘m fine with the way shellac looks on a canoe. I am more concerned with the benefits of (1) a slippery surface and scratch resistance and (2) simple maintenance.

Is there anyone out there who has done this or seen it done who would share their experience? Or can anyone at all see a good reason not to bother that I am overlooking? Does the hard surface of a strip canoe perhaps diminish the reported benefits on a more flexible wood canvas boat?

Thanks for any and all thoughts!

 

[Worth Gretter]

Two questions: 1) are you asking about the inside or outside of the canoe bottom? 2) is the strip construction covered with fiberglass?
I may not have the shellac answer for you, but these clarifications may help someone else provide your answer.

 

[Huron15]

Two questions: 1) are you asking about the inside or outside of the canoe bottom? 2) is the strip construction covered with fiberglass?
I may not have the shellac answer for you, but these clarifications may help someone else provide your answer

Thanks. the Outside and construction is cedar strip with fiberglass.

 

[lowangle al]

Hi, good idea to use shellac. I love it because it's slippery and easy to reapply. You stated that you painted the outside of your strip canoe. Do you plan to shellac over paint? If so I'm interested in knowing if that can be done. I may be wrong, but if you can shellac over paint it shouldn't matter what type of construction the boat is.

 

[Huron15]

it shouldn't matter what type of construction the boat is.

That was my thought, too, but I’ve found very little evidence on the internet that anyone does it.

I would sand and prep existing paint and shellac over it. I don’t see the need to take it back down to the glass/epoxy, and that would increase the overall time and effort such that I don’t think it would be worth it for me.

 

[Todd Bradshaw]

Leave the paint as it is the best UV protection for the epoxy. Sand the gloss off and then apply the shellac on top. UV radiation is generally the biggest danger for strippers, whether they are in the water or not.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Here in MN, it's not uncommon to see/have builders use "graphite" on the bottom of their strippers to give it a slippery surface.

 

[Huron15]

Thanks to everyone for the responses. All noted and appreciated!

I think it’s a low risk, low cost, low effort experiment, so I’ll go ahead and give it a try when I get the chance. To satisfy my curiosity if nothing else. Doubtless there are more effective modern options like graphite and wetlander/gator glide products, but the low cost, easy maintenance, and reversibility of Shellac make it the only realistic alternative to a painted finish for me. The tradition behind shellac is kind of a fun bonus too.

Also, just to note, I painted the hull with a satin porch and floor (which looks virtually matte to me). It’s a relatively rough surface, so I do expect some improvement in sliding over logs and limbs. I do not expect shellac to help much with sand abrasion and certainly not with the odd concrete boat ramp I’ll inevitably scrape. Can’t hurt, though.

I’ll try to follow up here with results when I have them in case anyone is interested.

 

[Jörg]

I have applied shellac on a boat, which I've built in a birchbark style process from plywood and cedar.
The (plywood) hull was first painted (epifanes monourethan) then sanded and shellac applied.
It works like on wood canvas canoes and should be refreshed every 1 or 2 years.