Tada... Another one done - 1951 Penn Yan Rainbow

[Howie]

Came out really nice. This time I made a wooden form for the shape needed for the inner stem, then glued & clamped thin strips to conform to this shape. Then I used these inner stems as a 'form' for the outer stems & repeated the process. I have another Rainbow to work on & plan to use the same process.

Here are some pics. The canoe was a mess when I got it. Once I stripped it I discovered it had 25 ribs needing replacement! But at least the inwales were intact save for the tips, so the basic shape was good.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Looking good Howie,

Hey, do you have the S/N of that canoe?

Dan

 

[Howie]

Yup: RN-51273. Any particular reason you ask?

 

[pklonowski]

Nice work, Howie!

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Howie,

Yes, I was curious about the shape of the ends.
It might be just the angle of the pics but these don't look as "pulled back" as other Rainbow's I've seen.

I wonder (if they truly are not as pulled back) if PY changed the shape over the years.

Just wondering.

Dan

 

[Howie]

Oh - there's no doubt that I didn't match the original shape properly. I did have to trim some of the original side planking to get the inner stem to fit, but not all that much as I recall. But the problem was that there wasn't much of the siding at the tips! You know how it is - when the side wood is gone and the stem is wiggly or gone you have to take a guess at where things should be. Since then however I have acquired yet another Rainbow. Here's some pics of an unmolested Rainbow:

I don't know... I'm sure the 'new' red one isn't the same shape as the original blue one, but seems to me it's very close. But it doesn't take much to make an observable difference I suppose.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Ya, I don't know either.

Here are a couple others, one I did some years ago, S/N ONS 62, (Owasco early 30's)
the other (red) was listed as a '47 Rainbow.

The Owasco is "original", it just needed to be stripped, new varnish and canvas.
I don't know about the Rainbow.

Dan

 

[Howie]

Yup - I've got an Owasco too - looks quite like yours. Tips look to me quite like an OT Otca. Different than a Rainbow as Dan points out.

I've long thought of a Rainbow looking something like an OT Molitor.

 

[divedog]

Great work! Love the split stem band on the deck. Is that a PY thing, or your own personal touch?
Mike Wootton
Spokane, WA

 

[Howie]

Yup, it's my idea. I do it when ever I don't have the original stem bands for the canoe. Go ahead and say it: I've got too much time on my hands.

FYI, the decal is not the type that was likely found on the canoe. I searched for Penn Yan decals for quite a while without finding a source, so I decided to make my own using pictures sent to me via WCHA replies. I've got the Indian Head type as the Sailboat type: The Sailboat looks nearly identical to the original - the image is really crisp, while the Indian image is a little grainier. But I just like the Indian better.

Don't know is anyone is interested but now that I'm done with it I'm selling it. Haven't even put it in the water! Got too many canoes!

 

[divedog]

Very inspirational... It gives it a very finished look. I'm almost done with a '64 OT Guide that I used a bit of "poetic license." I may follow your lead a bit on the stem band, as well. Thanks for the pictures!
Mike Wootton - Spokane, WA

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Howie

Sense you mentioned decals, have you ever seen one like in the attached pic?
This is what was on the PY I did, (sense passed on) but I could never find a good image of it to reproduce.

Dan

ps, I got an Indian head decal from PY some years ago, don't know if they still have them.

 

[Howie]

Nope - never seen this one before. Thanks for sharing!