The Architects Birchbark Canoe

[Nick Dennis]

Some of you would have seen the piece I wrote for the Spring 2026 edition of Wooden Canoe Journal titled "The Aristocrat, An Architect & The Birchbark Canoe". This is a follow on to that article.

Over the first weekend of June we had a UK Chapter meet on the Thames in Oxfordshire. For many years since the passing of the Architect, his birchbark canoe has been hanging in the boathouse suspended in slings over the water. The intention was for it to be restored but family stuff and other commitments resulted in the project falling further down the "Todoit" list. Having restored one of Henri's canoes recently (a sister canoe to the Architects) I offered to take it on and get the canoe usable again. I met the Architects son on Saturday night and he was unaware that the canoe still existed and naturally when I explained what I proposed he was both emotional and delighted as are the current custodians.

We got the birchbark out of the slings and replaced it with my Peterborough Cedar rib; that frees up space for me to work in my garage but also keeps a canoe hanging in what would have been a vacant space full of nice memories.

Above the birchbark, below my 1900 Peterborough Cedar Rib squatting for a while.

Henri uses barks of different shades and hues. Mine is quite pale whilst the Architects is quite dark

Here are my pair nestling up together on the Thames at the weekend.

Strapping on ready for the journey to Norfolk.

Once home I gave the Architects canoe a wash and scrub down with a soft brush and some mild soapy water to remove years of grime and a fair bit of Robin poop. It was soon looking better.

I have yet to do a full assessment but clearly some tape and gum repairs and renewals will be needed along with sorting out loose lashings. I will immediately treat the worm infestation then do a greater assessment.

You are welcome to come along for the ride to see how I get on. My intention is to have the canoe done for a Thames Regatta in early August at which I know the Architects son and family will be present so it may be a pleasant surprise for them to see the canoe in a usable condition again.

Now where's my gum pot?

Nick

 

[Worth Gretter]

I would say August is optimistic, but you have done one already, so that may make it possible!

 

[Nick Dennis]

Having cleaned it I have been able to assess the good, the bad and the ugly!

The Architect loved this canoe clearly used the canoe a lot. What I have found is:-

• A couple of punctures on the bark at stem and stern ~ I will bridge these with some fabric and glue to add a backing to the bark ease the bark out and then seal with gum
• Woodworm~ I have today treated this by saturating the whole canoe with worm treatment.
• Broken and missing lashings~ I will tidy up, replace where needed and glue down any loose ones as Henri has suggested.
• Stems~ I need to add some fabric tape and re-gum as these have worn away in areas with use.
• Gores~ Have lost most of the gum. I will do a repair. I will clean these out, seal and regum.
• I will oil inside and out with some Tung oil to add life back to the wood and bark. I will finish with some Danish oil which will soak in to give flexibility and protection.
• Henri's decoration has faded so I will repaint them in a subtle manner so you can see them but they wont look too “fresh”

Gore

Gore

Binding

Stem

Bark

Lashings for thwart

Bow

The above is the bad as expected.

The ugly: The stitching has come loose where the extra piece of bark was added for the tumblehome. You cannot easily restitch this area as it’s planked internally. I will have to inject some flexible waterproof glue behind the lifted section of bark and stick it to the planking. I will then tidy up glue the stitching to prevent it unraveling and to secure it and then cover with gum. It should sit above the waterline so shouldn’t leak

You can see here where the stitching has broken and lifted with the tumblehome bark separating slightly.

The good: Keeping the canoe suspended above the water in the boathouse has kept it tight. The bark is drum tight in most places. I have put buckets of water beneath the canoe in my garage to maintain some humidity.

This is mostly as I found on my canoe but it looks like there has been some impact damage which I will need to deal with too. The gores on the Architects canoe have opened up much more significantly than mine had.

Onwards!

Nick

 

[Nick Dennis]

I had to do a late night/early morning airport run to collect Angelika who had been in Germany for the last 10 days so today I had a relaxed start and an easy morning pottering and cotemplating the Architects birchbark.

I cleaned the gores out with a fine pick and then using a combination of adhesive and pitch pine tar I managed to deal with the loose stitching on the tumblehome and secure the bark, stuck the fabric down on the bow and stern and forced the gum down into the deep gore cuts. I cleaned the excess off and will now let those areas dry. The next part of the exercise is to heat up the existing gum with my leather iron tool and ease it back over the gores adding new gum where short.

A filled gore

Filled gore. The raised ridge of gum on either side of the cut will be reheated and eased back over the centre.

Above, my tool of choice, a bamboo skewer along with my right thumb!

A raised flap of fabric and bark on the bow has been stuck down and will be gummed over

Fabric on stem stuck back down and this too will be gummed over fully in a continuous run of gum with the rest of the bow curve

Other end of keel/stem fabric smoothed and stuck down. Again new gum will be smoothed over.

I want to pop out later and get some red ochre paint to repaint Henri's fiddlehead decoration. As the bark has darkened and the paint faded the decoration is not particularly distinct. I cannot see that Henri has signed this canoe has he had mine. I keep wiping the bark down with a damp towel to keep some moisture around. The richness of some lovely autumnal colours and patterns appear and by oiling the bark i should be able to bring this back permanently.

Thats it for today. What's for lunch?

Nick

 

[MGC]

Forgive me, but when I read about retouching Henri's work, this keeps coming to mind:

 

[Andre Cloutier]

scary the thoughts we share... however looks like the canoe is in fine hands

 

[Nick Dennis]

Forgive me, but when I read about retouching Henri's work, this keeps coming to mind:
View attachment 62173.

LOL What you are probably not aware of are the hours of Transatlantic telephone conversations which have taken place between Henri and I over what to do to the canoes and how to do it. He is/ has been more than happy with my approach and the results. Now to source some gold leaf

 

[dtdcanoes]

Nick, Don't source the gilding. You have learned a lot about your self mit za gummin' etc. When you do the leaf you will know a lot more, maybe even everything.
Dave

 

[Nick Dennis]

Hi Dave. I was being sarcastic about the gold leaf as many early English canoes were adorned with it. The canoe will be as built but made usable again after too many years being hung up and not usable. How are you and how are your projects going? Sadly commitments here in the UK mean that I cannot attend Assembly this year.
Keep well and doing stuff.

Nick

 

[dtdcanoes]

Sadly for us all, Nick. And " will be as built " is as it should be. What a boat !
Dave

 

[Nick Dennis]

When a pair of birchbark canoes turn up of the same design and type by the same builder, both will exhibit similar issues. These two are no exception to that principle. I have had to order some more resin to make additional gum and some more lashing materials both of which should arrive within a week.

One set of thwart lashings were very dry and just crumbled away so I pulled those out and cleaned up the area; there is enough space to enable me to tease the new material through the gap between the capping and the main rail. The other main area to deal with is the tie lashing at the bow which had snapped. All the other individual loose tails have been glued back down as Henri suggested.

This was the state of the thwart lashings

Now removed and the area treated for worm/rot

The bow tie removed

A gentle clean and a rub over with some tung oil has certainly added some life back to the canoe and I have managed to bring out Henri's original decorations which were pretty dark and indistinct before. Henri has confirmed that he did use a very dark bark for this canoe whereas mine was a very pale bark hence the great difference in colour between the two; opposite ends of the scale.

He also used a very dark gum on this canoe so I will need to cook my next batch down further to get a close match.

Thats it for now. I dont wish to get repetitive so the next post will be when the canoe is done and on the water. I will reunite the sisters!

Cheers,

Nick

 

[dtdcanoes]

WOW, Nick..Other worldly and look at those nail heads

 

[Rob Stevens]

No nail heads. Those are square wooden pegs in round holes holding on the gunwale caps.

 

[Nick Dennis]

No nail heads. Those are square wooden pegs in round holes holding on the gunwale caps.

Actually Rob they are nail heads. Henri went over to hand forged square nails as he had issues with the wooden pegs which he originally used coming loose over time. Years of rust means that the caps are not coming off…….easily!

 

[Worth Gretter]

The golden color of the ribs is great.