Hi everypne
I am a 'canoe building rookie' (to borrow the termfrom previous forum users), and have taken on the task of restoring and old cedar strip. My question arises with the re-skining. I was hoping for some advice on techniques and canvas types best to use. Any help on this topic would be amazing
kind regards
Lindsay
restoring a cedar strip..help!!
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Glen Smith
- Posts: 3719
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
- Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada
You should check out: http://wcha.org
Or check with someone in your area who has experience with this kind of job. The work has to be well done in order for that precious canoe to keep its value.
Or check with someone in your area who has experience with this kind of job. The work has to be well done in order for that precious canoe to keep its value.
restoring a canoe
Lindsay,
Does your use of the word "canvas" mean that it's a wood/canvas canoe ... canvas on the outside and ribs on the inside? If so, check out the Wooden Canoe Heritage Assn .... http://wcha.org ... They have a lot of info about that ... and you want to do it "right", those are classics.
If it's a cedar strip canoe with no ribs and fiberglass inside&out then this forum is a pretty good source. Removing old fiberglass involves a heat gun, a putty knife, a few scrapers, a respirator and patience. I've done the outside of one ... it's a chore. I'd expect the concave inside surface to be tricker but I haven't one that so I don't know. I removed all the trim first and put the shell back on the forms while I removed the outside glass. Used screws near the shear line to hold it tight to the forms ... fiberglassed around the screws and then patched those spots after removing the screws. That worke well.
The canoe REALLY needs to be important to you to be worth it. I spent the better part of a year's worth of spare time renovating a 30 yr old stripper. It was about 10 minutes from a bonfire a couple times when the frustration peaked but I'm glad I perservered .... that canoe was built right after I was married and had been nicknamed "Scarface" for the past many years .... was rechristened "Second Honeymoon" after the rebuild was finished.
Good luck
Does your use of the word "canvas" mean that it's a wood/canvas canoe ... canvas on the outside and ribs on the inside? If so, check out the Wooden Canoe Heritage Assn .... http://wcha.org ... They have a lot of info about that ... and you want to do it "right", those are classics.
If it's a cedar strip canoe with no ribs and fiberglass inside&out then this forum is a pretty good source. Removing old fiberglass involves a heat gun, a putty knife, a few scrapers, a respirator and patience. I've done the outside of one ... it's a chore. I'd expect the concave inside surface to be tricker but I haven't one that so I don't know. I removed all the trim first and put the shell back on the forms while I removed the outside glass. Used screws near the shear line to hold it tight to the forms ... fiberglassed around the screws and then patched those spots after removing the screws. That worke well.
The canoe REALLY needs to be important to you to be worth it. I spent the better part of a year's worth of spare time renovating a 30 yr old stripper. It was about 10 minutes from a bonfire a couple times when the frustration peaked but I'm glad I perservered .... that canoe was built right after I was married and had been nicknamed "Scarface" for the past many years .... was rechristened "Second Honeymoon" after the rebuild was finished.
Good luck