restoring a canoe, have some questions

[Railrider1920]

Hi Folks,
This is my first post here. I have been looking for a forum to ask these questions and this site looked like it would yield some good answers.

A friend gave me a 12' fiberglass canoe that was covered with tar. Between the two of us, we have gotten 99% of it off. I have taken off the aluminum gunnals (or is it gunwales?). There are some holes in it that need to be fixed up. My neighbor is pretty good at fiber glassing, so he will be showing me how to do it and helping me on that part.

Two of my biggest concerns with this canoe are replacing the gunnels and fixing the hole on the inside of the canoe on the keel.

1) Gunnels: I would like to replace the aluminum ones with wood. I have some cypress that I think I would like to use. It's wide enough, but not long enough. Do you think I can glue two pieces together to make them up? I'm pretty sure they will bend just fine to match the contour of the canoe (widest point to narrowest point), but I'm not too sure how well they will bend across the grain, to bend them up to meet the deck area. I may get the glassing done and put the aluminum ones back and do the wood gunnels later.

2) The keel area on the inside of the canoe had a piece of metal in it that had rusted completely apart. I cut it open about 8 feet long. I was thinking about getting two pieces of 3/8" thread all and a connector nut. Putting them in the keel groove and glassing them in to help with some strength. Does this sound ok or is there a better solution?

3) When I start to glass this canoe, I was thinking about starting on the inside and working towards the gunnal area then to the outside. Would this be ok or should I start on the outside and work in?

Thanks for any help / opinions offered.
Rob
This is the keel after I opened it up to about 8 feet long.
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j74/railrider1920/canoe/PB268278.jpg
What it looked like when I got it.
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j74/railrider1920/canoe/canoe2.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j74/railrider1920/canoe/Photo0232.jpg

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: restoring a canoe, have some questions

Welcome to iboats.

Nice canoe. You have some glass work in your future.

I would not go will a threaded rod....... I would almost consider wood or aluminum..... stuff that will not rust.

I have never worked with cyprus however, I know it is a pretty wood. I guess it would work as the joints where you join it can be strong enough to work.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: restoring a canoe, have some questions

Welcome to Iboats Railrider..

The wood idea I have done..but it was in two strips inside and outside then through bolted together.

I dont know why you would want to use allthread in your keel area..enough glass will make that puppy strong enough. But If will make you feel at ease then I would use what Bob suggested.

Im with you on glassing the inside..then the outside ( its going to be easier to tape that cutout from the outside for shape purposes ).

This should be a fun starter project for a beginner glasser

Good luck and have fun.. YD.

 

[knehdn]

Re: restoring a canoe, have some questions

Try http://www.wcha.org and go into the 'Forums' section. You'll find lots of help and advise there.

 

[Railrider1920]

Re: restoring a canoe, have some questions

Bob VT,
Sorry about the img size. Wasn't even thinking about it. I didn't even think about using alum or wood. I had the thread all sitting there for some reason and figured it would work. Probably go with alum if I go that route.

Yacht Dr.
I will do the gunnals inside and out then bolted like you mentioned (I might put a top on it also). But my strips are only about 8' long so I would have to do each one in two pieces.
I was only thinking about putting a piece of metal back in the keel because there was one in there to start. I only cut it open on the inside of the canoe. I didn't cut it all the way through and most likely won't.

This thing is defiantly a project, but I am looking forward to it. Simple enough to do (I think) and will let me learn glassing. I can't wait to get it done and get it in the water.

knehdn, thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

Thanks again for the replies and suggestions
Rob

 

[Bondo]

Re: restoring a canoe, have some questions

I will do the gunnals inside and out then bolted like you mentioned (I might put a top on it also).

Ayuh,... When ya do that,...
Make sure you have some sorta Weep Holes in it...
When the canoe is stored outside, upside-down, the water will lay on the new gunnels, 'n Rot 'em out in No Time...
It's gotta be able to drain itself...

I'm with YD on the keel issue,... Stuff it with Glass,... No metals needed...

 

[Railrider1920]

Re: restoring a canoe, have some questions

Ayuh,... When ya do that,...
Make sure you have some sorta Weep Holes in it...
When the canoe is stored outside, upside-down, the water will lay on the new gunnels, 'n Rot 'em out in No Time...
It's gotta be able to drian itself...

I'm with YD on the keel issue,... Stuff it with Glass,... No metals needed...

Thanks Bond-o, I didn't even think about the weep holes. When I get them cut, I was thinking about putting them in a piece of PVC pipe and soaking them in boiled linseed oil. The wood is very old and may not have enough of the natural oils left in them.

To stuff the keel hole with glass, it would all have to be wet first, then stuffed in, is that correct? I don't know if it would all get wet if not done this way.
Thanks
Rob

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: restoring a canoe, have some questions

I for one wouldnt store a boat flat to the ground..but at an angle..takes care of any water just sitting there..

YD.

 

[Artpop]

Re: restoring a canoe, have some questions

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"I have some cypress that I think I would like to use. It's wide enough, but not long enough. Do you think I can glue two pieces together to make them up?"

The wood you use does not have to be one piece be sure to use a long scarf joint.

Here's a pic I stole off the net that illustrates the gunwale construction. The skupper blocks are epoxied onto the inwale piece. Then it is all clamped together with the hull sandwiched in between. Seal it good with epoxy. Then paint or varnish.

 

[Bondo]

Re: restoring a canoe, have some questions

The skupper blocks are epoxied onto the inwale piece.

Ayuh,... That's what I'm talkin' about...
Seems to me, that Old Town used to put those on the outside as well...
For the drainage I spoke of...

Btw,... Never seen a canoe that you could "store a boat flat to the ground.."
The pointy ends cause it to flop over to 1 side or the other...
Usually so's the bottom is at an angle of 30? to 45?....
Even on sawhorses, or a roof rack the water will lay on the gunnels, if not scuppered, or beveled...