NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
Anyone out there ever restore a canvas canoe? I did 2 in my last year of highschool. First, I would remove the gunalls(think that's how you spell it) and keel. Then remove the old canvas to expose the woodwork. I would replace any of the cedar strips that were cracked or rotten. Then a good 4-5 coats of varnish on the inside of the canoe to seal the wood.
Next would come the new canvas. To do this, we would hang 17-18ft of canvas from one wall in the shop to the other and place the canoe inside of it.(same principal as laying in a frameless hammock) Then we would give the canvas 2-3 coats of a sealer that would stretch the canvas and make it form to the shape of the canoe. Once it dried up and cured for a week or so, we tacked the canvas to the canoe all along the gunall edges from front to back making sure it was perfectly tight with no wrinkles. The excess canvas overhanging past the point where we tacked it would be trimmed flush.
After that, we would untie the canoe from the walls it was hanging from and flip it upside down on saw horses. Then came the bow and stern of the canoe. We would tack the canvas to the ends triming off any excess. At this point, the canoe was starting to take shape. The canvas was all firmed up from the sealer and ready to start painting.
Painting a canvas canoe to a smooth finish is a long tedious procress taking weeks. I would apply 4-5 coats of marine paint with a brush letting it dry completely between coats. Once the 5th coat was dry, there started to be a base on the canvas that was ready for a sanding to smooth it out. After a good sanding, came another coat of paint, then a sanding, then paint, then more sanding, then more paint.......................enough times till I got a nice smooth finish.
After painting was completed, I would reattach the gunwalls to the edge of the canoe after sanding and varnishing them. Then, the keel would get reattached by running a bead of silicone down where the keel would sit, the running screws through from the inside bottom of the canoe. The screws had to be long enough to go right through the keel. I would grind them off smooth and and apply more silicone to seal up the keel completely.
The last step would be reinstalling the brass caps at the bow and stern of the canoe. Once the strips were reinstalled, more silicone would seal them up to prevent leaking.
And voila! All set for the water once again.
Next would come the new canvas. To do this, we would hang 17-18ft of canvas from one wall in the shop to the other and place the canoe inside of it.(same principal as laying in a frameless hammock) Then we would give the canvas 2-3 coats of a sealer that would stretch the canvas and make it form to the shape of the canoe. Once it dried up and cured for a week or so, we tacked the canvas to the canoe all along the gunall edges from front to back making sure it was perfectly tight with no wrinkles. The excess canvas overhanging past the point where we tacked it would be trimmed flush.
After that, we would untie the canoe from the walls it was hanging from and flip it upside down on saw horses. Then came the bow and stern of the canoe. We would tack the canvas to the ends triming off any excess. At this point, the canoe was starting to take shape. The canvas was all firmed up from the sealer and ready to start painting.
Painting a canvas canoe to a smooth finish is a long tedious procress taking weeks. I would apply 4-5 coats of marine paint with a brush letting it dry completely between coats. Once the 5th coat was dry, there started to be a base on the canvas that was ready for a sanding to smooth it out. After a good sanding, came another coat of paint, then a sanding, then paint, then more sanding, then more paint.......................enough times till I got a nice smooth finish.
After painting was completed, I would reattach the gunwalls to the edge of the canoe after sanding and varnishing them. Then, the keel would get reattached by running a bead of silicone down where the keel would sit, the running screws through from the inside bottom of the canoe. The screws had to be long enough to go right through the keel. I would grind them off smooth and and apply more silicone to seal up the keel completely.
The last step would be reinstalling the brass caps at the bow and stern of the canoe. Once the strips were reinstalled, more silicone would seal them up to prevent leaking.
And voila! All set for the water once again.
