Red's Tremblay

[Mihun09]

After 4 intensive weeks, Red's boat is coming together. Much planking was removed due to water damage since the boat had been fibreglassed. It still has a lot of resin to be removed but I am working to that point. The interior was stripped of the old varnish, there is much water damage inside as well, it looks like it wasn't varnished regularly so bare wood was exposed for awhile.

Some of the planking has been saved, so far at least, I am still trying to pick gobs of resin from the gaps between the planks without causing damage. 42 rib tips, no ribs needing to be replaced or repaired. Stem, inwale and deck tips repaired. Typical rot on these.

Next weekend will be further glass removal, sanding, sanding, bleaching maybe, more sanding and hopefully first coats of varnish on the interior. Shooting for August 8th getting her into new canvas.

Found "15 75" stamped under each deck which translates into 15 foot, 1975 build date.

I worked a 50 hour week then spent both off days working on this boat. Same as last weekend. Everyone needs a hobby and this makes up for cancelling my cable 18 months ago.

 

[memaquay]

Nice! How do you strip the inside varnish so clean?

 

[Robin]

Nice work, the stem and inwale repairs look good, very neat interior, has all the signs of a good looking canoe soon, another wood canvas will back in the water soon...yahoo!!

 

[Mihun09]

Mem, stripping is one of those intensive labourious chores. I give it a full day, sometimes more. I use Circa 1850 chemical stripper, it is available at Rona or Home Hardware. The "Heirloom" stuff from HD isn't as good. Fill a plastic bucket, slop it on with a cheap brush, let is set awhile. 5-10 minutes will lift most of it, then I slather on another coat or two and let it sit, then start scraping. We aren't supposed to use metal scrapers since the cedar can mark so easily, but I still use a thin one for the difficult to remove stuff and it does get down to wood usually first pass. For the rib edges and planking, a very stiff nylon brush works wonders. Up under the decks doesn't get done until after I remove the decks and the very ends by the stems may not get done at all since it can be impossible to get all the way in there.

Work in the shop with good ventilation, wear a respirator, if you do it outside, be in the shade or the sun evaporates the stripper. Gloves of course. Just keep at it. I do down one side then back up the other, doing 5 ribs in length at a time.

It looks much better in the photo than in real life. The planking is very dark still, mostly due to weather damage I hope. Next Friday I will try it again on the darker planking and see if it helps. If I do bleach it, that would be after sanding it all. The bleach is a two part Teak cleaner. Kinda pricey, like $40 to do one boat, but it can make a big difference, although it doesn't always clean up black areas.

So, next will be stripping again, then wash the whole thing with TSP to get the grunge out. Finish removing resin from between the planks, put the decks back in after varnishing them a few times this week. Sand, sand, sand, maybe bleach, then start varnish. 3-4 coats on the interior before canvas. I like to varnish the outside of the hull too before canvas. Of, before varnish I have to finish installing the sheer planking, that is after the decks go back in.

Got to get most of that done before the 31st. It is going to get some company after that.

I'm starting to get good at this.

 

[Guest]

Impressive! Do you ever use Minwax wood filler or wood hardener? I've found the hardener does a nice job on wood that has begun to rot but where the fibers are still intact.

 

[Hanz]

Thank you for the detailed explanation, and the photos, of course.

I like to learn about things like this.

 

[Rippy]

Girl, you do such crazy good work!

 

[Mihun09]

Gavia; Haven't used Git Rot or anything like that. Usually, if the wood isn't too bad or it is something like a stem which has some splitting and is a PITA to repair completely, I will use epoxy. For things like cracked inwales, such as from age but that are not structurally failing, I will mix some epoxy, heat the crack with a heat gun and syringe the epoxy into the crack. As it cools it draws the epoxy deep, then I just keep filling it til even with the surface.

On past boats I have used thickened epoxy a fair bit but I'm trying to get away from that since it doesn't look natural. I have a few spots on this boat with it, but mostly where it cannot be seen and the rot didn't go all the way through the rib. Rib tips is the usual treatment for rot. Cut out the fluffy wood and replace the tip.

~

Something I have discovered this time around is the paint stripper will break down the resin. I found that out when stripping the interior. Every rib had a pool of resin at the bottom and as I stripped the varnish the resin would soften and I could scrape a layer off. So now I'm using it on the outside to help thin down the high spots. I could sand, and will, but the glass sands slowly and it is easy to remove the cedar around it without making a dent in the resin or glass left on the hull. There will be areas the resin gets left on the hull, it is nigh impossible to remove it all without doing major damage to the planking. I just hope that it doesn't show through the canvas. If you wonder what could show through... the first boat I did, after the filler had dried we could see every single hammer bloom from driving new tacks. So, since then, after finishing the planking we wet the hull to raise the wood around the tacks before fairing.

 

[Mihun09]

Yesterday was finishing picking the resin from the gaps in the planking, last bits of planking excepting the sheer, finished tacking, sanded and varnished the outside.

Today was sanding the ribs and started sanding the planking but stopped since there was crud from stripping still, so I took it outside and gave it the TSP wash, I will sand tomorrow.

The colour difference between new and old planking is significant so I may use this boat as a test piece for trying to match colours closer. The ribs, when wet, is what it will look like with varnish.

Oh, and the bucket seats that came out of the boat, if Red doesn't want them, we will make available to whomever is willing to pay the shipping. Unless either Mem or Robin are interested then we will hand deliver.

This could make a nice solo boat despite the flared sides.

 

[red langford]

Wow!

I am so stoked to see the final outcome. I feared the boat may be dead but it's looking very very good. I dabble in woodwork and my skills are not even in the same area code as the work you are doing there.

Those seats are yours to do what you wish with it.

 

[Mihun09]

Red, what was your intention with this boat when you got it?

You know, since you have wood working skills you could do this type of thing too. I had to start somewhere but I had a much better boat to start with, not a horrid fiberglas mess like this was. I'm sure you could learn to do it as well. WCHA forums are the place to be to get the info you need to repair or restore these craft.

Today was he**. Note to self, DO NOT sand White Cedar without the respirator, again. If you do, you will suffer through another night and day like you have.

These things are made of white cedar, I am apparently allergic to white cedar.

The wood bleach I ordered should be in early this week but I got as much sanding done as I will do today. Normally I would use 180 and sand cross grain on the planking, although we are not supposed to do that, but it is by far the easiest way to do it and with the 180 it mostly doesn't leave scratches.

This boat had some unusual colour and grain issues that wouldn't take to hand sanding, so.... anyone ever find a tool company that understands that a Detail Sander really is? I haven't. My mouse is considered to be such but still won't fit between the ribs. I did some brainstorming and doodling at work on Thursday and worked out a plan. The Mark 1 version is a tad crude but it worked dandy. I have hordes of self adhesive velcro around and that was the ticket. I can just mount the detail sander and take it off when done. Next version will be beefier and have the air holes in the pad.

I am using a piece from my stationary belt sander 80 grit belt velcroed to the shoe. No sense just throwing it away.

 

[Mihun09]

I really need a life, all I do is live, eat and breathe canoes.

This boat is ready for canvas and should get done this weekend. Then I can help Christine finish up the other 15 foot Tremblay and then get onto the Morris or Penobscot.

 

[Cronje]

WOW! Where is that LIKE button. Inspiring to say the least. Cronje

 

[Odyssey]

LIKE x 2. I'm thinking "Wow, ready for canvas already? Do they sleep in the shop?!"

 

[red langford]

So when are you going to drop off back in Red Lake?? Kidding of course, but I would love to paddle it just once.

 

[Iskweo]

We dont sleep in the shop but since it is the only air conditioned space in the house I have been giving it some thought.

 

[Mihun09]

So when are you going to drop off back in Red Lake?? Kidding of course, but I would love to paddle it just once.

Well, filler will take 4 weeks to cure, so it should be done by late September... Thanksgiving weekend in Red Lake perhaps?

 

[red langford]

Hmmm, we'll talk again.

 

[Momentum]

Wow. Fantastic work Mihun. I know that all that sanding is really fiddly work and can be very hard on the body. Kudos to you for getting it to even this point.

 

[Mihun09]

Sanding the planking can be difficult (annoying) but necessary. Space between the ribs varies with different boats too. Wood Bleach is the ticket though after sanding. Although there are still a lot of blackish areas due to water/sun/exposure damage over time, they too lessened with the bleach treatment. The idea was to get the boat back into the water, so effort wasn't as much as I will put into the rarer boats.