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I'll echo Benson's reply. There are many experienced restorers who frequent the forums at WCHA.org, many of whom will be willing to offer advice and analysis of your project. I'm currently on my fifth wood/canvas restoration, and while they seem to be getting progressively more difficult, with...

No... but I tend to pre-soak for a long time-even a week or ten days- then steam in a plastic bag/tube. Full disclosure, none of the canoes on which I will use it have a dramatic upsweep to the stems. I have 3 Old Town 50#ers that will use these, for inwales at a minimum. Outwales either Ash...

Great first effort. I like that blade shape. Gamma is correct, Sassafras makes a very nice paddle. Mine is the lighter wood in these pictures; the other paddle is Cherry.

I just bought some rift sawn 16' Sitka Spruce stock for gunnels. True 2'x6'x16'. It will yield 12 pieces, or enough for 3 canoes if I choose to use them for inwales and outwales. My cost per piece, materials only- no labor, is $22.25. Sourcing the materials is half the battle of building or...

Thanks for taking us along. Having paddled the Allagash twice, in 1967 as a kid and about 15 years ago with my son, I've been hoping for another trip solo. The first trip was in 17' Grumman aluminum canoes, and the second in a rented plastic boat. I hated the plastic boat but at least I...

Thanks Robin, and of course all of you who have appreciated this and other projects! Robin, I had some "discussions" on the WCHA site about potentially replacing entire damaged planks. Whoever removed the previous skin which was undoubtedly fiberglass at some point, did a lot of damage to the...

Well, the canoe is done.... and gone! In the accompanying picture the 50#er is the one on the left. The other is the Chestnut Bobs Special I restored a couple of years ago. It went to a fellow in Buffalo. And, a few more pictures out in daylight. On the truck headed for Westchester...

They do look good on that Chevy too. Years ago when I took my son to undergrad school at the University of Vermont we would see lots of cars with boats on top. The family joke about any such vehicle became, “ they’re havin’ fun”. So, I guess you’re still having fun!

Bear Pond area, St. Regis Canoe Area, Adirondacks. This was posted at each end of a carry in 2021.

I’m a notorious cheapskate so it’s unlikely I’ll ever buy these, but the exchangeable sole concept seems interesting. Maybe there’s a shoe and sole combination you might like...

Thanks Glenn for remembering and asking about my recovery. I am largely recovered and now caring for my wife who hasn't been well for some time. It limits both my working career, but that's OK - I just celebrated my 50th year self employed in the residential building business- so it's time to...

I got a laugh out of this Al. The perennial complaint of the bow paddler!

Sorry Robin, I overlooked your reply. Yes, I applied Northwoods Canoe filler which as I'm sure you know, is a traditional oil based filler. Here she is now, after 5 weeks curing, priming, and first coat of color this evening. 1st primer was a white primer tinted with red (it's what I had...

For those of you who build strippers, a (sort of) neighbor of mine here in southeast PA who primarily restored wood/canvas canoes is retiring from canoe work. He has cedar strips available for sale. Here is the link to his classified ad on WCHA.org...

She's in the canvas!

Yep, I have bought some from him, although my preference is for old bolts with patina for restoration. I'll have to look into a chemical process to mimic the old patina when I use the new ones!

Thank you Robin. I bought this property, farmhouse and barn, 47 years ago. My first house! As a builder/contractor it always served as storage for materials and tools, and only in the last 5 years or so has it become a shop. Previously I did nearly all my work on client's sites. Fortunately...

Thanks Jim! Is yours an Old Town with diamond head bolts? I used 10 of them from my horde on this canoe, and I have 3 more Old Town canoes to restore. Please save them if you do have any! Seat frames too, regardless of cane condition.

Well, that's rather impressive!

Reading Glenn's post re: site member activity, his comments reminded me that users need to post new threads to keep the site alive. In that vein, here's a current project. This poor old canoe, a 1938 Old Town 50 pounder- that's the model name; the weight is greater but that's how OT marketed...