What do I have and what have I let myself in for?

[Kevinyearley]

Hello, I am brand new to the forum and I'm seeking some help and advice.
I have recently bought myself a wooden canoe (see link) http://s1055.photobucket.com/albums/...ley/?start=all.

I believe it to be about 80 years old but cannot tell for sure.

Does anyone have any idea, what kind of Canoe it is and what it might be made from? Also the canoe has ridges running along it, as if the wooden strip has bulged at some point is this normal or should I be worried.

My plan is to restore it to clean and useable condition, not a full strip down job though and I would like to keep it looking as original as possible.

I plan to remove as much paint from the bottom as possible (seems to be about 3/4 layers of paint with the least one being a standard house hold exterior gloss), looking through the forum it seems that I am best to sand this off as a heat gun will damage the epoxy in the boat. Is a heat gun an issue on a canoe of this age?

As the varnished parts are still quite tidy I then plan to lightly rub these areas and then re-varnish the whole boat, filling any dings as I go with epoxy and wood flour. What varnish would be best? my concern here is that I don't know what has been previously used on the canoe and I don't want it to lift when I recoat it.

Final job, on the outside, would then be to repaint the underside in an anti-foul type paint, again any suggestions would be welcome as it would need to be compatible with which ever varnish I use.
Any suggestions, criticisms, comments are welcome as I would rather do a proper job and potentially add value, rather than rush and bodge the job just to get it on the water.

[Fitz]

You have yourself a nice strip canoe, likely Canadian, although there were some builders in Europe too. It was originally just coated with multiple coats of varnish. They are quite beautiful when restored. Some can be quite rare and valuable.

I have not restored one, so will point you in the right direction. Go here for all things Wooden Canoe.... http://forums.wcha.org/forum.php

The folks there may be able to identify the builder and will can walk you through a restoration.

Fitz.

[Redeye]

[potomac]

Pretty.

[Chip Chester]

Looks like a good find. Regarding antifoul paint... are you going to leave it in the water all the time? Although I've never looked around with purpose, I don't recall ever seeing bottom paint on a canoe... Could be I'm just out of touch in central Ohio, though. Chip

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

I suspect this canoe has had a major repair. Notice the darker colored strips at the stem interlaced with lighter strips to the rear. And the large number of butt joints in a small area. If it is a repair it looks like it was well done and probably is of no importance. You should examine the area to see how everything is holding up.

She looks like a nice old gal and deserving of careful restoration.

[Kevinyearley]

I've bought the canoe in the UK so I would imagine it was built over here. It looks to be a very similar style to some of the old canoes and punts you see in the old Victorian photos of the Thames.

I need to check these guys (http://forums.wcha.org/forum.php) out, unfortunately my work filter blocks me from looking at their site, will have a look over the weekend.

With regards to bottom paint, ideally I would like to have the boat 100% varnished with no paint, but I am worried that to remove all the existing paint I may do more damage than good.
So I ‘m thinking, remove the worst of the paint until I get down to a nice surface, then it’s one of three choices, do I;
1. Paint the bottom (in a good sealant paint for this specific use) and then re-varnish the entire canoe, including painted part
2. Re-varnish the whole canoe and then re-coat the bottom in good sealant paint (or anti foul (is anti foul more of a protecting layer rather than a sealant layer?)
3. Re-varnish the top half first and then paint the bottom half, over lapping the varnish by about an inch.

I’m thinking option 3 would be best?

The boat will not be kept in water for extended periods, 1 or 2 days at the most so anti-fouling probably isn’t necessary.

Just not sure what varnish/paint to use to get a good long last finish. The varnish on the boat is about 20 years old and still holding strong, something like this would be ideal.

Upon sanding the paint off I have found a few more repairs, they all seem to have been done to a high standard and are only visible if you are looking for them.

[Fitz]

Yes, do check the WCHA site out. There are lots of folks on there including pros that will help you.

If the varnish is not failing (cracked, crazed, blistered, peeling etc.) you could get by with a good cleaning with trisodium phosphate TSP and then sand it with 220 grit and revarnish, scuffing between coats. Use a good quality marine varnish like Epiphanes, Captains, etc. Don't use any polyurethanes. Don't use any car wash detergents or other things that contain silicone. This will inhibit your varnish job later.

I would chemically strip the old paint and failed varnish. I don't know what is available in the UK, but I use methylene chloride based chemical stripper (gels) and plenty of safety gear. Use plastic brushes, plastic scrapers, and plastic brillo pads and work with the grain to avoid damaging the wood. There is lots of information on stripping on the WCHA site.

I would not use bottom paint on your canoe. I would strip if necessary and revarnish the entire canoe.

The decks look like poor replacements to me, but I can't really tell from the photos. Someone on the WCHA site could probably ID this canoe for you. Although it is a distinct possibility that your canoe was built in UK or Europe, lots of Canadian boats did find their way across the pond too.

Good luck with your project.

Fitz

[Kevinyearley]

Cheers for the advice.

I think I wil check them out at the weekend.

At least I've got a good starting point now.

Regards