I'm hoping someong might be able to help me conclusively identify a canoe I'm restoring.
Brief history: I can trace it back to the first (or one of the first) owners who managed / owned Hunt's camp in Baxter State Park, Maine. The Park keeps track of fatalities, and he died of "heart attck and / or drowning." Did he fall out of the canoe, have a heart attack and drown? Or, have a heart attack, prompting him to fall out of the canoe, and drown? And, is the canoe I'm restoring the means used to get onto the water leading to his drowning??? This was in the early 30's. Additionally, I can trace all owners, since the first, through the branding of names / initials throughout the canoe.
The latter is totally unrelated to my request, but interesting.
Anyway, I'm reasonably sure it's a Carleton based on the the carrying thwart, diamond head bolts (a la Old Town, who acquired Carleton shortly before I believe this canoe was built), and a scan of an old Carleton catalog, depicting the interior of the canoe, which is dead on to what I'm restoring. I've also arrived at what I believe is the Serial Number:
1 8 5 9 2 1 6
The lenght is a match, but the 8 and 5 above are pretty obscured through use, layers of varnish - and subsequent removal, etc.
Would also like input on the following:
- Have repaired cracks with "patches" of smaller rib sections. Easier than replacing the entire rib. Thoughts?
- Perplexed how it all comes together at the tip of the deck, stem, planking, etc. Any help?
- To oil or not to oil the interior and exterior prior to applying Spar varnish and canvas? And, what oil to use? Boiled Linsead???
That's everything that comes to mind for now. Any help will be appreciated!
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I have no experience with Carlton canoes so can't offer anything specifically on that make. I can offer some suggestions though on a couple of your questions.
It sounds as if you want to do a rib repair by inserting a short piece of rib where the break is. If the rib is broken but not displaced from its proper position then there is a much easier way to fix it.
With a 1/16" drill bit drill holes along the length of the break every 1/4". Drill down into the angle of the fracture through the thickness of the rib. Next heat the area with a heat gun (don't burn it!) and at the same time infiltrate the fracture with liquid epoxy. Keep this up, heating as necessary and adding more epoxy until the fracture will not take up any more epoxy - usually this takes about 10 or 15 minutes. Just heat the area, don't boil the epoxy! When it is hard the next day sand it smooth. This will make a very durable repair and when it is sanded and varnished it will blend in very well and not be very noticable. (block off the planking on either side with masking tape so that you don't get epoxy all over the place.)
You could treat the inside of the canoe with boiled linseed oil before it is varnished. But this is not necessary and be aware that the oil will greatly darken the wood. If you want the wood dark for some reason then this would be one way to do it.
On the outside of the hull I treat the wood with zinc naphthanate, then boiled linseed oil and then I varnish it with good qualilty marine spar varnish.
Hope this is of some help.
Regards, Dave Alguire, Old Delta Canoeworks
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I think that the best way for you to get the help you are looking for on the identification of your canoe is to go to the web site of the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (www.wcha.org) and post a query on the Serial Number Search item in the Discussion Forum. Some members of the WCHA are very knowledgable about canoe manufactureing history.
Since different manufacturers used (and still use) different methods for the stem/gunwale/deck connections, the answer to your question about how your canoe was done will require you to fist inentify the builder. I assume that since you are asking this question the ends of your canoe have rotted away.
The exterior of the hull should be sealed with either diluted boiled linseed oil or varnish prior to canvassing. I prefer varnish because I am not convinced that oil really does the job in the long run. Whether or not you oil the interior prior to varnishing is a matter of choice. Some builders do and some don't.
Good luck with you project.
Regards
Doug
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