Nice work!
Bob
Bob
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Happy Birthday, Physicist Niels Bohr (1885-1962)! ⚛️🏅
J R Robertson 16’3”x 34” wood canvas canoe
- Thread starter Robin
- Start date
In some occasions I will put a small amount of varnish in a jar and add a little stain, adjust as needed. Then varnish just the lighter new pieces of wood. When it looks closer varnish the whole boat with plain varnish. This would be done after the whole boat has at least one coat of varnish so you know the color you are heading for.
Jim
Jim
It’s been cold here in Maine (6-7f. below zero tonight) but by Thursday they predict low 50’s daytime temps, so my plan is to stretch my canoe canvas between a basketball backboard pole and my old John Deere tractor in the driveway. Then I’ll drop the canoe in the canvas and quickly staple the canvas along the gunnels. As long as the canvas is stretched tight and stapled for the length of the canoe, I can finish the canvas around the stems in the heated shop.
What color will it be?
Not sure, I like dark green but I think I should try something else, dark blue, black, ?
I found this photo on the WCHA site from years ago.. Lighter green with a maroon stripe. When we dragged the boat out of our neighbors yard it was a green just a little darker but not a true hunters green
www.wcha.org
16' J.R. Robertson found at a local auction recently...
At an antique auction in Rhode Island last week I saw this wonderful Robertson sitting in the parking lot, and it was the first item to be sold. In looking at it closely, I saw that it had my name on it, so I bought it and brought it home to add to the other canoes I haven't restored yet. It...
Excellent stuff Robin, thanks. I am learning with every picture post you make. The recanvas job waiting in the garage rafters for me/us will be fun and straight forward I think.
(I just added a John Deere to my materials list.)
(I just added a John Deere to my materials list.)
For what it's worth, when I bought my first w/c canoe and posted about it here, Yellowcanoe responded to my comment about probably painting it dark green that I should consider keeping it in it's existing off-white color. I have been so glad of that advice because I have come to admire the combination of off-white/almond with the white cedar interior and cherry accents.
You might consider a similar color. Kirby's Paints has several light colors which would look good and my recent experience with their paint on my 15' Willow was outstanding. Good flowing paint and great satin finish.
You might consider a similar color. Kirby's Paints has several light colors which would look good and my recent experience with their paint on my 15' Willow was outstanding. Good flowing paint and great satin finish.
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My first attempt to canvas the Robertson didn’t work out, nor did my second try. I’m going to wait till spring and stretch the canvas between a couple of stout ash trees for a day, then finish it day 2.
omg. winter has not been kind to you.
Looks like its been banished poor thing
I would love to see how you stretch canvas between two trees
can bring beer
Frustrating I'm sure. It will be beautiful when it's done.
Bob
Bob
What went wrong Robin? Did the tractor not hold? I’m curious.
Jim
Jim
I attached one end of the canvas to a metal pipe holding a basketball backboard up and the other end to the bucket on my tractor. The tractor held up fine, the pipe didn't look too good so I eased off on the tension. Plus I didn't let the canvas stretch overnight as I was taught, I tried to staple it right away with only a 40 lb bag of pellets helping weigh the canoe down into the canvas.
I thought I had done a decent job attaching the canvas to the canoe so I cut it free from the end clamps and brought it inside, as soon as I saw the canoe upside down on the horses I knew the canvas needed to come off. It even looks like I picked up some litter that got between the canvas and canoe to top things off. When it rains it pours. haha
The canvas is still long enough to apply clamps to the ends so that's the good news.
Some friends have suggested I apply the canvas upside down on horses, but I have done so many canoes "right side up" I won't change now.
When you originally said you were going to do this, I recall thinking it could be a mistake. I had a basketball pole in my driveway and it couldn't survive a low speed bump by a contractor's truck. Bent and snapped in two. Good luck in warmer weather.
I'm sure you will get it done Robin, in the meantime I hope you can still play basketball
That pole for the basketball backboard was not up to the task for sure. I have a few nicely spaced ash trees but while the snow has melted, the ground is too wet to try canvasing. I need two good days, day one to stretch the canvas, then later in the day load the canoe into the canvas envelope and ad weight (2-40lb bags of pellet stove pellets), cover with a tarp overnight, and staple the canvas to the canoe on day two.
I just need to be patient.
I just need to be patient.
Robin, when I canvassed my Willow it was my first time doing so. My workspace in my barn has no ceiling from which to install shores pushing the canoe down like most dedicated canoe shops, so I did the following:
I put down a blanket inside the canoe, laid a 10' 1x12 pine board to spread the load, then laid in two bags of Sakrete (80 lbs each) at 1/3 and 2/3 of the length, and even added about 10 bricks in the middle! Probably overkill on weight but it really snugged it down into the canvas. I too let it sit overnight before stretching & stapling.
You have far more experience than I do. I'm sure warmer temperatures and dry ground will make it go well. Like many of us, I look forward to pictures of your progress.
Pat
I put down a blanket inside the canoe, laid a 10' 1x12 pine board to spread the load, then laid in two bags of Sakrete (80 lbs each) at 1/3 and 2/3 of the length, and even added about 10 bricks in the middle! Probably overkill on weight but it really snugged it down into the canvas. I too let it sit overnight before stretching & stapling.
You have far more experience than I do. I'm sure warmer temperatures and dry ground will make it go well. Like many of us, I look forward to pictures of your progress.
Pat
Tis the frustrating season. Warmer temps will come but right now mud season is a nighmare. More snow aka glop. being added.
After two attempts at trying to canvas the Robertson canoe, I threw in the towel and dropped the canoe off at Georges River Canoe in nearby Warren, Maine where they will install the new canvas.
maineboats.com
In July I took the canoe up to the Puckerbrush Primitive Gathering along with my other wood canvas canoes where I attempted to install the canvas. I really didn't get to properly stretch the canvas before tacking it to the canoe and didn't feel good about the process. Plus the distraction of talking to the folks about canoes while trying to work the canvas was too much for my skill set. I ended up removing the poorly hung canvas from the canoe when I got it home.
In August, again I tried stretching the canvas, this time between two trees. This time all went well till I tried to finish up the ends. I'm not sure if it was those high upswept ends that got me, or just age and lack of patience, but again, it just wasn't happening.
So yesterday I dropped the canoe off and it might be a month or two before I see it back. They will check all the tacks, making sure they are proud and sand the hull smooth again, then install the canvas.
Where Broken Canoes Find New Life
In July I took the canoe up to the Puckerbrush Primitive Gathering along with my other wood canvas canoes where I attempted to install the canvas. I really didn't get to properly stretch the canvas before tacking it to the canoe and didn't feel good about the process. Plus the distraction of talking to the folks about canoes while trying to work the canvas was too much for my skill set. I ended up removing the poorly hung canvas from the canoe when I got it home.
In August, again I tried stretching the canvas, this time between two trees. This time all went well till I tried to finish up the ends. I'm not sure if it was those high upswept ends that got me, or just age and lack of patience, but again, it just wasn't happening.
So yesterday I dropped the canoe off and it might be a month or two before I see it back. They will check all the tacks, making sure they are proud and sand the hull smooth again, then install the canvas.
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The short dark days of winter are here in interior Alaska. Warm, bright and cozy with the radiant heated floor in he sun room. Spent part of the morning re-reading this thread. Reminded me that there is wealth of information stored in these posts.
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