Let the Stripping Begin!

Anna and me with dangerous chemicals. I am glad we are not lab rats who live in California!

We are not smiling because we are enjoying stripping a 54 year old boat....I think it had to do with the fumes!

The directions state to let the stripper work for about 45 minutes. We found that the varnish came off better when the chemical was at work for only about 10 minutes. After that the evaporation time was FAST!

That silly Charlie! He thought HE was supposed to strip! Isn't the English language funny?! We were "punny" all afternoon with stripping (the canoe). Anyway...we just KNOW that under all that old varnish there is beautiful wood. The chemicals had to be bought, thick rubber gloves were used, scraping tools and metal brushes were "the ticket" to removing the goo. Under the layer of varnish we found beautiful cedar boards and ribs.

Its like a person who needs to be restored! With a patient friend, counselor or relative the restorer helps to remove all the dark, thick, ugly outside layers sometimes easy and most of the time difficult. The "sludge" of their life is scrapped away revealing a person who underneath it all, shines! If we are not patient we can get into a hurry and gouge, remove more than is necessary and actually damage the person...just like we did when we remove canoe varnish without a careful touch.

I am glad Jesus Christ removed my ugly, damaged, dried out layers of sin. Now I can shine!

Planking is all FINISHED!

Hey, I just finished the last plank! This is the ceremonial last plank which is at the left bow. Just a small piece but a piece none the less. I am so glad to come this far. Next week I will remove the varnish from inside the hull. Anna, let's set a day to do that! By the way, the canvas is in the cardboard box sitting behind Anna's canoe. Its almost time!!!

Ye haw...RIBS INSTALLED

All six ribs went into place with no trouble whatsoever...yea right!. The honeymoon was over last night! Wow! What a struggle! I had to remove the old broken ribs which means I had to manually pull about 200 nails away from the ribs and planking then beat on the ribs to come loose. Afterwards I had to push, pull, bend, twist, tap and convince the ribs to go into place. All six took about five hours total. The reason it takes so long is if I pushed too hard the ribs would bulge the side. If I pushed too easy there would be a wave going into the side, so I had to spend a lot of time convincing the ribs where to go. (Actually the ribs were trying to convince me where not to put them ...ha ha)
As you can see the new ribs are very light in color while the old planking and ribs are dark. Would you believe that when this canoe was shipped to its owner, it was about the shade of the new planking you can see between the new ribs. Well, next will be STRIPPING THE VARNISH...oh joy!
Here is a bent rib just off the hull ready for installation.

Ribs Bent!!!!!!!!!!

FINALLY! I have bent the six ribs. I only snapped one. So I had to create a new one. I wonder if God did that with Adam. He was asleep then "SNAP!" His rib broke as God was trying to bend it to create the new human. Maybe that is where the expression "Snap" came from.?! Anyway, I am sure that is not the way it happened. So, I placed the rib stock in a hot shower for about 30 minutes then let the hot water in the tub soak into the wood. After about two hours I took the ribs out one at a time and presto...they are on the canoe hull. I will let them dry for about 3 or 4 days then I will flip the canoe and install the new ribs. Yeah!

Bow tips and deck finished! (8-23-08)

"Before" photo

"After" photo

I just finished with the bow deck and tips. I sanded it down really smooth and applied linseed oil. The piece of mahogany I used for the deck tip reconstruction is unfortunately a shade or two lighter than the original. I may try to stain it darker or just leave it. Doesn't that mahogany look beautiful!? The tips were broken off and dry-rotted farther down and the deck tip was dry-rotted and missing the last few inches. Note the stain of the Old Towne decal on the original! Just think, that was put on there 54 years ago. Now I will add a small piece of planking to each side and that will be finished. I hope to get my boiler set up this week and bend those ribs. All is ready!

About dry-rot. Wood can look firm and solid on the surface. However by applying the least bit of pressure you can cause the dry-rotted wood to crumble like dust. Like with people....if we do not have our life built on the solid rock of Christ we can look good on the surface but will crumble with the least bit of pressure. That will preach!

Ribs ready...Bow tips ready (8-16-08)

I succeeded in shaping six ribs today. I realized after I completed them that the ones near the bow are shorter. So, I had to begin again with those three and do them again. Bummer. Hey, Northwoods Canoe Company in Maine sent me an extra rib and an extra 3' of planking at no extra charge! Ye haw! Above you can see the final ribs. They are all 60" right now. They are 2 1/4 inch wide at 30" and taper after 15" down to 1 3/4" wide near the ends. You can really see that taper on rib #6 above. By the way the ribs are leaning against my outdoor solar shower. I have a 5 gallon bag that the sun warms all day. At night I can take a long warm shower without being connected to the power grid. Would that be a "Green" shower?

Here are the six ribs lying on the canoe where I will be bending them. I will boil the cedar ribs in a rain gutter and quickly bend them over the outside of the canoe clamping them to the rails. I will let them dry for about three days and then I will take them off the hull and turn the boat over where I will finally install them inside the boat.

Here is the bow inwale tips being replaced. Since they were rotten and broken I had to replace them. I used pieces of the old outwale rather than using new wood. I wanted to use as much of the original wood as possible. The deck plate was also created and it is sitting in a clamp as the epoxy is drying as well. I had to make a new tip for it as well since it was also broken and rotten.

Next....I will put the deck, inwales and stem all together as one unit as I did the stern. Cross your fingers.

Material Order Placed With Northwoods Canoe (8-2-08)

I have just ordered five more ribs and 12' of planking material. It will ship out Tuesday. As soon as it gets here I can shape the ribs then steam them. After steaming I can bend them around the hull. Once installed I can add the planking. Things are slow but this is fun! If I had a source of white cedar here I would have already been done. Northwoods Canoe Company in Maine is THE place to aquire materials. They are a small business and when you call, who ever is near the phone picks up. It might be that someone was planking, steaming, painting, etc. They ship materials on Tuesday and Friday. The cost is high. For example, each rib costs $5. I needed seven. The planking is 4" wide and very thin (about 3/16"). The longest piece they ship is 6'. I have already used 12' and ordered 12' more. I did not know I needed more until I found the other broken ribs. To get the broken ribs out, some planking has to be removed and I found that when removing the tacks (with a special $18 tack puller nonetheless) I split some planks. Ahhhhh! So, when it all said and done (before the varnish, canvas and paint) the hull has to be solid, sound and strong. Sounds like life! Got to have a solid foundation before you put on the shine!

Stern Stem and planking - part 2 (7-30-08)

Before and after. I replaced parts of 6 planks and part of the stem from just above the water line and up. Here the new planks are secured to the new stem and the end has been sanded flat in order for the canvas to have a 1/2" or so surface to be nailed to.

Pictures of Deck (7-30-08)

Before and After Restoration of the stern deck and stems. The stains are just linseed oil that I applied to the inside edges...the whole canoe will be wiped down with it but the edges had to be done now since they will not be exposed again. It will look uniform eventually.

Planking and stems (7-28-08)

Top, Obtaining some outwale mahongany

Bottom, Erin and I buying mahogany for the
outwales at Jeffries Woodworks














Both stems are INSTALLED! Ye haw! I did not like the stern stem so I removed it and created a new one...its that first child OCD perfectionist thing. Anyway, the one I had installed would have been fine but I wanted one better. So I lamenated several 1/4" layers of white ash together with epoxy and allowed it to set for a few days. I had to bend the ash over a mold (which I also had to create) and left it to dry. Now it is installed (with epoxy and nails). Next I installed some planking to the area where the big hole was. The white cedar is so light weight and flexible! Lastly I shaped three ribs. On Tuesday of last week I noticed THREE MORE broken ribs. Ahhhhhhhhhh! Now I have to order three more rib stock and shape them.

The stern turned out marvelous! Anna, you will like it! I had to replace the rotten stem, split planking and had to do some restoration of the deck plate and two inwale tips. I will put the pictures here I hope tonight. I will do the same thing to the bow (stem, planking, deck plate and inwale tips.

Here is the cool thing...I was able to use salvagable pieces of the outwale to make the stern and bow inwale tips and the ends of the deck plates since all the wood is the same (appears to be all mahogany). The Old Towne designation "AA" grade means the owner ordered the best grade of wood to trim the canoe with. In this instance he wanted it to be mahogany. Anna has a nice canoe. AA grade. So once it is restored it will have salvaged pieces used and not thrown away.

My plan this week is to bend the three ribs I have prepared and I hope to install them. I need to order more planking, more ribs and buy some stripper because after the ribs and planking are finished I will take the boat outside and strip the 50 year old varnish. I have to do that not for aesthetics but to cover the canoe with linseed oil. See, linseed oil soaks into the wood and creates a more flexible (less brittle) hull and is a great wood preservative.

Good stuff! This canoe will be beautiful! 32 hours so far in the effort. Dad-gum this is fun!

New Stems Installed (7-4-08)

The new stem in the mold after bending. I left it there about 3 days. Here is a picture of it installed. I had to do a small scarf/end joint with epoxy to join the new ash stem to the not-rotten portion of the existing stem. I will allow the epoxy to cure for about a week so it will harden properly before I do any sanding. I nailed the stem planking to the new stem as well today. Now we wait for it to cure good and hard.

I received my order from Northwoods Canoe Co. in Maine yesterday. In it was canvas, northern white cedar planks, ribs and assorted other goodies. Once the stems are good and joined I will flip the canoe and replank the broken holes with new wood. Next I will probably strip the old varnish and then coat the inside with linseed oil.

Stems created (6-29-08)

I bent stem material for the fore and aft stems today. They will sit in their mold for a couple of days until the glue dries. I also ordered planking, canvas, filler, etc from Northwoods Canoe Company. It will ship on Monday.

Look what I found! 6-24-08

Anna's canoe is a 1954, 16' Old Town Otca. It was finished December 2, 1954. The owner was Dr. Charles B. Chapman of Welch, WV. The owner paid additional money to have the word "Susan" painted on the left bow and right stern. It was trimmed in mahogany! It was shipped the next day (Dec. 3, 1954) just in time for Christmas!

I found the birthdate! 6-20-08

" Born-on date" seems to be October 1954 according to the penciled date on the canvas. If I had not been careful I would have ripped this canvas off and never seen this detail. Click on the picture of the red canvas above and look for the birthday written in pencil.

Several cracked planks which I had to remove. I will replace these with new cedar planking.

Both stems had to be removed. Now that was fun! I had to pull the nails away from the stem and out of the planking. I will reconstruct the stems and reinsert I hope in the next few days.

The sponsons were dry-rotted, cracked and broken. I was able to save a small section of one. Since the owner will not be sailing this boat, I will not replace them.

I located the date of canvasing. 10-18-54. It was on the canvas just behind the sponson on the stern end. Was this ths completion date? A recanvasing date? When I first began looking at the brass screws holding the outwales on, I thought I would never be able to get the screws out. I though I would have to drill them out. However, would you believe that EVERY screw came out with no effort except gentle turning of the screw driver!?I know this sounds crazy but it is not...I think this canoe wants to float again so bad that it helped me get those brass screws out. Hey, I was even able to save almost every brass tack. They all came out easily. Could it be that this canoe has been silently crying out to be put back on water and now it is cooperating quickly and easily to get to East Loon Bay in BWCAW?

How often those persons who do not want help will refuse it! On the contrary those who know what they are made of and know what they want to become will seek help. This canoe will be northbound one day or on a local lake where it is meant to be!

Wash, wash ,wash your boat 6-18-08

First impressions. You and I have looked at people and developed a first impression. You know what I mean...when you meet someone for the first time and something sticks out either good or bad with which you judge them. "My goodness she is syrupy sweet" or "Can you believe he got THAT piercing!" I have learned something already from Anna's boat...dirt covers up beauty!

Why would I look at an individual and quickly rank them? Blame it on the gift of discernment or something but being a person of quick first impressions can make one miss out on beauty. Take this boat for example...when you first look at it and hear its history you may say "Oh my! There is no hope for this vessel. Lets make bookshelves!" Shame on me.

I filled a pail with soap and water and carefully at first, began scrubbing years of dirt, dust, bees nests and spider webs off this canoe. Would you believe that underneath all that caked on grime was beauty. Now that will preach!

Here is something else I found. On the stern stem, underneath the back seat there is a secret. The secret is a stamped ID number. The number its self is significant. In or around 1930 a group of craftsmen gathered around this canoe for weeks. First they carefully chose clear lumber (which was easily located in those days), then they meticulously bent and shaped the wood around forms, then they covered the canoe in canvas and painted the exterior and brushed the interior with paint and varnish respectfully. They polished the boat and stamped the ID number into the hull to not only ID the craft but also the manufacturer.Each person is handcrafted according to God's specifications. Our Heavenly Father made us all originals and put His mark on us identifying us with Him.

Do you feel broken, dust covered, neglected? Its about time your beauty shined through! Christ makes "all things new." Be restored!

So, its easy to quickly look at the bad things. In this case once the dirt was washed off this boat is beautiful and not all that bad in the redo department. Here is what needs to be done:

• reconstruct the deck plates
• install new stems on bow and stern
• both gunwales need replaced due to dry rot
• canvas the entire boat
• waterproof/filler on the canvas
• install a keel and a brass stem band
• paint the outside of the hull
• apply UV resistant spar urethane to the interior

Over all the boat is in GREAT shape. Anna, get ready to float!

First day photos 6-17-08

Here is the project: One broken rib, the deck plate on bow and stern needs replacement, the outwale on port and starboard on both ends needs replacement, four white cedar boards are either cracked or have a hole in them and the cane on the seats needs to be replaced. I will remove the sponsons completely. Of course the big deal is to replace the canvas.

First thing I'll do is blow off all the dust then vaccum the boat. I want to see whats under the years of dirt and dust.

What have I gotten myself into? 6-16-08

On the way home tonight from a fishing trip in Great Smokies, I stopped by Anna Gaultney's and picked up her canoe. Its not just any canoe...its a 1920-1930's Old Town wood canvas canoe! However...it needs a bit of restoration. So, lets get to it!

I will keep you posted on the restoration effort as I wonder what I have gotten myself into! From time to time I will post photos and progress. I hope to deliver the boat in probably two months. Lets see....