I just caught this thread, was away for the wknd in the land of almost no web services. Granted my expertise in older canoes is thin to none. But this one doesn’t come down to knowing a lot about canoes.
IMO this is about recognizing the work that someone is willing to do to restore a craft and be able to get on the water rather than whether others would choose the boat for themselves.
As to getting rid of it… I don’t how many people here have tried the recycling route the last year. But the price for mixed metals and the outlets to get rid of oddball stuff has dropped thru the floor since China stopped paying good prices for our junk the beginning of this year. The last time I dropped off a load of mixed metals I got almost the price of the gas to drive it there. Happily I live in a city and we have guys cruising the alleys that will pick up mixed metals and aggregate them for a useful load. The suburbs tend to frown on piles of crap left out.
If a boat can be gotten ready paddle I applaud it.
If this was someone trying to turn an ancient home-made fiberglass WW boat into a sea kayak to go on an long cruise, I would first out of the door saying it was not worth effort. But that is not what this is. It is someone who obviously has a lot of skills for this purpose and is sensible. This keeps a boat out of the junk heap - it is a good thing.
@Schuylkill said:
Well, gee whiz, if all that’s true, maybe I shouldn’t have performed any work on these …
Don’t worry, I’ll check the rivets, and by the time she launches again, she won’t be hogged anymore
And how will you do that? Inquiring mind wants to know… I wrapped an old alu Grummy and no amount of jumping on it would make it come back to level… Something needed to lift the stems and push down in the middle…
Also re the end fold… as its going to be weak at that fold how can you reinforce it?
Our folded Grumman still floats but with the assistance of much bondo. Its now gone from heavy to dead heavy
@Schuylkill said:
Don’t worry, I’ll check the rivets, and by the time she launches again, she won’t be hogged anymore
And how will you do that? Inquiring mind wants to know… I wrapped an old alu Grummy and no amount of jumping on it would make it come back to level… Something needed to lift the stems and push down in the middle…
Good grief, don’t jump on your boat! You’re supposed to be kind to it!
No, not the stems. That would risk crinkling and destroying the entire canoe. The straight parts of the aluminum keel have to be supported as well as the sides of the braces inside, otherwise they could be forced through the skin destroying the hull. Forces a slight percentage higher than the forces that hogged the hull will be gently but firmly applied in the opposite direction.
Also re the end fold… as its going to be weak at that fold how can you reinforce it?
It won’t be very weak at all. That heat treated aluminum is very tough stuff. No reinforcements will be needed.
Our folded Grumman still floats but with the assistance of much bondo. Its now gone from heavy to dead heavy
I would restore the flotation and seal any leaks, but otherwise leave it as is. It would surely be a top contender in nearly any “ugly boat” competition.
It would also be good for one of those downriver trips with a god-awful carry at the take-out that you really didn’t want to haul a canoe over.
Using minicel foam to pad aluminum seats is certainly an option, but I would not use 3" thick plank and you can probably find cheaper sources than Chesapeake Light Craft. Plank that thick is good for building up pedestals, or carving out a contoured seat to put in the bottom of a kayak. Thick plank is much more expensive and won’t conform to any degree of curvature as well. Plank that is 1-1 1/2" thick would work better. And I wouldn’t use 3M 5200 sealant to bond it in either. I would use DAP Weldwood contact cement (flammable variety) which is much cheaper. Use steel wool on the aluminum seats to get them clean and shiny. Rough up the bonding surface of the foam with sandpaper. Apply the contact cement using a cheap “acid brush” available in nearly any hardware store and apply 2 or 3 coats to the foam.
There are also a wide variety of strap-on padded canoe seat pads, some of which have backrests attached. You can look at some varieties here:
@pblanc said:
Using minicel foam to pad aluminum seats is certainly an option, but I would not use 3" thick plank and you can probably find cheaper sources than Chesapeake Light Craft. Plank that thick is good for building up pedestals, are carving out a contoured seat to put in the bottom of a kayak. Thick plank is much more expensive and won’t conform to any degree of curvature as well. Plank that is 1-1 1/2" thick would work better. And I wouldn’t use 3M 5200 sealant to bond it in either. I would use DAP Weldwood contact cement (flammable variety) which is much cheaper. Use steel wool on the aluminum seats to get them clean and shiny. Rough up the bonding surface of the foam with sandpaper. Apply the contact cement using a cheap “acid brush” available in nearly any hardware store and apply 2 or 3 coats to the foam.
There are also a wide variety of strap-on padded canoe seat pads, some of which have backrests attached. You can look at some varieties here:
@Schuylkill said:
Well, gee whiz, if all that’s true, maybe I shouldn’t have performed any work on these …
My in law the retired Master Chief , fixed wing mech, takes on these kind of projects too just to prove he still can. And they usually come out well enough.
Re Flexseal - I want to hate it because it is one of those late night TV items. But I ended up trying it on my roof three yrs ago to patch a potential leak. City rubber roof, happily tilted not flat. I had a tiny leak that happened one time when the tail end of a hurricane came thru with a good bit of oomph left. No other time even with a snow load so I knew it was a pretty tiny opportunity. I figured if I got something on it before it turned major I could stave off the big job. I went up with both the spray and a roll of patch material and used both generously while I was there.
Not a drop since then. And there were a few places that were vulnerable to beginning leaks as time went on, where the seal on the edges of a piece of rubber was looking a little dry.
It is heavy so probably not the best plan for a boat restoration. But the stuff does work.
