How To Canvas An Old Wood Canoe?

To re-canvass a wood-canvas canoe, use a pair of horses that do not extend beyond the gunwales to hang the canvas properly around the rails. Fasten the canvas to the hull using 1116 tacks along the gunwales, two tacks through each rib, and 516 tacks along stems. Square sterns with a wooden transom require ¼ galvanized nails for securing canvas around the stern.

In Part 2, apply new planking, refurbish reusable planking, apply wood treatments, and canvassing the old canoe. Use Old Town Canoe Filler, a special preparation made for this purpose, and sand smooth and prime with a coat. A set of canvas clamps is needed to hold the ends of the canvas tight.

After three good coats of varnish have built up on the outside of the hull, it’s time to stretch the canvas. When restoring a wood-canvas canoe, work with it, not work on it. Mike Elliott guides you through the process of bringing your classic heirloom back to life, taking you step-by-step through all aspects of a canoe restoration.

When covering a wood canvas canoe, stretch the canvas over the hull and tack or staple it on while it is under tension. As you go towards the ends, it gets harder to pull the canvas in towards the hull, usually around the ends of the decks. Fasten the canvas to the hull using 1116 tacks along the gunwales, two tacks through each rib, and 516 tacks along stems. Wood canvas canoes are built on a form with metal strips under the rib positions, allowing the tacks to be hammered through the plank.