Replacing canoe gunwales....anyone ever done it?

TPVT

TPVT

Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Messages
5,768
Hi all.
i have a Mad River Canoe that needs the gunwales replaced. i have taken a look and can't imagine it could be that difficult. "What could possibly go wrong!?" Rrriiiiight.

so....anyone ever do it themselves? if so, i'd love to hear your feedback.... tips, tricks, warnings, etc.

thanks.

-todd
 
Member Mewolf is your man. He can be found in several canoe related threads here. IIRC, he once worked at Bell.
 
I sent him a message for you. Others may have experience with this as well. I've only installed replacement alumnum gunwales which is fairly straightforward. Do I assume correctly that you are needing to replace ash gunwales?
 
it is hard to tell if the current wood is ash....rotted out pretty good. but yes, i planned to use ash as a replacement.
 
i should have mentioned that i have read the info on the mad river site. that is why i think it seems fairly straightforward. however, i know projects are not always as easy as they appear at first glance. that is why i posted....to see if anyone in BF land had done this and to get their first-hand account. mostly, i wanted to know about things to watch out for. i.e. if there was anything that didn't go as planned.

thanks for taking the time to try to help me out codger_64....i appreciate it.
 
Silly me. I see your from VT. Buy rail stock from Mad River. Measure from the bow where the Twarts and seats are mounted(write down the measurements). Cut to length, pre-drill inwale STARTING FROM THE MID-SHIP, every 8" and counter sink. about 4-5 of the last screws will need to be put from the outside in as you cannot get the drill in the narrow end of the boat. The can be spaced however you want. Clamp them onto the hull with spring clamps or what have you. Pre-drill with 1/8th" bit and screw together starting in the center, with 1" number 8" oval head stainless screws. Takes about 65 screws. Sand with 150 grit and OIL with your favorite wood oil. A medium Walnut Watco oil brings out the grain really nice, IMO.
Remount the thwarts and sets. take pictures, brag on the beauty, go paddlin!!:)

Kent
 
hi kent. thanks for the advice....i appreciate it. i will try it out the next warm weekend. i didn't get it in the drink at all last year. time to fix 'er up and start paddlin', as you said.

thanks again. i will def post pics.
 
I replaced the gunwales on my old cedar strip canoe some time back. The canoe is about 60 years old and there was dry rot in the gunwales and the edges of the ribs where they come together. So with a saws all I cut away the entire gunwale with an inch of the ribs down to good wood. It made the canoe an inch and half shallower.

Then I clamped on the new strips of wood for the new gunwales then drilled out the holes and ran 3/16th bolts with lock nuts and washers working from the center of the canoe outwards, then added clear coat. The canoe was like new again, with a slightly shallower wall.
 
mewolf1 said:
See post @ 12:37am,,, Smart aleck!!:D
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Owls/eagles. :D Thx for chiming in with experienced advice for the OP. Now come replace the vinyl gunnels on my Old Town with ash. And hand carved ash/walnut decks too while you are at it. Then the rigging will be worth more than the hull! I've already done the ash seats and thwarts with no help.
 
Codger_64 said:
Owls/eagles. :D Thx for chiming in with experienced advice for the OP. Now come replace the vinyl gunnels on my Old Town with ash. And hand carved ash/walnut decks too while you are at it. Then the rigging will be worth more than the hull! I've already done the ash seats and thwarts with no help.
Click to expand...

Buy me the plane ticket.:D
 
mewolf1 said:
Buy me the plane ticket.:D
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I can get you a pass on Continental, but you have to shave, get a haircut and wear a suit and tie. It is a pilot's buddy-pass. They have rulz! I'll have to check to see if you can bring 16 foot ash wood in a carryon bag though.
 
TPVT said:
hi kent. thanks for the advice....i appreciate it. i will try it out the next warm weekend. i didn't get it in the drink at all last year. time to fix 'er up and start paddlin', as you said.

thanks again. i will def post pics.
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We need follow-up pics!!!:confused::D
 
mewolf1 said:
We need follow-up pics!!!:confused::D
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you mean the For Sale pics? yup. after some consideration, i decided to sell her. my kids got older, and as such, there is no one to use it but me. and, i cannot get the canoe up on the car by myself. so, i could have still done the gunwales, but it would have continued to sit most likely. so. i decided to just list it on craigslist. made another guy real happy. it was an old Mad River canoe...one that was actually built in Waitsfield, VT.

i actually thought of you and this post and meant to shoot you a message....but then promptly forgot. thanks for the interest in the project. sorry to disappoint. ;)
 
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