Id Help - Thompson ?

Is this a Thompson

  • Yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No

    Votes: 2 100.0%
  • Maybe

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Maybe its a .....

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    2
Just following up on the deck configuration, the covering boards came off in three pieces. I am either going to replace with sapele or cherry, the latter of which I have plenty of. Still trying to figure out the outside gunwale, which appears to be covered by the deck. Maybe these photos will help, DECK 1.jpg DECK 2.jpgthanks
 
Scotty, much of this thread has been about the OPs (probably) Seneca.
Your canoe may be a horse of a different color.
According to the catalog posted at Wooden Canoe Museum, Racine long decks would have been made from either cedar with an oak king plank or mahogany. Maple is mentioned as a possible seat material in their catalog. It is not mentioned as a choice for decks. Cherry does not appear to have been offered at all.
The Navaho model would have been built using mahogany for the outside and inside rails. Seats and thwarts would also be mahogany.
The Seneca (the OP's boat) would have Oregon white cedar inside and outside rails.
Do you know which of these models you are restoring?
Whichever one it is, the outside rails should match the insides. It appears that you might want to use mahogany.
 
Thanks MGC! I am pretty sure it is mahogany, so I am thinking the Navaho model. Mahagony is pretty tough to get around here so that is why I was considering using the sapele. The sapele matches the inside rail almost perfectly. I'll probably go with the sapele on the decks but have a small sawmill in the backyard and have an abundance of clear cherry. I've just stretched and filled the canvas so need to be working on seats, decks, outwale, etc. Of course, as soon as I put the filler on it gets abnormally cold here (SE NC). I'd like to get the canoe completely finished by the end of March when we have an annual boat show in Wilmington.
Thanks for the information, this is my first attempt at putting a canoe back together so this is all very helpful!
 
Scott
I’m not sure of the condition of the original decks, but sometimes they can be modified to be used again.
I have on occasion shortened and narrowed them enough to get rid of the bad wood that might be present. The under support would need to be refit and moved forward.
I do everything I can do to keep original parts on a canoe. The decks moved forward a couple inches will never be noticed.
 

Attachments

  • E34FA616-5B56-41DD-A31C-BFED8459F629.jpeg
    E34FA616-5B56-41DD-A31C-BFED8459F629.jpeg
    139.3 KB · Views: 203
  • 28AEEC3A-6E04-465D-841A-595F57E76071.jpeg
    28AEEC3A-6E04-465D-841A-595F57E76071.jpeg
    127 KB · Views: 199
  • 158856B5-9BDB-4B26-A574-40BA69723F84.jpeg
    158856B5-9BDB-4B26-A574-40BA69723F84.jpeg
    132.8 KB · Views: 216
  • A2DC8B5F-4211-4A70-81A9-0762FC41B79F.jpeg
    A2DC8B5F-4211-4A70-81A9-0762FC41B79F.jpeg
    110.2 KB · Views: 189
  • Like
Reactions: MGC
Dave,
It was much more than a garage. It was a palace/museum where my customer displayed his passions. Unbelievable the things that money can buy! Cars, boats, fire trucks, vintage toys, racing carts, you name it.
The car in the photo once belonged to Hitler’s SS or Gestapo. He also had a Lincoln with 800 miles on it that belonged to Nelson Rockefeller. Everything there was flawless.
When I picked up the canoe, I got an extensive tour and details about many of the objects in the collection.
My parting words were, “Well Karl, you’ve certainly set a high bar for this restoration”! He just grinned…that was his purpose, I’m sure.
 
Here’s some Racine Navajo pics.
 

Attachments

  • AC63C314-AF22-452E-AC2E-438AFDF589D5.jpeg
    AC63C314-AF22-452E-AC2E-438AFDF589D5.jpeg
    181 KB · Views: 144
  • 7D4EEC04-0710-4FEC-BB10-101979985186.jpeg
    7D4EEC04-0710-4FEC-BB10-101979985186.jpeg
    232.3 KB · Views: 153
  • 179E80A1-FB90-401F-9958-F6B6F4D78AF0.jpeg
    179E80A1-FB90-401F-9958-F6B6F4D78AF0.jpeg
    293.1 KB · Views: 151
  • 87DC3137-9F24-42F3-B78E-9C5B93400962.jpeg
    87DC3137-9F24-42F3-B78E-9C5B93400962.jpeg
    260.5 KB · Views: 143
Tom, what can you tell me about that canoe - where is it, etc?
Never mind, mystery solved.

I sold a project to Frost River 10 years ago, and thought this canoe might be it, it's not,
the one I sold them is hanging unrestored in their store.

Dan
 
Last edited:
This was hanging at Frost River. I asked if they wanted it restored. They did and it is back at Frost River. Fun project, it was a little more work than I thought it would be, but that’s usually the case.
I did a Rehbein for them as also.
 
Dan, did you sell the Racine to them or another one? There is one more uncanvassed canoe there, but it looks homemade
 
Back in 2013 I sold (passed on) a canoe we had ID'ed as a (Correction Racine Navajo) Thompson Ranger that my BIL had bought many years before.
I had remembered it as being either Frost River or Duluth pack, but didn't know. After seeing your pic, I looked at the 2 web sites and the buildings vie google, and saw that it was indeed Frost River, I thought the guy said it was going on the outside on top his building but maybe I heard wrong. Anyway in looking at the images they had on the web site, I spotted the canoe.

I am a bit uncertain as to which store/location this would be, and if this is the current location or an old location.

Hanging in Frost River in Duluth.jpg
Hanging in Frost River in Duluth.jpg P6120044.JPG P6120045.JPG Hanging in Frost River in Duluth.jpg P6120044.JPG P6120045.JPG
P6120044.JPG
P6120045.JPG
 
Last edited:
Dan, yes that is the Racine I restored for Frost River in West Duluth. It’s in the front window now.
Where do you think it originally came from?
 
Tom, are we talking about the same canoe?
The one I sold them we (Dan M and I) thought was a Thompson, and had all the features of a T.
The canoe I sold them was bought by my BIL from a co-worker many years ago at her garage sale in south MPLS for $25. During his ownership of it, at one point, he had it stored outside under the eves with a small sailboat on it, resulting a lot of "hog". I tried to get some of it out with some boards/braces pushing it down/out, and wetting it ever so often, but it was still there when it was sold.

Oh, the canoe we had, had a S/N stamped in a rib just behind the ft stem, "1030 16", large letters, perpendicular to the length of the canoe.
No SN in the rear of the canoe.
 
Pictures of it at Frost River before, then the restoration and finally back at the store.
Also, thank you for the Seliga decals. They are fragile but I made it work.
 

Attachments

  • 6B961F6F-D7F4-41F0-AAB4-F1AABB39D88D.jpeg
    6B961F6F-D7F4-41F0-AAB4-F1AABB39D88D.jpeg
    158.4 KB · Views: 116
  • 98957AC0-D37A-4BD1-ADF9-2893FAB46D13.jpeg
    98957AC0-D37A-4BD1-ADF9-2893FAB46D13.jpeg
    156.3 KB · Views: 117
  • EFFFF9D0-FF46-4D83-9779-E9D48E08AB79.jpeg
    EFFFF9D0-FF46-4D83-9779-E9D48E08AB79.jpeg
    155.9 KB · Views: 120
  • E27E0607-E9D5-4357-A802-931A1C8BCCE1.jpeg
    E27E0607-E9D5-4357-A802-931A1C8BCCE1.jpeg
    135.1 KB · Views: 127
  • 87A77953-4AC4-441B-94E6-3BCD83C468CA.jpeg
    87A77953-4AC4-441B-94E6-3BCD83C468CA.jpeg
    108.4 KB · Views: 123
  • 3048BBCE-DE96-44ED-9DDA-E642E81CBB43.jpeg
    3048BBCE-DE96-44ED-9DDA-E642E81CBB43.jpeg
    229.1 KB · Views: 117
  • 12497226-BEBE-4D0D-8E62-C4A7AF37769E.jpeg
    12497226-BEBE-4D0D-8E62-C4A7AF37769E.jpeg
    216.7 KB · Views: 118
  • F99E4C28-14F9-4484-AEFC-51D53FB70F55.jpeg
    F99E4C28-14F9-4484-AEFC-51D53FB70F55.jpeg
    141 KB · Views: 120
  • 7CFD501A-C351-42F0-82C9-E12C688E88AD.jpeg
    7CFD501A-C351-42F0-82C9-E12C688E88AD.jpeg
    175.8 KB · Views: 122
  • 9C388EE4-DAA3-4371-96CB-73D4A1890F40.jpeg
    9C388EE4-DAA3-4371-96CB-73D4A1890F40.jpeg
    181 KB · Views: 123
Thanks for the pics, and no problem (suppling) the decals.
I'll let the PO know that his old canoe got new life.
 
Back
Top