PennYan Carry Restoration Project

Norm Hein

Canoe Codger
This adventure started a couple of months ago when a gentlemen in Eastern Ohio advertised that he had two canoes for sale as a package deal. A 16' Old Town and another unidentified shorter canoe. I have been on the hunt for a 15' OT 50 pounder and was hoping the unidentified canoe was one. I drove 17 hrs round trip and brought them home. With the help of this forum the shorter unidentified was identified as a 15' 1940ish PennYan Carry with leaning thwarts. I was not disappointed. The following links are what I have already posted about the canoe.
http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/need-help-identifying-this-canoe.16652/#post-85037
http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/pennyan-planking-gaps.16763/#post-85784
Today I started the restoration.It appears to be mostly original with a couple of holes in the planking, 2 broken ribs (so far) The inwales at the decks will need repair and most likely the deck will have to be replaced. The stems may need a little help. Oh and it was fiberglassed. So that is where I started, removing the left behind resin. NOT A FUN JOB, and I have the heat gun burns to prove it. I worked on it for about 5 hours today and got the worst side done. Tomorrow I will finish the other side and maybe start stripping the inside paint and varnish.
This is my first wood/canvas canoe restoration so please feel free to give as much advice, constructive criticism and helpful hints as you can.
Here is the before and after from today.

Before
upload_2020-3-27_21-40-1.png

Same side different angle
upload_2020-3-27_21-40-22.png

After
upload_2020-3-27_21-40-37.png


Norm
 
Last edited:
I got the rest of the resin off. What a job. I will think twice about getting another one that has been glassed. I probably still do it but I will think twice. I found 3 more broken ribs.

upload_2020-3-28_18-38-6.png


Now onto the inside. Someone started to strip the blue paint then before it was really clean they put some stain/varnish on some of it. So all of it will come off in the next couple of days.

upload_2020-3-28_18-37-18.png


I Have removed the leaning thwarts and put in temporary braces.

upload_2020-3-28_18-39-10.png


The leaning thwarts are attached through the sides of the canoe with two bolts and two screws on each bracket on each side.
The nuts are pretty cool. The square part of it is recessed into the planking and the inside threaded shaft goes through the rib.
It was missing 2 of the nuts so I need to find some . If anyone knows where I may be able to source some please let me know.

upload_2020-3-28_18-40-2.png


If all goes well I'll start stripping tomorrow.
 
Last night Mr. Bourbon and I had our nightly conversation. When he starts to leave the glass it seems like he can go on and on but he had a good point this time. His main bone of contention was what I said in my last post about thinking twice about doing another restoration on one that has been fiberglassed. If I don’t take the time to invest in saving the history of these canoes then what am I really doing it for? I can buy or build a new one but there is something to be said about working on one that others have had over the last number of decades. The history of how/when/where they were built and who took care of them, who restored them, what were they used for and where where they used is why we invest the time and effort to fix up the old, even fiberglassed, canoes.
Good talk Mr Bourbon, see you tonight.

Norm
 
Hmmm. Doubt you will find a source for those nuts. One option would be to have some solid blanks cast of bronze or brass, drill, and tap. Another might be to silver braze some flat stock onto thick-walled tube, then drill and tap.

Maybe try contacting Bob Lavertue of Springfield Fan Centerboard Co. - he's a pretty resourceful maker of canoe jewelry.

Dan
 
My nightly discussions with the wild bird have lead to a slightly different conclusion. I have stripped glass from three canoes, a Rushton, a Gerrish and an Old Town. I am currently working on a canoe that someone else stripped. Whoever worked on it before me was not adequately fussy about removing the resin from the boards, from the gaps in the planking and from where it seeps in behind the ribs under the planks. I missed out on the bull work but got stuck with the picky (literally) part. Except for the Old Town each of these canoes were interesting and rarish boats that made the effort to strip them seem like it was the right thing to do. After the Old Town I swore that I would never, ever, ever, ever, ever take on a boat that needed to have glass removed. The Indian Girl was an exception to that, it was a decent hull and it needed to be done. But after I was finished I swore that I would never ever under any circumstances consider stripping another hull. That was until I found the Gerrish. It was such an unusual one with large beautiful decks unlike any other Gerrish canoes so I decided to take the glass off of it. Weeks later I finished and swore once again that I would never ever ever consider removing glass from a canoe....never! I looked at several interesting canoes including a few decent Morris that were glassed and resisted the urge...never ever again. But as I sit I have another one lined up, a long deck Veazie, to my knowledge the only one. It was glassed in the 50's. The owner said she regretted it the first time she paddled it after it was glassed. "It didn't feel right". I wasn't going to take this one on but the owner gave it to me along with the nearly complete history of the canoe...all in one family.... and it is a one of a kind boat so it's in queue against my better judgement. So much for never ever ever again. But for me, I only wield the torch and the scraper if the boat is a really good one. Most boats just are not worth the effort. I'll revisit that decision shortly when Mr. Russell and I have a quick chat;) Cheers... they sure do look nice when they are done.
 
Last edited:
Another might be to silver braze some flat stock onto thick-walled tube, then drill and tap.
I thought about that Dan. I haven't brazed in a long time. Might be kind of fun. I'll try to get a hold of Bob. Thanks

MGC,
Good thing we have someone to talk to about it each night. My wife supports my habit-canoes-not so much the other- but tends to gloss over when I start talking to her about them.
Here's to the next never again! Cheers
 
  • Like
Reactions: MGC
Another thought is you could just turn the barrel of the nut from square stock on a metal lathe, then drill and tap. Might be the easiest way to go, actually.
 
I'm having trouble identifying if the planking is WRC or NWC. It is pretty tight grained, quarter-sawn.
Anyone know what was typically used on the Penn Yan's?
 
I'm pretty sure that the PY that I owned was planked with WRC. Their catalogs mention white cedar ribs but when they mention planking they only say that it's "cedar". It should be pretty easy to tell one from the other. Find a spot with planking that you intend to remove/replace and cut into it. If it's white, "Bob's your uncle". The red cedar tends to be both brittle and reddish hued.
 
Don't know, but you will have a devil of a time to stain and match the old wood if you mix the cedars and try . You will have to bleach the red to have a good chance. Not for me even so.
Have fun, Dave
 
I did as MGC suggested and cut out a piece of some broken planking and look for color. I planed it down enough to say I agree it is WRC, which is a good thing because I have some quarter-sawn boards of that. I do have some narrow Quarter-sawn NWC which will work for the ribs which are only 1" wide.
If the weather cooperates I'll start stripping it tomorrow. Thanks again for the help.
 
Norm: In my quarantine time I've been self learning my Unimat-SL miniature lathe. I took a shot at your square head nuts (pic). This one is brass. I have some bronze in the pipeline. If I get the process down, I'll shoot you a couple of my test pieces.
 

Attachments

  • SQUARE HEAD BRASS NUT Test Piece 2.jpg
    SQUARE HEAD BRASS NUT Test Piece 2.jpg
    65.4 KB · Views: 301
Wow Paul that looks great! That’s very nice of you. I’d be happy to reimburse you for material and time. Just let
me know.
 
Back
Top