Old Wooden Canoe(18' 1945 Old Town Guide)
Old Wooden Canoe(18' 1945 Old Town Guide)
Picked up an old wooden canoe today....dont know much about it except it is 17'(measured inside)and almost 3'(outside gunwales)at widest point.
Anyone know anything about it???
Anyone know anything about it???
Last edited by Texmullet on Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- truckmanweber
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2011 7:36 am
- Location: New Braunfels, TX
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
I know nothing about your canoe but it looks AWESOME. As a woodworker I really appreciate the craftsmanship of a piece of "art" such as this.
-
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2003 6:04 pm
- Location: Tyler
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
Looks like an Old Town from the 40's. I used to have one like it. Was covered with canvas and airplane dope. I removed the canvas in order to restore it...but never got around to it. Mine had diamond shaped bronze bolts holding the thwarts. Restored they run around three grand.
- gerald
- TKF 4000 Club
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- Location: Gatesville, tx www.theoldmansboats.com
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
Don't know anything about it but it doesn't look to be in too bad a shape. A great project and would be a very nice boat when restored.
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
Check this out!
Welcome to the WCHA forums--
OldTown 142350 is an 18 foot Guide model canoe that was finished June-August of 1945. It has red Western cedar planking, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, half-ribs, and a keel. Originally it was painted guide special green. It was shipped to Beaumont, Texas, on September 18, 1945.
Rolf made a good call when he compared it to a 1945 canoe, because that's what it is! This record seems to match the canoe, from what I can tell. The plank seats are possibly original because cane wasn't available until about 1947, and you can see the plank seats in this canoe have the diamond head bolts. War-era canoes commonly have slatted seats, but perhaps for the Guide they were plank, such as this one.
If you use the "search" function, there are old discussions regarding the war era Old Towns and how to go about restoring them. Some are in fine shape, as yours appears to be. Some need a bit more attention because they weren't put together with brass.
The scan of this record is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image. This scan and several hundred thousand others were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/ot_records/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; if you want more details. I hope that you will join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to join.
It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Kathy
Welcome to the WCHA forums--
OldTown 142350 is an 18 foot Guide model canoe that was finished June-August of 1945. It has red Western cedar planking, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, half-ribs, and a keel. Originally it was painted guide special green. It was shipped to Beaumont, Texas, on September 18, 1945.
Rolf made a good call when he compared it to a 1945 canoe, because that's what it is! This record seems to match the canoe, from what I can tell. The plank seats are possibly original because cane wasn't available until about 1947, and you can see the plank seats in this canoe have the diamond head bolts. War-era canoes commonly have slatted seats, but perhaps for the Guide they were plank, such as this one.
If you use the "search" function, there are old discussions regarding the war era Old Towns and how to go about restoring them. Some are in fine shape, as yours appears to be. Some need a bit more attention because they weren't put together with brass.
The scan of this record is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image. This scan and several hundred thousand others were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/ot_records/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; if you want more details. I hope that you will join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to join.
It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Kathy
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
Original build record/invoice
The hull was originally done in green canvas and later fiberglassed.
Very cool info...
The hull was originally done in green canvas and later fiberglassed.
Very cool info...
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
I wonder what it cost in 1945?
- Iwannagofishin
- Posts: 126
- Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2010 3:49 pm
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
Wow Texmullet. That's a very cool piece of history right there. What are your plans?
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
A vintage canoe museum curator replied to that cost question on another site-$138
Gonna do my best to restore her. Already started. I have lots of pics and a lil progress done today at wcha.org....my thread is in the Guestbook section over there. Check it out!
Gonna do my best to restore her. Already started. I have lots of pics and a lil progress done today at wcha.org....my thread is in the Guestbook section over there. Check it out!
- bowgarguide
- TKF 5000 Club
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Re: Old Wooden Canoe
Texmullet
Post your stuff on the rebuild on here , lot of us would enjoy watching you.
Ron
Post your stuff on the rebuild on here , lot of us would enjoy watching you.
Ron
-
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- Location: Round Rock
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
bowgarguide wrote:Texmullet
Post your stuff on the rebuild on here , lot of us would enjoy watching you.
Ron
X2
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
Tried posting pics SEVERAL times, kept getting knocked off the site????
Last edited by Texmullet on Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
Removed the outer gunwales,keel,metal stem and fiberglass. Started removing the varnish.
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
gsome pics
Re: Old Wooden Canoe
more pics....66 year ol varnish removed
Re: Old Wooden Canoe(18' 1945 Old Town Guide)
A pic when I first got it(before any restoration)shows how long this thing is!
- gerald
- TKF 4000 Club
- Posts: 4174
- Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 10:48 am
- Location: Gatesville, tx www.theoldmansboats.com
Re: Old Wooden Canoe(18' 1945 Old Town Guide)
Great pictures! I'm envious. I wish I had the boat.
- Iwannagofishin
- Posts: 126
- Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2010 3:49 pm
Re: Old Wooden Canoe(18' 1945 Old Town Guide)
That is so cool. And huge. Plent of room for the whole family.
Nice work.
Nice work.
Re: Old Wooden Canoe(18' 1945 Old Town Guide)
Thanks Gerald....I had some good lookin subjects to photograph!!
Yes Iwanna it is huge!! It may find a permanent home at Toledo Bend where my parents live. Gotta see how easy/hard it is to carry around.
Havin fun restoring it...researching canvas and different fills for the canvas,trying to find someone local that has done this before(recovered a wood/canvas canoe).
Yes Iwanna it is huge!! It may find a permanent home at Toledo Bend where my parents live. Gotta see how easy/hard it is to carry around.
Havin fun restoring it...researching canvas and different fills for the canvas,trying to find someone local that has done this before(recovered a wood/canvas canoe).