I just made a deal for an old (market hunting days) sneak boat. It is in fairly good condition. Wood and fiberglass construction now, originally strip and rib. I plan on re-doing the fiberglass and giving it a fresh coat of marsh green before the season starts. My issue is I've never completely re-worked a hull, I've patched fiberglass canoes before but it's been about 15 years. If anyone has and suggestions on methods or materials please let me know. I plan on using the boat in the marshes of Rondeau bay and possibly Lake St. Clair. Might even do some jump shooting on some of the rivers around here If i can find good spots to launch and take out.
Need help with old duck boat
- Thread starter Gargoyle
- Start date
- Location
- Kawartha Lakes area of Ont
We need some pictures, especially some showing the fibreglas covering you intend to replace.
Bob
Bob
Bad pics but what I have till the boat gets delivered next week..
Basically I want to smooth out the rippled look and repaint it same colour when I'm done..Figure being as old as it is a new layer would be a good idea.. I'll have more and better pics once it's at my place this coming week.
Basically I want to smooth out the rippled look and repaint it same colour when I'm done..Figure being as old as it is a new layer would be a good idea.. I'll have more and better pics once it's at my place this coming week.
lol my motorcycle is done in Rhino Lining bed liner, but this project I want to keep as original as possible but still usable.. Just don't want to take away from it's history otherwise I would have it sprayed in a heartbeat..
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
You can get fibreglass repair kits from Canadian Tire that come with epoxy and glass blanket. You can also get pretty good sized kits from Lee Valley. I wouldn't worry about getting the boat completely smooth, just make sure it's watertight and then paint it up. Some texture never hurts camouflage. Good find!
The guy I'm buying it off of swears it is solid as is and has no leaks.. He redid the fiberglass about a decade ago and hasn't had any issue since. Before that he figures the last time it was redone was in the early fifties by his grandfather whom bought the boat from the original family and was approx 30 years old then so I'm figuring it is mid 20's minimum for age from what I'm being told. I would really like to at least redu the bottom of the hull for strength and durability at very minimum.
Try it out first.
Chances are really good that it will work just fine as is, and that all you will accomplish is to create a bunch of work for yourself.
I redid a canoe that was originally strip and canvas, that had been badly recovered in glass. Took me a couple days with several different electric sanders to knock down the glopped on resin, in some areas it was 1/4 inch thick.
Essentially, you will want to assess the state of it, and see if you really think it worth putting the hours in.
If the glass that was used was mat (random direction fibers) you are pretty much going to have to decide where to stop sanding. If it is cloth (weave fibers) then you will be trying to decide whether to cut through it, whether it sits on the structure (good) or was placed on top of large lumps of resin (not so good) and go from there.
Skip CTire, and find a glass shop! Check the boat places too, if there are any around. They deal usually in larger qty units than CTire does, and they may even sell cloth and mat by the yard. Resin and hardener, as well as cloth or mat, should be MUCH cheaper there. But check prices. I've been wrong before, eh.
There are a couple decent books out there on Glass work. You will be money head finding the books first, and reading up on what you will need.
Watch the catalyst for the resin! Metyl Etyl Ketone Peroxide (MEKP). Get it in your eye and you see only out of the other one for the rest of your life.
Cheers
Trev
Chances are really good that it will work just fine as is, and that all you will accomplish is to create a bunch of work for yourself.
I redid a canoe that was originally strip and canvas, that had been badly recovered in glass. Took me a couple days with several different electric sanders to knock down the glopped on resin, in some areas it was 1/4 inch thick.
Essentially, you will want to assess the state of it, and see if you really think it worth putting the hours in.
If the glass that was used was mat (random direction fibers) you are pretty much going to have to decide where to stop sanding. If it is cloth (weave fibers) then you will be trying to decide whether to cut through it, whether it sits on the structure (good) or was placed on top of large lumps of resin (not so good) and go from there.
Skip CTire, and find a glass shop! Check the boat places too, if there are any around. They deal usually in larger qty units than CTire does, and they may even sell cloth and mat by the yard. Resin and hardener, as well as cloth or mat, should be MUCH cheaper there. But check prices. I've been wrong before, eh.
There are a couple decent books out there on Glass work. You will be money head finding the books first, and reading up on what you will need.
Watch the catalyst for the resin! Metyl Etyl Ketone Peroxide (MEKP). Get it in your eye and you see only out of the other one for the rest of your life.
Cheers
Trev
Ya I think I'll get it here this coming week.. make up some stands for it and get it flipped upside down and do a good inspection.. Is there anyone in the Chatham Kent area of Ontario that has experience with this type of thing that would be willing to slip by and give me some first hand advise?
- Location
- Kawartha Lakes area of Ont
You're getting good advice here. I'd do as little as possible if it doesn't have severe leaks. decide to redo glass only if -
a) you want it smoother
b) you want it lighter
c) you don't care if you make it heavier.
I would recommend using only epoxy resin and glass ; it's stronger and sticks to itself, to wood and to polyester much better than the old polyester resin.
Wish I was closer; I'd be glad to look at it and help.
Bob
a) you want it smoother
b) you want it lighter
c) you don't care if you make it heavier.
I would recommend using only epoxy resin and glass ; it's stronger and sticks to itself, to wood and to polyester much better than the old polyester resin.
Wish I was closer; I'd be glad to look at it and help.
Bob
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Appreciate all the advice on here 100%. Just a new thing to me. I've located an electric motor that I can borrow to take it out and test it instead of just the oars. Plan on doing that next sunday if all goes well and I can get done work for a few hours (Working doubles 7 days a week till oct 1st). I just know sometimes a first hand look from someone experienced can see some stuff un educated eyes don't see.
I live in the area, id say the best thing is if you want it smooth you have alot of work to do sanding it down with a rough grit on a random orbit sander, might take like 10 or so plus hrs, then high build primer and paint to smooth it out, browns auto supply in chatham might have some of what you need to do that too, and maple city marine has fiberglass, and resin, like 1 gal resin and hardener last i checked was about $90 a gal. Any really low spots you might need to add fiberglass, let dry and sand. Wont be car body smooth unless you put a ton of work and gel coat paint on it from maple city marine. But that might cost quite a bit of $ said and done along with being messy as heck, just dont scratch yourself with fiberglass dust( it gets realllllly itchy)
So if I read this correctly you bought an old sneak boat that is approx. 90yrs old. It has had a buba fibreglass job done on it. It does not leak now that you know of. Well like others have said, try it out first, it may not leak a drop, float and work well. The quality of the ducks and duck hunt will not be affected by bumpy fibreglass. Why do a whole bunch of very dirty, dusty labour intensive work that you don't have to.
Keep in mind originally this boat worked for many years without the aid of fibreglass. So it was either a cedar strip or most likely canvas covered. If you were to remove the fibreglass you will most likely find many areas of rotted out wood structure. Usually fibreglass is put on these old boats because they are leaking and had rot in areas and the owners don't know how to properly repair them or won't spend the money to have it done, so when fibreglass became available they slopped some on and off they went. Fibreglass will not allow the wood to breathe (dry out when wet) so it further rots.
My estimation from the pictures provided is that you may be opening up a can of worms if you start taking off any great amount of that fibreglass. The inside of that boat and few other areas look to be made of plywood, which was not a common building material of the 20's. It may not be as old as originally thought or it has had alterations over the years.
Try her out when you get it, and if it floats, doesn't leak, and performs the way you want then I would leave well enough alone. Get what good use you can out of it while the goings good, and when she can't be used anymore use it as a pattern to make a new one. I know a little about what I speak as I restore the odd old cedar canvas canoe as a hobby. Got two on the go as we speak.
Keep in mind originally this boat worked for many years without the aid of fibreglass. So it was either a cedar strip or most likely canvas covered. If you were to remove the fibreglass you will most likely find many areas of rotted out wood structure. Usually fibreglass is put on these old boats because they are leaking and had rot in areas and the owners don't know how to properly repair them or won't spend the money to have it done, so when fibreglass became available they slopped some on and off they went. Fibreglass will not allow the wood to breathe (dry out when wet) so it further rots.
My estimation from the pictures provided is that you may be opening up a can of worms if you start taking off any great amount of that fibreglass. The inside of that boat and few other areas look to be made of plywood, which was not a common building material of the 20's. It may not be as old as originally thought or it has had alterations over the years.
Try her out when you get it, and if it floats, doesn't leak, and performs the way you want then I would leave well enough alone. Get what good use you can out of it while the goings good, and when she can't be used anymore use it as a pattern to make a new one. I know a little about what I speak as I restore the odd old cedar canvas canoe as a hobby. Got two on the go as we speak.
The bottom of the boat actually isn't visible.. What you can see is what the previous owner made to replace the rotten "sneak shield" that goes on the bow to block the ducks line of sight to the hunter. It's just layed in the bottom of the boat. I'll take more pics of the interior of the boat when it gets here. The bottom to me looks like fabric on ribs. Some of the ribs def look like they've had better days but are for the most part still there.
Gargoyle
Canvas over ribs, or ribs with thin planking, then canvas. Canvas over ribs wouldn't last long as there would be nothing to support the canvas and would be easily punctured. Regardless she was originally canvas covered in the same manner that canoes of the day were done. It would be an interesting boat to examine, to see if it was built over a form. Do you know if it was a one of kind model or were many built by the same man?
Canvas over ribs, or ribs with thin planking, then canvas. Canvas over ribs wouldn't last long as there would be nothing to support the canvas and would be easily punctured. Regardless she was originally canvas covered in the same manner that canoes of the day were done. It would be an interesting boat to examine, to see if it was built over a form. Do you know if it was a one of kind model or were many built by the same man?
As long as it has no major leaks, it looks good enough to shoot ducks out of. If the ducks get close enough to see the imperfections in the fibreglass there actually to close to shoot at! Never actually used one of those or seen one in use. They are not a southern Georgian Bay method that I ever seen anyways. I take it you affix some brush or weeds on the little walls so the ducks see what looks like a floating bog coming closer to them.
