1916 Carlton canvassing

[PGC]

With the weather warming, I have taken Carleton out of the garage, filled dents and holes, applied thinned linseed, and sanded the hull. I’ve ordered canvas and filler from Rollin’s company and am hoping for a stretch of nice weather. I have a question about the “canvas clothespins” Mike Eliot describes in This Old Canoe. Would it make sense to make these of 3/4” plywood cut to the profile of the stem and stern to stretch the canvas closer to the hull? Just wondering... also any other tips for a first timer?

 

[Rollin Thurlow]

Cutting the clothespins to the profile of the stem is not going to improve the usefulness of the clothespins any. The clothespins are pulling in the canvas to be tight against the hull at the top of the stem and deck area. Its good to have the canvas tight to the hull in the deck area because it helps in tacking the canvas to the rail in that area. At this stage there is no need to worry about the tightness of the canvas along the profile of the stem. That will all be taken care of latter when the canoe is out of the canvas sling and then it will be time to pull, and fasten the canvas tight on the face of the stems.