Contact me at: rrcp@mts.net or by phone 204.878.2524

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Lots of stuff goes on in this shop, located in Lorette, Manitoba.

Primarily it's the building and repair of classic wood & canvas canoes, and the making of premium canoe paddles. I also do custom boat building, composite fabrication, and special projects. A growing passion of mine is the making of classical guitars, I'll post about that, too.


I want to be able to share with my clients the progress of their commissioned work. Later I started thinking that there might be other people who are interested in what goes on inside a wooden canoe shop operated by an artist and a recovering teacher.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me by email, phone, or by post. My mailing address is:

Red River Canoe & Paddle
24249 River Rd
Lorette, Manitoba
Canada
R5K 0Z6




Friday, 7 November 2008

There is a tremendous amount of detail work involved in getting a new canoe to the point where the canvas can go on, but canvassing is always a most dramatic stage. The canoe really looks transformed with its skin on.

I won't go into all the details of how to canvas as that's technical information that is pretty widely available.


There is still a plywood panel that goes over the canvas flaps on the transom.

The filler is also on now, 2 coats and hand rubbed to a smooth finish. The filler is a mix of silica, linseed oil, enamel, thinner, and a few other things. It takes at least 2 weeks, sometimes longer, to fully cure into a rock hard base for the paint. A builder can use other fillers, but each has its balance of advantages and disadvantages.



While the filler cures, it gives me time to prepare the outwales, keel, and seats. In a few days, the filler will be cured enough for me to start getting the trim installed. By the time that I get the trim sanded and varnished, the filler should be ready for paint. Then the canoe will complete and ready to go!

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