Restoring/Preserving Old Pirogue

[T-boy]

Greetings and salutations to you all. I live in south Louisiana, approximately 25 miles from the Gulf of Mexico as the crow flies. Recently moved to a house on a small lake (big enough to support the 3# bass I caught Christmas Eve !). As a result, my wife's family turned over custody of the pirogue built by her great-grandfather. The conditions are that I "restore it" (whatever that means) and that it be taken out into the lake. I am a fisherman but I by no means a boat builder or will otherwise be confused with someone who is "good with their hands." Obviously, I am a bit "lost" with this project.

The pirogue is acutally in pretty good shape. However, the bottom is a bit "chewed up". I've been asked not to replace any wood. My initial question is can I still to the epoxy and fiberglass drill I have been reading about on this forum ? I'd post a photograph but will plead ignorance on how to do so. I'll hang up and listen. Thanks.

(The same person also gave me a pirogue to "finish" and I'm now itching to build my own, but I'll save those questions for another day.)

 

[JEM]

You could easily refinish it with minimal effort and cost.

Is the bottom covered in fiberglass?

 

[T-boy]

No it was built about 100 years ago. It has been painted over the years, but no paint remains on the bottom.

 

[a Bald Cypress]

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1. Digital camera [yours or a friends]

2 Ability to upload pics to the computer

3.Many pics of the pirouge

4. Photobucket account = [free]

5. Up-load pics to P B acount.

6. Click on resize [resize to BB size] 640X880 [I think]. it says BB size then

7.Look below pics to find [BB URL] rt click on it and then add it to your post here.

Longer time to post this than it takes to do it.

Welcome aboard. epoxy and sawdust mixed will fill in almost anything.

 

[JEM]

oh ok. That's a little different. You want to cover it in epoxy?

 

[T-boy]

I have read that using fiberglass tape and epoxy is a good method to seal the joints in a pirogue. I'mwilling,however, to try anything that any of you believe will help preserve the pirogue. Will simply applying epoxy work ? Can you paint over epoxy and/or epoxy and fiberglass ?

Re the epoxy and sawdust mixture. Assuming I could find sawdust (not quite sure where to look), what would be the proportion?

I know I'll be happy if I can pull this off but I see storm clouds gathering on the horizon.

 

[hairymick]

G'day T boy and welcome aboard mate.

First up, congratulations on the aquisition of a superb heirloom!.

Secondly, It is only wood! It can be fixed

The timber needs to be absolutely clean and free of all old paint before you start to use epoxy. Don't worry too much about anywood rot or suxh in placed. The epoxy will fix that easily, You just need to get reid of all old paint and caulking first. Caulking is the stuff the oldtimers used inbetween the planks to seal them.

Once you get all the crap off the hull, paint the epoxy on with a brush or foam roller, and keep painting it on. The dry timber will absorb a lot and eventually, when the wood including the rotten parts, is saturated and the resin is starting to pool on the outside - gently squeeges the poolig reson back off.

When it sets up, the timber will have been restored to at least as good as when it was first turned into a boat! (probably better) This is the starting point for the real fun.

Please share with us you adventures on this project mate. Pictures are real easy to post once you know how. Digital cameras are not expensive now and you don't need a real flash one. They usually come with the software needed to download them onto your computor and from there, it is a very simple matter to upload them to Photobucket (or similar)

 

[T-boy]

G'day T boy and welcome aboard mate.

First up, congratulations on the aquisition of a superb heirloom!.

Secondly, It is only wood! It can be fixed

The timber needs to be absolutely clean and free of all old paint before you start to use epoxy. Don't worry too much about anywood rot or suxh in placed. The epoxy will fix that easily, You just need to get reid of all old paint and caulking first. Caulking is the stuff the oldtimers used inbetween the planks to seal them.

Once you get all the crap off the hull, paint the epoxy on with a brush or foam roller, and keep painting it on. The dry timber will absorb a lot and eventually, when the wood including the rotten parts, is saturated and the resin is starting to pool on the outside - gently squeeges the poolig reson back off.

When it sets up, the timber will have been restored to at least as good as when it was first turned into a boat! (probably better) This is the starting point for the real fun.

Please share with us you adventures on this project mate. Pictures are real easy to post once you know how. Digital cameras are not expensive now and you don't need a real flash one. They usually come with the software needed to download them onto your computor and from there, it is a very simple matter to upload them to Photobucket (or similar)

Okay, do I take that you don't think I need to fiberglass anything ? There is no paint remaining on the bottom of the boat. I will need to sand the sides a bit. Do I need to put primer over the dried epoxy b4 I paint the pirogue ? I'll try the photos, can't promise anything, I'm 42 but still like polaroids and to listen to "albums" on my turntable. I knew I had found the right place. Thank you very much and G'day to you too sir !!!

 

[Kayak Jack]

T-boy,

You have fallen into the proverbial pile of (stuff) and coming out with a new suit of clothes. Not far from you, are Keith and Seedtick. These two guys build pirogues from sinker logs, big boards. Cypress logs sunken for years or eons. The rest of us on here work with strips or plywood.

Go onto the member list (top of page), find them, and email them.

My bet is though, that they will be weighing in here mo sukoshe. If you're lucky, they may talk with you eyeball to eyeball.

 

[islandpiper]

Look, put the old pirogue on the car and drive over to the rendezvous in Ponchatoula (100 miles east ) on Jan 13 and let all these experts look right at it and give you 27-kinds of free advice.

Piper

 

[Ozark]

There ya go Piper I was hoping you would ask him. I'd like to see this Hundred year old Peerow some of Seedticks and Keiths too. Maybe Saturday?

 

[oldsparkey]

Look, put the old pirogue on the car and drive over to the rendezvous in Ponchatoula (100 miles east ) on Jan 13 and let all these experts look right at it and give you 27-kinds of free advice.

Piper

He would get so much information , not even thinking about the good times and chow , he would be in a daze.

It would be a darn good place to be with the pirogue and there would be a lot of advice , if for a longer spell a ton of help.
The opportunity of a life time for him.

Chuck.
PS. Piper , if he is worried about a place to bunk , he could bunk in the house you have on wheel's and reserved for me and one other.( with your permission , naturally)
You call it a travel trailer , it is really a house on wheels.

T-Boy , this is a once in a life time chance to be with so many boat builders and BS Artists..... Even I'm not going to miss it , No Sir , No Way.... This will go down in the history books as the Great Ponchatoula Fest , sort of like Woodstock did back in the dark ages. Only difference is we snort , sawdust and sniff epoxy an varnish while building our boats or fiddles from wood. :lol:

 

[hairymick]

T-boy, mate, there are way better and more experienced boat builders here than me. Many of them will be at Islandpipers for the feast and I am certain they would all love to help you with this project.

Man, with a little more notice, I would have moved Heaven and Earth to be there. It is the opportunity of a lifetime. If there is any way - any way at all, that you can be there, please make the effort. You have been invited and live way closer than me.

For me to make it, would entail a flight from here to Brisbane, then connecting flight to LA and then more connecting flights to somewhere near Pipers place. (about 20 hours flight time) Logisticly impossible now, but I have gone so far as to make enquiries. Just too hard for a couple of days.

Mate, You can attach an avatar to your profile, so you will have no problems posting piccies here. I was an IT cretin before I discovered the joys of the internet. Now,Southern Paddler and this forum are my second homes

 

[T-boy]

Mate, You can attach an avatar to your profile, so you will have no problems posting piccies here.

Thanks to my 14 year old daughter. She set up the photowhatever account and is going to help me post some pics. Son has a basketball tourney the weekend of the 12th. What exactly is going on on the 13th? I'm an asst. coach but maybe I can get sick or something !

 

[Kayak Jack]

On 13 Jan 08, Island Piper is having a helluva Ponchatoula Rendezvous in his back yard. (Started out beers and burgers for a few, is now a Looooziana Luau for a cast of hundreds.)

I'm thinking that Seedtick and his faithful sidekick Keith would be invaluable to your refurb project. Go to the last section, about scheduled events etc., and contact Island Piper via email. (He drools a bit, but is basically harmless.)

 

[seedtick]

Sorry I didn't jump in sooner but somehow friend Keith and I got involved up in helping the Bass Pro folks with a little woodworking in the new store and we've been busier than we anticipated.

Hope you can bring it by Piper's place in a couple of weeks, but I think that Mick's suggestions are right on. Dry it out, get down to bare wood and epoxy saturate it. If it's 100 years old, it's likely made of some pretty good cypress so there should be little or no rot. Might be a little pecky, don't confuse pecky with rot. Some parts were intended to be replaced (top rails and batter boards) because they got pretty banged up with use, don't feel bad if you have to replace theses non-structural parts.

Nails back then weren't stainless or silicon bronze so they're likely rusty, have a smaller diameter than original and may even be loose. Pull the loose ones out, plug the holes and renail adjacent to the holes.

Personally, I'd avoid fiberglass cloth or tape - that old cypress don't need no stinking glass.

if you've still got some gaps that leak , fill with filled epoxy or caulk. Just remember to fill or caulk on the outside not the inside of the boat.

Once you've got it epoxy saturated and leaky gaps filled, wash off the amine blush, sand with 80 grit and paint or varnish as you want.

Give me a holler if you have any more questions.

 

[islandpiper]

(See previous post by Seedtick...) This is another fine example of what this forum is all about........i.e., guys who really KNOW THEIR STUFF sharing with other guys........no ego's, no BS, just transferring knowledge.

Thanks, Tick. I hope he can make it, and bring his old boat. It'd be nice to have something at the rendezveous nearly as old as Jack.

Piper

 

[Ozark]

Hey great working for Johnny Morris can be a great thing. If he likes you the work may never end. We have contractors here in Springfield that he keeps on a retainer for new displays. Thems deep pockets there you know.

 

[T-boy]

Sorry I didn't jump in sooner but somehow friend Keith and I got involved up in helping the Bass Pro folks with a little woodworking in the new store and we've been busier than we anticipated.

Hope you can bring it by Piper's place in a couple of weeks, but I think that Mick's suggestions are right on. Dry it out, get down to bare wood and epoxy saturate it. If it's 100 years old, it's likely made of some pretty good cypress so there should be little or no rot. Might be a little pecky, don't confuse pecky with rot. Some parts were intended to be replaced (top rails and batter boards) because they got pretty banged up with use, don't feel bad if you have to replace theses non-structural parts.

Nails back then weren't stainless or silicon bronze so they're likely rusty, have a smaller diameter than original and may even be loose. Pull the loose ones out, plug the holes and renail adjacent to the holes.

Personally, I'd avoid fiberglass cloth or tape - that old cypress don't need no stinking glass.

if you've still got some gaps that leak , fill with filled epoxy or caulk. Just remember to fill or caulk on the outside not the inside of the boat.

Once you've got it epoxy saturated and leaky gaps filled, wash off the amine blush, sand with 80 grit and paint or varnish as you want.

Give me a holler if you have any more questions.

I sincerely appreciate your advice. Looking closely, it appears that the bottom is not original. Once my daughter uploads the Christmas pics from her camera to the computer, she will be able to take some of the boat. Not gonna make on the 13th. "Floated" the idea past my wife and she blew a gasket. This forum is cool ! FYI the high tomorrow here is God's country is 70 degrees, think I'll go fishing.

 

[islandpiper]

bring your wife and daughter...make a family day of it. There will be other wives, etc......

piper