Mad River Eclipse Royalex Canoe Restoration Completion Video, Part 4
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- čas přidán 13. 01. 2023
- Finally I complete the Mad River Eclipse restoration project. With a full time job and other lifes obligations nothing seems to go as quickly as I would like the projects to progress. In this video I web the seats with a nylon/polyester webbing product, template shape and cut the carrying yoke, cut shape and install carrying handles, varnish all new wood with Rustoleum Spar Varnish over the previously treated new ash wood that had Watco Danish Oil applied, and finally install the logos that I had manufactured utilizing online graphics resources. Appreciate you all for taking the time to watch the Mad River Eclipse restoration series. It is rewarding to give new life to this old 1994 canoe that will last for quite some time. Next project is already in motion with a custom wood canvas canoe restoration that I am presently eyeballing for a complete material determination. Stay tuned for the next project and please like and subscribe to catch all future content. Appreciate all of your time and support. Thank you.
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I love what you've done with that old Mad River canoe. I personally think it looks better than new.
The craftsmanship you put into it was a joy to watch. Thank you for sharing these videos
Appreciate the comment Keith! I enjoy sharing the videos to help others. Thank you for taking the time to watch the videos and especially leaving a comment. Have a great summer day!
Thanks for posting this! Just getting started with a 1983 White Heart canoe restoration project and this helped me with overall planning and background knowledge.
You’re welcome John! Best of luck with your project!
With the industry and publics move towards kayaks, I am so very pleased to find a channel where a canoe gets this level of love. I have two Old Town boats of newer vintage but am now considering a project boat because I absolutely love the way your Mad River boat turned out. Inspirational!
Thank you Mark! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment on the video. Old canoes deserve more than getting tossed into the dumpster. With the quality products available these days and a little elbow grease these old boats can get an adequate facelift. This is especially important for someone who is deeply connected to their canoe and wants to bring it back to life. This is the case for my current project whereas a new canoe can easily be afforded by the owner, but he would rather save the canoe that has taken him down 100’s of miles of rapids through the years. It’s all about the memories. Good luck with your future project Mark!
Hello MT I enjoyed your refurbishment of the Mad River canoe. About 25years ago I did one on an Old Town. My wood was still in goos condition but it was weathered. I sold it about 4 years ago. I just purchased a brand new Old Town 158 for 3/4 of the price of new. I found it on Marketplace.. It still had the tags on it. I was also looking at a Mad River refers but I do not have a big shop. Retired at 59 and down sized my foot print. But still love the outdoors.. Be safe in them woods.. Around Bend Oregon out !!
Appreciate you taking the time to comment and watch the video series. I picked that canoe up for $75. It should have been free but regardless the final result turned out decent. You can see the canoe in action on my CZcams page “Maine Fall Canoe Camping”. It was the first time that I had the chance to paddle the Eclipse. Thanks again for watching. Happy retirement!!! I have a few more years to go!
Nice work, keep it up!
Thankyou! Appreciate it!
There is nothing that makes me smile more than seeing someone restoring something that has been abused or simply worn out. Creativity comes in many forms but building and restoring watercraft is right up near the top of my list. You've done a beautiful job!
We clearly share the same appreciation for bringing the old back to a more improved state. People often comment “why not just buy a new one”, and my message will always be because either the boat, canoe or any other watercraft holds a special place in the heart of the owner or family. Restoration of these said watercraft holds more value to those that cherish the memories. I enjoy that part of restoration and seeing the owner/owners smile with pride about their craft once again. Thanks for tuning in and leaving a comment. It makes it all worthwhile. Thanks!
Even a new warning sticker! WARNING this canoe is BAD ASS! Nice Job Cloots! Looks great!
Garv! The canoe turned out better than expected. The warning sticker is original though…..😂. Appreciate it!
This video was a big help.
Glad you found the video helpful! Thanks for watching!
I’m so glad I found this series! I’m starting a MR Explorer Kevlar gunwale replacement this weekend. Loads of great help here. Thank you!!!
Glad to hear it! Good luck with your project!
Awesome job on this video. I was recently gifted my grandfathers Old Town Camper 16 RX from 1990 and have been so excited to get out on the water with my son. I am making a new Yoke and Thwart for it and will need to refinish the seats as well, so your video will be very helpful. Keep up the great work!
You inherited a beauty. The Old Town Camper is a great canoe. You and your son will make great memories together in that canoe. I am pleased that you will find the video helpful and I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. Good luck with your project and have a great time on the water!
Nice job on the canoe, but I got the willies watching you free hand the stock on the router table.
Thanks Al……also let it be known I still have all my digits. I am comfortable with that technique. One must pay close attention though.
The best gunwale replacement tutorial that I've found. Great job. I'm getting started on the restoration of a Mad River Explorer restoration in a few weeks. The boat came to me with all of the wood completely rotted off. Do you have suggestion as to where I could find some factory dimensions for the beam as well as bow and stern seat locations?
If I clamp my inwales and outwales prior to drilling, do I need to strap or clamp the width at more than the beam at the center or will the hull spring to the correct shape?
I'm a professional woodworker and it was a pleasure to watch your video, you're very methodical!
Lauri, not sure what others would do but I would tackle your situation by using straps to tighten the hull to the beam width and then install the inwales first and then the outwales and screw them together. You will want to mark the hull in a way as not to use the same screw holes. A canoe hull has relaxed considerably with all thwarts, seats, yolks and carrying handles removed. You will definitely want to persuade it with strapping. In order to identify with seat placement in my opinion that is a personal choice. How will the canoe be used…..solo or tandem? If solo I would elect to place the bow seat more towards the centerline of the canoe. In terms of matching factory seat placement you can Google your explorer model by identifying with the stamped numbering on the hull. Explorers come in different lengths but a simple google search will give you the information you need for beam width for your model. Additionally if you identify with the year your canoe was manufactured Mad River Canoe catalogs can also be found online to help you with your models dimensions. I hope this helps and I certainly appreciate you leaving a comment and taking an interest in the video. Let me know if I can help clarify anything else further.
This was a great restoration project. I just found your channel today because my son was gifted two canoes. The one he wants to restore first is a 16' Mad River! Now I'm really looking forward to getting into this project after watching this series!!! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Well that’s exciting that these canoes were gifted and will soon be restored. I’m glad you found the videos helpful and I wish you and your son the best of luck with your projects! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hey man great job I have recently rescued a Merramack 13 footer. I helped an old piney 40 years ago install cedar gunwale on a hand
made Garvey. So I needed a helping mind to remind and educate Thank You
You are very welcome! Glad you found the video helpful! Have a great day.
Awesome job. I get a lot out of watching your various techniques. Looking forward to your next project (and trip!). Thanks.
Thanks a bunch Ken. Makes it all worth it when I get to read comments like this. Also happy to hear that potentially some of what I do is helpful. Greatly appreciate your time to watch and comment. Have a great day!
Great project, a fellow Mainer! I just did a lot of the same things on an older Old Town fiberglass 14’er. Your canoe looks great, nice shop!
Thank you Stephen for watching and your kind words. There is something special about giving an older beat up canoe new life. Glad you had success with your project and hope you enjoy it! Have a great evening!
Tremendous job! Love to see old canoes brought back. I fixed up a 2004 Mad River Explorer last year. No where as involved as your project, but after watching I'm inspired to work on more challenging restorations in the future.
Glad to hear it. I am one that always believes it can be worth the effort to save a canoe from the dumpster. It can be hard work but very rewarding in the end. Thanks for watching and commenting. My latest restoration is on CZcams…..a Mad River Explorer. This one should have been taking out in the backyard and shot but progress was made and it is looking decent. The products these days allow for extending the life of these old canoes. Best of luck to you on future projects!
Thanks for this video series. I've stripped the hull down and cleaned up most of the imperfections but unlike yours mine is BRIGHT yellow underneath the stickers... I thought it was a tan canoe... I think I'm going to try vinyl marine dye to restore it to it's origional color instead of paint. I only have one crack in the hull, about 2 inches long in the bow so I shouldn't need to spend as much time repairing the as you did. But I'm not as good at woodworking, the season is starting, and I have a lot left to do!!! 😀
Ian, my take on your message is that you have immersed yourself in the project and you have overcome the first phase of most peoples fears to tackle a project like this. Half the battle is over. All that is required next is patience, enjoying the process and then finally realizing your hard work when you launch the canoe for the first time. I wish you the best of luck with your project and I certainly appreciate your comment and am happy that you found the video helpful. All the best Ian!
I'll be following along on the wood canvas make over. I snagged an older Old Town Chippewan/Hunter 14 foot last spring and pulled all the plastic off it in exchange for wood, dropped a few pounds off it, I took out the seats and just put in a kneeling thwart, I might have mentioned that in past comments,. I got a video of the work but haven't uploaded to the tube. Nice work on the Mad River.
I would be interested in seeing your project on the tube! Seems like a fun project. Thanks for following along and soon I will get started on the custom wood canvas canoe. Have to clean up the shop first…… 😆
Thanks for these vids man, really interesting seeing the process and your approach! Subbed 🫶
Thanks for watching and commenting! Glad you enjoyed the series. I was
Hoping the videos could be somewhat helpful to someone wanting to do their own work. Thanks for the Sub! Very much appreciated.
Really nice resto. Great work.
Thank you Duncan. Looking forward to using the Mad River in some bony rivers and streams this paddling season. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. I appreciate it.
@@mainetripper fingers crossed you can get some great video when you go out in it.
I am sure there will be a video in the future.
Fantastic set of videos. Thank you for posting them. My dad has an identical canoe he purchased way back when and is quite eager to do a similar restoration.
I would be curious to know if the paint held up well? Pretty much every post I can find on painting ABS or Polypropylene suggests that the paint will just flake right off, which makes me hesitant to try it, but damn if it doesn't look good...
Samuel, thanks for the comment and best of luck to your Dad with the restoration project.
I use the Rustoleum Topside products for painting plastic canoes and sometimes even so with my wood canvas canoe restorations. I have had great results with the Rustoleum brand especially their topside formulations. As long as the surface prep is properly done, primed and then painted the coating will last a long time. I have used the Eclipse canoe three times and have banged off rocks and although scratches appear there is none of this flaking that I also have read about. Utilizing the topside primer is key to a clean, lightly sanded outer hull before attempting to coat with the Topside paint. I intend to do a follow up video on the Eclipse topside coating after a few more camping trips.
All in all the restoration project will be challenging, fun, and give a great sense of pride once the project is complete. I wish you both the best of luck.
Hi... I watched your videos... nice work.
I have several questions if you have the time.
--
I have a yellow 1981 Mad River Explorer 16' 8" (as I recall) and about 80 pounds wet. I replaced the gunwales two (2) years ago, along with the seats. I resurfaced the thwarts. What I have not done is the paint. The canoe is in excellent condition.
Question(s):
- With regard to your blue canoe, how did the paint hold up on rock scraps?
- Does the paint chip or scratch?
- How UV resistant is it?
- Did you get dust in the primer and/or paint from the air in your shop?
- When is the best time to do the painting?
- I noticed the painted surface of the canoe was not smooth, as would be the case in a fiberglass/kevlar surface. Would you consider, in the future using a higher grit sand paper?
- How long did the sanding take?
- Do you have any thoughts on the painting procedure, preparation and paint to be used since this video was made?
- Where did you get the 'signage' for the rabbit and the name?
I am sure that there are alot of questions, I missed.
:-)
Thanks,
Max
ps.
I wonder if the YT community would be interested in a more indepth video on the painting topic?
The canoe that was restored was ready for the trash heap and badly damaged throughout. My ultimate goal with this transaction was to score the 16’ vintage Old Town Canoe that they also were selling for restoration but instead a prior inquirer won the contest and will be hanging it from his rafters as a light fixture. Nonetheless, I drove to the same owner and picked up a decrepit Mad River and thought it could use some love. Most would have disregarded and thrown away this MR Eclipse but I put some effort into it to make it a usable canoe for my purpose. Ultimately with all the canoes I have restored this was one of my favorites. I have paddled the eclipse on about 6 adventures and the effort has been realized. I knew the paint job wouldn’t resurrect a nearly dead canoe but all in all the paint work was spot on considering what I was dealing with. The canoe is actually exceptionally smooth with the exception of the most dramatic deep gouges that could not be fixed. I always paint after the entire canoe shop receives a deep dust cleaning and I control the reintroduction of dust when painting. With a canoe this old you can not make it new and I believe I stated this in my video series. The moral of the story is don’t throw it away rather do what you can to keep the canoe alive for as long as you can! The sanding process is laborious and it was a combination of wet and dry sanding. I also scraped the loose plastic with a razor blade to remove the high surfaces prior to sanding. The sanding was always a light touch followed by a primer and finish coat of Rustoleum Topside marine coatings. Paint will scratch when it comes in contact with a rock however the bonding nature of the paint and primer used has proven most effective with no flaking or chipping. I highly recommend the Rustoleum Marine Topside coatings vice spray paint for this application. Rustoleum marine topside coatings provides for an excellent uv protection which is needed for a Royalex canoe. I haven’t worked with Kevlar canoes so I can not speak to them in particular. I hope I answered your questions and if not please let me know.
The decals were made by researching the proper font and then reaching out to an online graphic designer to manufacture the decals. They are waterproof and hold up well.
@@mainetripper
Thank you for your reply.
I will look carefully at your primer and recommendations.
Thanks !
Where did you source replacement decals? Going to need the mad river canoe decal as well as logo on the bow.
I had to source an online decal / digital arts company. I do not remember who the company was. I searched on line and chose one of them.
Hi, thank you for the great videos. Starting a similar project with a Mad River explorer and was curious how the g/flex epoxy has held up, I have similar cracks that I have to deal with.
Gflex has held up great as expected. It is a great product that provides the strength and enough flexibility to last for long term repairs. Good luck with your project!
Thanks! I'm up in Camden and have a similar fieldstone basement but mine is nowhere near set up as nice as yours!
What were the materials that you used for the webbing on the seats? More specifically what did you attach the webbing with?
Strapworks Heavyweight... www.amazon.com/dp/B01KTVAP0O?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
The webbing was attached with 9/16 stainless steel staples using my pneumatic staple gun.
Can you tell me where/how you got the Mad River Canoe decal you used on this craft?
I used the services of signspecialist.com. I measured the old Logo and used the signspecialists online ordering form for the vinyl decal. Very affordable and worth it in my opinion.
Thanks so much. Love your work!
@user-zn8kh9zo3k very much appreciated! Thank you!
That blue is a beautiful colour. Rust oleum topcoat navy blue I believe?
That is absolutely correct! Rustoleum Topside Marine Coatings”Navy Blue”. It is a rich color for sure. It is a glossy finish which I think gives a real nice finish.
@@mainetripperI just noticed I spelled the word color as colour,that’s the Canadian spelling,lol. That blue you used looks fantastic. I will buy some for. I’m really enjoy your canoe 🛶 restorations..thanks Mainetripper.
@@adamsons2890 I am certainly happy to hear you enjoy the canoe projects. There is an interesting project coming up right around the corner. Stay tuned and thank you for taking the time to watch the videos. Means a lot!
@@mainetripper 👍 sounds good