Early guide canoe from Maine

captions photo credits and info to follow...

WCHA Auction 2015, Wanigan

All sanded and ready for finish, this nice looking box has sides laminated from American Chestnut offcuts, with a centre section of ambrosia maple, and two stripes of African Mahogany to highlight the contrast. Inner rails are Ambrosia Maple, outers are Chestnut. White cedar ribs, and planking is red cedar. 

Sanded and ready for oil 

First hit of oil

Soaking up and showing off.

Red Cedar Planking

Another view 

Markings on the maple. From the web, information on wormy silver maple:

Ambrosia maple comes from regular soft maple and Hard Maple trees that have been infested by the ambrosia beetle. The small beetle bores a network of tunnels and short galleries called cradles. A fungus is responsible for the blue, gray and brown streaks and decorative patch work that accompany each tunnel and adjacent wood. The streaks and patch work add a unique look to this hardwood without affecting its structural integrity. This wood is mostly found in the central part of Eastern United States. 

The tunnels made from the beetles are extremely small. The infestation of the ambrosia beetle is terminated during the kiln drying process and will not start again in dry wood as the beetle needs somewhat wet wood to survive. Ambrosia beetles also infest other species such as birch, Aspen and Beech.

Fully oiled

Ready for varnish

Chestnut outer rails

Lid ready for laminating. Two strakes of Sassafrass between the Chestnut and Mahogany

Oiled, varnish next

Sassafrass between the Chestnut and Mahogany, nice and straight grained. Smells great, a shame to seal it!

Sassafrass really shows up on the digital camera

Pine Wanigan

Some of the last of the pine used to strip the building form, almost clear and 18" wide and 18' long, a nice find that had been cut years ago and bought up in Muskoka. Grade 6 teacher went above and beyond to make a real difference in our sons education, helping him reach his full potential. The form was dusted off and a wanigan built. Forgot to snap a picture of it completed with the rope handles, it came out nice. White cedar ribs (what else?) and red cedar planking, with inner and outer rails of American Chestnut, left over from paddle offcuts. 

 Complete, waiting for finish

Other side

First coat of tung oil

Soaking in fast

Colour coming up nicely

Helping out

Focus out front, sailing canoes in the background

Waiting on varnish

First coat, 4 more and it was presented.