Fig. 11.
Fig. 12.
To put on the canvas, turn the canoe over. Lay the canvas with the centre line along the keel. Stretch it well by pulling at each end, and tack it through the middle at the extreme ends with a few tacks in a temporary manner. Put in temporary tacks along the gunwale at moderate intervals, stretching slightly, and endeavour to get rid of all folds. Begin in the middle and work towards the ends, and always pull straight away from the keel, and not along the gunwale. Then put in a second set of tacks half way between the first set of tacks on one side, pulling fairly tightly. Then on the other side put in tacks opposite to the latter, pulling as tightly as possible. The best way to do this is to seize the canvas with a pair of pincers, so that on pulling you can get the head of the pincers just over the gunwale, when they can be used as a lever to give an extra pull. A tack may then be put in on the outside of the gunwale. Half-inch galvanised tacks will do. Now remove the temporary set of tacks. To get rid of folds, which will not occur along the keel, but along the gunwale, keep bisecting the distance between two consecutive tacks by another tack, so that the canvas is equally loose on each side of it, always now pulling the canvas as tightly as possible. In this way the folds will disappear, and the canvas be stretched tight and well fastened to the gunwale. Leave that portion within a foot of each end untacked. Next cut away all that portion which projects beyond the stem and stern post, turn the edges in, and tack along the edges at moderate distances. Bisect these distances, and these again, till you have a very close row of tacks, as in [Fig. 12]. Pull fairly tight, but not too tight, and do not use pincers for this part. Quarter-inch tacks will be best. The ends may be cut out and put on, lapping the edges over the side, as shown in [Fig. 12], and enough canvas will be left to fill the part along the sides of the well, into which the canvas should be tacked with a fine row of tacks, afterwards being stretched over the gunwale. The canoe will now be completely covered in except the well. Before putting on the top, however, give the lower part outside a good coating of boiled linseed oil. This will be most of it absorbed into the canvas. The same may be done afterwards with the top. When this is dry—that is, after two or three days—give another good coating of the same. Then paint the canoe according to taste. Two coats for the bottom will be advisable, and paint which will stand water well should be used. It would be well to paint the framework with one coat before covering.
Fig. 13.
Fig. 14.
Make a stretcher ([Fig. 13]) for the feet of 1⁄2 in. board, and slips to fit it into ([Fig. 10]), with stops on the floor. Also a backboard of 1⁄2 in. board to correspond ([Fig. 14]). Each piece in the latter may be 18 in. × 4 in. They should be nailed into two cross-pieces behind, so as to form a hollow for back, and should be placed 2 in. apart, to allow a space for the spine. I prefer myself to fit in the backboard by means of stops on the floor and back of the well, making it keep one position, and that at a considerable slope, and have not found a swinging backboard so comfortable as some appear to have done.
