Skin-On-Frame Canoe - Part V

I have varathaned my entire frame, in and out with several coats. Now I get to put the skin on it. I got some outdoor double sided carpet tape and put a strip down the length of the keelson and each gunwale. Can't really see them in this photo but I also stapled a strip of thick nylon ribbon to each stem near the top. This will be used to cover my seams and act as a bumper protecting the cloth.

I got some 1050 den ballistic nylon cloth for my skin. Really shop around for this as I found prices went from reasonable to outrageous depending on where I looked. Simply drape this cloth over the frame and secure it firmly to the tape on the keelson.

Then starting in the middle of the canoe grab the cloth from both sides and pull down firmly and stick it to the tape. Move down a bit towards one end and repeat the process until you get to the end. Then go back to the middle and work towards the other end until the cloth is fairly taught on the frame. You will still see wrinkles all over the place, no worries we will take these out later when we shrink the cloth.

Folding the cloth along the keelson, put a simple stitch down the length of the stem to stitch the two side together. Then starting about half an inch away from the stitching cut down the length of the stem. More stitching to really secure and strengthen the seam. Then you pull that nylon ribbon that was stapled to the stem over top of the seam all the way to the keelson and stitch that down into place. Repeat on the other end.

I am doing a little something extra just for looks as this is not necessary. I am putting a length of o-ring (or piping)along the top of the gunwale and folding the cloth back over top of it. This will give me a nice looking bead between the gunwale and the outwale, also works as a good bumper protecting the wood.

I then secure the cloth in place along the gunwale by screwing on the inwales and outwales. Next is the backrest, the front thwart, shrinking the cloth and varathaning the cloth.