Treating a canoe frame . Recomendations for a preservative please .

[Green Weasel]

Hello . I've just about completed the frame for a canvas and wood-framed canoe and after a bit of smoothing it will be ready for the fitting of the cover . I've never made one before and despite a few obvious mistakes and overlooking my rather rustic woodwork skills I'm quite pleased with it especially as it was made with a high percentage of scrounged materials .
Before going any further I was wondering if any one had any advice as to how to treat the frame to help preserve it . Any advice would be greatly appreciated . Many thanks .
I'd add a picture but don't know how

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hi I would love to see a pic, you could open a free photobucket account, upload the pic, then copy and paste the img code directly into your post.

 

[Teepee]

You could go for a full blown epoxy preservative, but this is the most expensive.

If you want it natural, the a low/medium build wood stain like sadolins classic/ultra or a sikkens high solids translucent coating (makes the wood look like it is plastic coated and is very flexible)
I'd not go for yacht varnish as it doesnt last too well.
If you want to paint it, you could get a cheap tin of epoxy floor paint or use the proper boating epoxy resin paints.

 

[Green Weasel]

Hi and thanks for the advice . I thought about coating it with some sort of resin but wasn't sure if it would stand the flexing or if there was some other reason for not using it . I'll have a go at the picture thing but I'm not only a beginer at canoe building but a bit of a newcomer to computers . I mean who'ed have thought they'ed have caught on !
Thanks again .

 

[pastymuncher]

Rather than sealing the wood with resin you might try Danish Oil, it allows the wood to breath and is very easy to apply and maintain. It was just about the only thing that worked on the deck of my boat. If you want a very flexible varnish like coating Coelan gets very good reviews. Personally I would avoid paints etc. because of the maintenance required.

 

[ged]

I've just about completed the frame for a canvas and wood-framed canoe ... Before going any further I was wondering if any one had any advice as to how to treat the frame to help preserve it ...

Cuprinol is always my first choice. You don't necessarily want a stain or surface coating. Cuprinol soaks into the wood and basically disappears. It prevents both fungal and insect attack for many years. I almost always use the "Five Star", which is very expensive, but for new wood with no existing problems there are cheaper (although still expensive) products by the same manufacturer. Talk to a good builder's merchant or search the Web for it.

 

[Green Weasel]

Thanks for the replies everyone . It seems from the varied answers that personal confidence in a product is a significant factor The surface sealant appeals on one level as obviously it should in theory keep everything inside free of dampness and air -the generaters of rot but I can appreciate that with wear and tear ,aging and cracking it may not prove to be such a good long term or easy maintainance solution after all.
I'm leaning towards the preservatives that are absorbed and can be simply topped -up once in a while .. All said and done ,this is my first attempt and though I'd like to think that all will be well (ie the fruit of my labours will actually float the right way up and not fall apart on its maiden voyage !) the worse scenario is that this canoe ends -up as the begining of a learning curve . Many thanks to all .
PS . As I happened to have a gallon and a half of the better quality Cuprinol in the shed as the result of a barn clearance job a few years ago, I've taken Ged's advice .
All the best and thanks again to those who replied to my question.