TOPIC: Help! Identify this and give me direction please!

Hi, first post and completely in the dark. I traded for this canoe. Title says "canoe", 1972. Can anyone identify who made this? There are no tags anywhere on the boat. No numbers of any kind. Man I got it from said he thought it was a "Golden Chief" but I can find no such beast on the net. It's 15', has indian heads molded on both sides up front, outriggers or sponsons running 80% of the length with arrows molded on to the back of these. Any tips would be great.
Question number 2- Do I need to fix this with epoxy resin or can I use something cheaper? I need to replace the transom and fix a couple cracks on the sides. There is also a bunch of holes drug through the keel that I need to fix. I have read up on the process and don't think I will have any problems doing the work, but I have read conflicting reports on what resin to use. I found this site and am sure you all can guide me in the right direction. Again, any advice is appreciated! Thanks,
Casey

Can anyone tell me how to put multiple pics on post?

Casey, welcome aboard, nice looking canoe. Can't help you with the id but to post multiple pics, once you post the one, go back and edit the post and add another. Click submit, then click edit again and repeat for as many pics a you need to attach.

Bob

Thanks Bob. I hope to photo all I do to it and that will make posting easier!
Casey

use polyester resin to repair your canoe , its what its made of .

Though the the Wood Canoe Heritage Association is focused on wood canoes, they might be of help in identifying this fiberglass (or plastic?) canoe.

forums.wcha.org/forum.php

HandyAndy, thanks for the link. I will try to get a post up there also. BTW, it is fiberglass. Wow, Gil! You did a wonderful job on your canoe! Did you use paint or gelcoat? If paint, what kind did you use (what type)? I still hope someone on here can identify this canoe for me. A guy at work says Osagian (but I think they just make aluminum canoes) and another says Quachita. I will research these further and see if anything comes of it. Thanks everybody.

Casey

i used rustoleum off the shelf from walmart , not bad for a $13 dollar paint job lol

Wow, Rustoleum. I think that will do my old canoe fine! Did you use spray cans or buy it in the quart jug? My kids are really after me to get this in the water as it is getting really nice outside. I've been reading different opinions on the transom also. Is it OK to use the polyester resin to rebiuld that also, or should I pony up for the epoxy? I don't anticipate anything over 5 HP ever on this (probably more like 2-3 HP tops) so could I get by with the polyester here also? Thanks for the advice!
Casey

i used just under a quart of the oil based enamel which i thinned with acetone then rolled on then tipped with a brush .
you can used either type of resin to repair your canoe , i have to be careful here because resin types (epoxy vs polyester vs vinylester ) is a hotly debated topic on just about every boat forum across America and i dont want to kick that hornets nest lol .
epoxy will work just fine , will be the most expensive ,least smelly lol . polyester or vinyester are just as good to use as epoxy on a canoe , much cheaper , they just smell lol .
the only thing to remember if you use epoxy , you have to stay with it because epoxy adheres very well to cured polyester but polyester does not adhere well to cured epoxy .

Yes, I know what you mean about the hornets nest! I think I will go with the polyester... MUCH cheaper here locally! On the paint, did the acetone thin enough to spray? I have spray equipment, but may just go with the roll and tip method.
One other question on the resin... I have a "crack" on the side of the canoe that is actually the woven roving seperated from the mat. I can just barely wedge a putty knife into it. The glass seems solid on both sides and top and bottom of crack. Would the polyester resin "glue" this seperation back solid, or should I just grind the roving out and patch it with new glass? It runs about 8" down the side of the boat from the transom. Any advice?

grind it back and layup new woven roven dont try to "glue it back togther " . you will need at least a 4 inch angle grinder with the coarsest disks you can find and most importantly a very good respirator not just a home depot dust mask but a air purifying respirator. Fiberglass dust and ground up polyester once in the lungs are with you till you go back into the ground . You can get very good results thinning and spraying rustoleum you can also add Valspar enamel hardener for a better gloss and harder finish , again you need a good respirator for spraying with the hardener added , that stuff can and has killed people , it contains polyisocyanate . im not a chemist but it sounds too much like cyanide so i dont mess with it lol .

Well, I'll have to go get a respirator. I've got everything else I will need. I'll take some pics and post when I'm finished. Thanks!