Marianna - Hope you are using a good weight of canvas. I would not use anything lighter than #10 canvas which is 14.7 oz or 15 oz as it is commonly referred to, get unprimed canvas. If it is lighter weight canvas then it will go slack no matter how tight you put it on.

If it is unprimed,untreated and dry then you stretch it 4% in length. Turn boat so it is upside down on sawhorses,sew one end enough so it stays on then pull by hand in several stages resting between pulls as it is hard work. When it is fully stretched sew a pocket 3 or 4" long to hook over the end.

Wetting the canvas with boiling water is only done to try and get rid of wrinkles just before painting.

Many types of paint will work. A flat exterior oil based paint mixed with 1/3 boiled linseed oil will work fine as a first coat then wait at least 5 days to apply more coats subsequent coats could be 1/4 boiled linseed oil. The boiled linseed oil never fully hardens allowing the skin to flex a little without cracking. Do not use raw linseed oil as it stays tacky!

Some people use any paint, as long as it is not too hard and inflexible ( such as gloss paints ) then it would work. Some of the roof paints are used with success. Hard drying paints do not allow the canvas to flex and can cause cracks in the canvas.

One thing about canvas is that it takes paint well making it easy to paint designs on for a truly original kayak. Your uncle will be pleased!

PS. Store in a dry place! and dry out in the sun or heated room before long term storage- very important

: I'm in the process of recovering an old kayak frame that my uncle made 50
: years ago. I'm using canvas. Do you put the cnavas on dry and then wet it
: to allow it to shrink to the frame,or do you wet the canvas first and
: stretch it to the frame. What type of paint do you use to paint the
: canvas? We want to surprise him,so we don't want to ask my uncle. He used
: old army duffle bag material and painted it with something he had in the
: garage. It lasted at least 25 yrs. before it dry rotted. Thanks for any
: help you can give me.

: Marianna