"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hey Gaz, or anyone else who uses or likes wooden blocks.

How do you care for and maintain the wood?

I painted some wood blocks and it destroyed them from the inside out
due to water trapped inside. Rotted the wood around the sheeves.

Just leave them plain ol wood? Oil the wood?

Was it was just a fluke my painted block went to crap?
Maybe it was bad wood anyway and lasted 5 yrs on deck so I sould be
happy.

What is your opinion?

Joe

Wooden blocks are fine for display, Joe, but substandard for use. That
said, a number of older boats still use them. Painting any load-bearing
wood on a boat is probably not a good idea. Spars, blocks, bowsprits,
sampson posts, etc. fall into that category. Varnish is a better
alternative--if rot begins it can be seen, not hidden by paint. I replaced
all the wooden blocks on my previous boat with Harkens. The wooden blocks
now hang decoratively in my den.

Max

On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 01:00:41 GMT, "Maxprop"
wrote:


"Joe" wrote in message
roups.com...
Hey Gaz, or anyone else who uses or likes wooden blocks.

How do you care for and maintain the wood?

I painted some wood blocks and it destroyed them from the inside out
due to water trapped inside. Rotted the wood around the sheeves.

Just leave them plain ol wood? Oil the wood?

Was it was just a fluke my painted block went to crap?
Maybe it was bad wood anyway and lasted 5 yrs on deck so I sould be
happy.

What is your opinion?

Joe

.. Varnish is a better
alternative--if rot begins it can be seen, not hidden by paint. .


Doesn't always work. I had a tiller that I varnished faithfully every
year to make sure that no water got in. Snapped off one day with no
external signs of rot but was rotted internally.



Max

"Frank Boettcher" wrote

. Varnish is a better
alternative--if rot begins it can be seen, not hidden by
paint. .


Doesn't always work. I had a tiller that I varnished
faithfully every
year to make sure that no water got in. Snapped off one day
with no
external signs of rot but was rotted internally.


What kind of wood was it?

SV

On Mon, 2 Jan 2006 13:47:51 -0500, "Scotty"
wrote:


"Frank Boettcher" wrote

. Varnish is a better
alternative--if rot begins it can be seen, not hidden by
paint. .


Doesn't always work. I had a tiller that I varnished
faithfully every
year to make sure that no water got in. Snapped off one day
with no
external signs of rot but was rotted internally.


What kind of wood was it?

SV


Laminated Ash

"Frank Boettcher" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 01:00:41 GMT, "Maxprop"
wrote:


"Joe" wrote in message
groups.com...
Hey Gaz, or anyone else who uses or likes wooden blocks.

How do you care for and maintain the wood?

I painted some wood blocks and it destroyed them from the inside out
due to water trapped inside. Rotted the wood around the sheeves.

Just leave them plain ol wood? Oil the wood?

Was it was just a fluke my painted block went to crap?
Maybe it was bad wood anyway and lasted 5 yrs on deck so I sould be
happy.

What is your opinion?

Joe

. Varnish is a better
alternative--if rot begins it can be seen, not hidden by paint. .


Doesn't always work. I had a tiller that I varnished faithfully every
year to make sure that no water got in. Snapped off one day with no
external signs of rot but was rotted internally.

Wood is wood, and it will rot under the right conditions. Water can seep
into the internal fibers from bolt holes, etc. As you say, varnish is no
guarantee against detecting rot before it bites.

Max