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#1
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Options for refastening a hull
I'm about to start restoring a 1964 34' Chris Craft Constellation. I'm going
to start with the hull, which looks to be in pretty decent shape, but I want to refasten and recaulk at least below the waterline. I've read Jim Trefethen's book, and he suggests pulling the fastener, injecting 3m 5200 into the whole, and replacing with a slightly larger silicon brass screw (one or two sizes up). He also suggests fastening the new bungs into place with carpenter's glue and letting the paint seal them. Nowhere does he use epoxy, in order to keep the hull flexible.He suggests recaulking the traditional way, with cotton. The Gougeon brothers suggest a totally different approach, where they call for the existing caulking to be removed with a skillsaw, and then putting thin wood splines that are edge-bonded with epoxy put into the gap, turning the hull into one solid structure. Needless to say, I'm confused, I only want to do this once, and I don't want to screw it up. Any advice is apprecreciated. |
#2
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Options for refastening a hull
"James Bullbrook" wrote in message m...
I'm about to start restoring a 1964 34' Chris Craft Constellation. I'm going to start with the hull, which looks to be in pretty decent shape, but I want to refasten and recaulk at least below the waterline. I've read Jim Trefethen's book, and he suggests pulling the fastener, injecting 3m 5200 into the whole, and replacing with a slightly larger silicon brass screw (one or two sizes up). He also suggests fastening the new bungs into place with carpenter's glue and letting the paint seal them. Nowhere does he use epoxy, in order to keep the hull flexible.He suggests recaulking the traditional way, with cotton. The Gougeon brothers suggest a totally different approach, where they call for the existing caulking to be removed with a skillsaw, and then putting thin wood splines that are edge-bonded with epoxy put into the gap, turning the hull into one solid structure. Needless to say, I'm confused, I only want to do this once, and I don't want to screw it up. Any advice is apprecreciated. Well I don't know the answer, but in a usual fashion I will get sarcastic. Gougeon Bros are telling you to do a hell of a lot of work there to use Epoxy that they happen to sell. Does Jim Trefethen sell 5200? The GB way just does not sound right, remove material to replace with same material? Run a saw down all the seams, even the good ones? Caulk a strake boat with epoxy instead of cotton? To me it just does not pass the smell test, but then again, wadoino? Scotty |
#3
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Options for refastening a hull
James,
I would respond in a different manner than many. Mead and Jan (the brothers Gougeon) like boats. They like to sail and enjoy them. They build them so thay can get what they want. They do not enjoy maintenance, so they set up materials and systems so you only have to do it once. I tend to value traditional approches in many cases because these are tried and true methods. In any case that I have use the approach outline (actually followed the instructions) in one of the the West books, I have never been disapointed in the results. It may be more work than I had in mind, but I like only having to do that job once. Matt Colie James Bullbrook wrote: I'm about to start restoring a 1964 34' Chris Craft Constellation. I'm going to start with the hull, which looks to be in pretty decent shape, but I want to refasten and recaulk at least below the waterline. I've read Jim Trefethen's book, and he suggests pulling the fastener, injecting 3m 5200 into the whole, and replacing with a slightly larger silicon brass screw (one or two sizes up). He also suggests fastening the new bungs into place with carpenter's glue and letting the paint seal them. Nowhere does he use epoxy, in order to keep the hull flexible.He suggests recaulking the traditional way, with cotton. The Gougeon brothers suggest a totally different approach, where they call for the existing caulking to be removed with a skillsaw, and then putting thin wood splines that are edge-bonded with epoxy put into the gap, turning the hull into one solid structure. Needless to say, I'm confused, I only want to do this once, and I don't want to screw it up. Any advice is apprecreciated. |
#4
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Options for refastening a hull
Rebuilding a hull is a great humungous amount or work. Much of it
doesn't make sense unless you ensure that the stuff under _that_ is sound and good. Thus a really good surveyor who loves wooden boats and knows that particular type of boat is worth the investment. Traditional methods can allow some things to be done piece meal, but I don't think 5200 in the screw holes qualifies as traditional. Once those screws are in there, that's it for that wood - the next time repairs are needed, you'll have to start off with a sawzall and a crowbar because those fasteners are NOT coming out. But maybe that's all to the good. Most yards don't do traditional wooden boat work well - it's just not economicly workable. And it may not be feasible for you. Boats have life cycles, just like other things. A really good surveyor can explain what you can expect from a wooden boat and locate yours on that cycle. Then you have the info to figure out what strategy actually makes sense between you and your boat. For example, it may be that shooting it full of chemicals and figuring a good 5-7 years use is the best approach. OTOH, if the interior is a museum piece of cherrywood and holly and teak with amazing brass fixture and what-not, then maybe it makes sense to build another hull under it (if it comes to that). A friend of mine recently pretty much gave away a beautiful old woody made largely from the decks of a WWII battleship and incorporating some of the fittings from the warship. It was nail sick and the deck and cabin leaked bad. He couldn't deal with it, but fortunately it went to some boatbuilders in the northwest who saw in it something unique and valuable enough to invest a few years into. It's potentially a long term commitment in many different ways and how it goes really depends on all the details of the boat - so it makes sense to concentrate on getting the complete in depth picture and verifying a strategy before trying to formulate tactics. The info and help and interest is out there, but it will take time to pull it all together. Rufus |
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