[Public-List] What wood....

Tue Feb 16 07:40:34 PST 2016

Gord:
     Before I had used epoxies, I had a discussion with a craftsman from 
Niagara-on-the-Lake who went by the name of "Scotty". He still had the 
accent to match! His advice to me was that for any major epoxy job, build a 
full scaffold that completely encircles the boat and have it so you can walk 
around the whole thing without getting down.  I did this for the deck job 
that I have done on 528, and it made all the difference between a job done 
and a good job. Having the ability to get your eyes to the surface and 
change positions to see the variability of the surface makes all the 
difference in the finished product.  Consider a scaffold seriously.
    One thing I have found working with epoxy is that being very careful 
with how much one puts on at one time is critical. Having some dexterity 
with scrapers and brushes makes for easy choices when it comes to uniform 
application of materials (without disturbing the glass cloth). The more 
careful one is, the less one has to remove once it goes hard. The difference 
in hardeners makes for some difference in pot life and working time. 
Thickeners may make the material not as strong and much more difficult to 
sand away excess.  Sometimes I wised for better self levelers within the mix 
and bubbles are anathema. Stirring the mix is a real art to get a mixing 
without incorporating air that makes bubbles which do not come out very 
easily. Personally I have found West system to be good , but MAS gives you 
much more to choose from for hardeners and cure time.
    Another real help is to have 4 hands for big jobs. One person mixes and 
the other applies it. It makes for more uniform materials quickly at hand, 
and much more uniform lay-up because of the faster availability, and with 
fewer ridges from joining to batches that have partially cured. The end 
result is less extra material to remove as well.  Four hands also help when 
you want to add a second layer just at the time when the first has set but 
not blushed or gone waxy, again because it means that the person applying 
materials can make the decision to add without having to take time away to 
mix materials.
Don

-----Original Message----- 
From: Gordon Laco via Public-List
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 8:08 AM
To: Lawrence Morris ; Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all
Subject: Re: [Public-List] What wood....

When I tackle this job, my latest thinking is that I will not disturb the
pop rivets.  The new bolts securing the toe rail will supply integrity to
the hull to deck joint, and quite sufficient I think.

The old rivets will be buried beneath the new epoxy/cloth job which will be
laid over the new caulking along the deck edge and rivet heads.

Surprise is #426, being of the later style of deck construction.  Rather
than a wooden toe rail, she has the moulded in mini-bulwark upon which the
wood serves as a finishing cap rail.

I think the only part of the job which will be finicky will be the removal
and replacement of the genoa sheet track on the port side where I've
installed a second fuel tank. I can get a wrench in over the tank, but can't
see.  I suppose I could remove the tank then replace it again;  I'll see how
it goes.   The potentially messy part of the job is the epoxy/cloth job.  I
do not want to run epoxy down over my nice topsides paint job.  I'm thinking
I'm going to build a 'dam' of premium grade masking tape with which to
confine the muck until it cures.   I'll run the tape on both inside and
outside edges of the moulded toe rail and will also thicken the epoxy so it
is a little less runny.  And of course I'll patrol the work until it's
safely solidified enough not to run.

I'm not so fond of epoxy work... I was making a new forehatch for Touch
Wood, the Folkboat, yesterday.  I remarked to myself yet again that wood
work looks just as beautiful in the building stages as when completed and
that tends to boost ones morale. Epoxy and glass work usually looks like
hell until the final finish is applied. I am usually in a state of impatient
near panic fearing I've made a mess....

Onwards,

Gord #426 Surprise

On 2016-02-15, 1:56 PM, "Lawrence Morris via Public-List"
<public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

> Greg,
>
> Remember whatever wood type you choose. Those bolts holding down the toe 
> rail
> also are the main fastener system holding the hull to deck joint together.
> Plan well and be careful when removing reinstalling the toe rail.
>
>
>
> Larry
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On Feb 15, 2016, at 7:34 AM, Greg Dawson via Public-List
>> <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Hi Guys
>>
>> Alternatives to teak? The woodwork on our boat is in poor shape, the 
>> hatch
>> covers are falling to pieces and the toe rail has been cut in a couple of
>> places. The teak trim on the stern is snapped in two and the boards 
>> either
>> side of the cockpit are badly weathered. To add to this the mild steel 
>> bolts
>> holding our toe rail down are so rusted that they are snapping when you 
>> try
>> to adjust them.
>>
>> I'm looking to replace the toe rail with an aluminum system once I find
>> something appropriate, does anyone have any ideas? Also, replacement teak 
>> for
>> the hatches etc is simply out of our price range (lots of other stuff to 
>> buy
>> with that money) and I am looking at alternatives, any ideas? Is there 
>> any
>> reason for instance that I can't use ash or cherry provided that I accept 
>> the
>> additional work of varnishing each season?
>>
>> Finally, on the subject of mast beams, is there an engineered drawing 
>> kicking
>> around that I could work off to produce my new beam. Currently it has the
>> Frankenstein bolts and aluminum plates. Nothing is quite lining up as it
>> should and I am wary of using the damaged beam as a template. I have to 
>> renew
>> the bulkheads as they are rotten around the chain plates so I might as 
>> well
>> do the beam to at the same time. Any ideas?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Greg.
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