[Public-List] Coating rudder metal/wood features

[Sue Pilling]

Hello,
We just got hull #63
Wood strip had become partially exposed, waterlogged, so  chipped back to expose its entire length. The top wood part came out easy, to expose nuts. Bottom wood not so easy, and perhaps no need to remove it unless required. Curious though, where the nuts are in the bottom section, where they attach to the rods to rudder shaft.  Was going to put masking tape over whole wooden strip, for future ease of access, then West Epoxy (and what filler?) over it all.
Is this the same epoxy/filler you would use to re-cover the metal exposed brackets on the rest of the blade? to chip off for future access.

Our bottom, the  pin/shoe does not have too much play. The play there seems to be where the blade attaches to the 1" bar (that the pin sits into). Thinking about epoxying  the blade to this !' rod, to remove play.  Sound ok? Use the strong  adhesive filler  West makes, both sides of blade? I did see a drawing where you chip away at the lower trailing edge of the blade, to expose nuts to the  bronze rods into this lower section. Hoping not to go there...but wonder if one of these is broken and thus the play at the bottom.

The question of what filler/epoxy to use continuing up the rest of the leading edge,  where the blade to the rudder stock transition.

thank you for any advice, or for directing us to where this is already answered and we have not figured out yet where to look on the List Serve😉

Sue and Steph