Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Wooden Boat Repairs
I have a new to me older wooden drift boat that needs some TLC.
To start out the top rail on the inside of the boat is teak or something simalar in apperance. The wood itself is still solid but the old varnish has rubbed off, lets say several years ago at least, the wood is staind and discolored. I am thinking about wrapping fiberglass around the rails and painting them. Is there a reason I should avoid doing this? The rest of the outside of the boat is glassed with a thin layer 6oz or so. This inside of the boat is raw wood in solid shape. I am thinking about leaving it raw so the wood can dry out after the season is finished and then treat it with boild Linseed Oil.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by JAY STRUGNELL on
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for an inside rail it may be more cost effective to replace it with oak,mine is epoxied and super varnished inside and out,so I dont have any experience with oiled interiors.Sometimes teak has natural oils in the wood that can complicate finishing.
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Permalink Reply by larry Hambley on
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You will get much better results with a boat oil using linseed oil, pine tar, and Japan dryer in place of plain linseed oil. The exact recipe has been in site often. Sorry I don't remember it exactly but you can find it or ask someone to repeat it.
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I use the following brew:
1 quart boiled linseed oil( in the old days they might have boiled it but now they add chemicals)
1 quart turpintine (some guys use mineral spirits but to me this is sinfull)
1/4 to 1/2 pint of pine tar( not really necessary but gets some color into the wood-love the smell)
1/4 pint of Japan Drier
The important points: good dry wood, out in the hot sun, after it soaks in for an hour or so wipe up all excess so the surface appears to be dry. Letting puddles of it sit in corners etc. will not dry and will be tacky. Rags can spontaneously combust so lay them out flat and not dump them in a pile.
Good Luck
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Permalink Reply by lhedrick on
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Just wondering, what does the pine tar adds to the mix, other then the smell? Back in the days of wood skies we used a pine tar base to help hold wax.
I agree with you on the spirits issue. I think turpentine is the way to go. Totally natural and all, organic stuff. It's go to be good for wood if it comes from wood.
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The pine tar gives the mix a little darker color. It origins go back to the days of sailing vessels. They used this on the decks. I guess it added some "preservative and waterproofing qualities. The next time I am over at the Maine Maratime Musem I will ask one of the old salts whats with the pine tar.
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The following info is found on Wikipedia:
Pine tar can be used for preserving wooden boats (and other wood which will be exposed to the elements) by using a mixture of pine tar, gum turpentine and boiled linseed oil. First, a thin coat is applied using a mixture with greater turpentine. This allows it to permeate deeper into the oakum and fibre of the wood and lets the tar seep into any pinholes and larger gaps that might be in the planks. The tar weeps out to the exterior and indicates where the boat needs the most attention. Having the solution in place and the repairs complete, the vessel is ready for the thicker standard mix. Pine tar is also efficacious for properly saturating lead or standard oakum so that the endurance of the sealing capacity is optimal.[citation needed]
Such treatments, while effective, must be continually reapplied.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin C. on
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I would definately not recommend the wrapped rail idea.If the wood is still sound, simply sand with 60 ,100 then 150 grit papers.Don't worry about getting all the stains out as this ends up showing lots of character in an old boat when oiled.Just get them baby smooth and oil with posted concoction.If the fasteners holding the rails together are carriage bolts and in good shape,remove the inner rail and this will give you an easy sanding job but if you have trouble getting a few of these fasteners out just sand what you can in place and save yourself lots of headache.Painting over teak or mahogany may look good at first but down the road the natural oils in these woods will release the paint and you'll be right back where you started.Oil and wood are VERY good friends...let them hang out together...light sand that interior too ,once dried out and the oil recipe will soak in well
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Sandy P. from over at montana-riverboats.com (the stitch and glue forum) has explained many times how he wraps glass up and over the gunwales and has been happy with the result. I have only used ash for gunwales and have coated them with epoxy and then varnished them but have never glassed them. This has proved to be a total waste of time. The epoxy just doesn't hold on to the ash and it just starts peeling off. It makes sense that the glass epoxy will work out better at holding finish then just the wood or epoxy/wood.
I no longer use varnish on solid wood. I have switched to an oil mix and it is working out much better. Just a touch up once and a while as opposed to scraping, sanding and applying more expensive varnish.
Perhaps Sandy will add to the discussion as he has a lot more experience at using glass on gunwale stock.
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If I replace a section of wood, I have seen 3m 5200, does it work as a glue compond?
My plan is to copy this boat next summer, will 3m 5200 and screws hold a boat together? I will fiberglass the outside and treat the inside. I do not want to encase the boat, I want any water that enters the wood to have a way out so it will dry out when in storage.
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Careful with the 5200 and consider it's use carefully. It bonds like crazy. I have delaminated plywood trying to get stuff apart which has been secured with 5200. Even the 4200 bonds very well and it's considered semi-removable.
Any place you use 5200 consider it permanent.
So, yes you can consider it to be flexible glue. It's great stuff for the right application.
Anyone out there know of a good method of unbonding it. I have not tried a heat gun and wonder if it would help.
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Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on
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Hot knife is #1.
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