Repairing holes and rotten wood

Discussion in 'Wooden Boat Building and Restoration' started by weissmarine, Aug 1, 2008.

  1. weissmarine
    Joined: Jul 2008
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    Location: Charleston, SC

    weissmarine Junior Member

    Restoring a 1962 Chris Craft. Need to repair some minor and major holes in the wood. I have already cut away the rotten wood to dry. Some are minor which I think I could either fill or git rot them. Others are major which I am scratching my head in what to do. What would be my next step on these major holes? The correct way to repair not the easy fix.:confused:
     
  2. Wood Gopher
    Joined: Jul 2008
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    Location: Tampa

    Wood Gopher New Member

  3. alan white
    Joined: Mar 2007
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    Location: maine

    alan white Senior Member

    As always, there appear to be quick fixes in a can, but in truth you can't repair a wood boat with an off-the-shelf remedy. Not even close. The rotten wood should be completely removed and replaced in a way that leaves the boat as smooth and strong as new, or else the repair will lead to even more problems.
    Boats, like motorcycles, are practically all function. Your boat isn't a car, which has a body that seldom serves the structure.
    If you are going to fix the boat intellegently, do it right. Take some very detailed pictures to post here--- enough to explain the problem visually, and then listen to advice from experiennced carpenters.
    You can really mess up your boat trusting products like Git-Rot, which could be explained, but suffice to say enough has been written here and elsewhere about how misleading some boat-repair-in-a-can companies claims can be.

    Alan
     
  4. thudpucker
    Joined: Jul 2007
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    Location: Al.

    thudpucker Senior Member

    Alan is right. I learned the hard way that some wood just cant be reinforced if its so old an pithy.
    I like the CPES from Smith though. It can really be good to follow mould trails and make a good surface strength on a piece of wood.

    On your old CC, you better pull some fasteners down near the water line to check for 'nail sick' so you dont lose a plank.

    On my old 53, the wood under the engines was dry and pithy. Also the Skegs were through bolted and the wood between the Skegs and a bronze plate someone had put up there to hold the bolts, was just powderd. Wood flour. If I'd have hit a log I'd have lost both skegs and the boat.
    Take a real good look at your boat if you have any rot at all. You might have more than you care to know about.
     

  5. weissmarine
    Joined: Jul 2008
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    Location: Charleston, SC

    weissmarine Junior Member

    thanks for tip, I will post some pics here soon. I want to do it right and not cut any corners.
     
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