Outer stem repair on 37 Egg Harbor, a short section

[sdowney717]

Glued on white oak strips to lower outer stem port side.
Filled it out nicely.

And drilled the 3 bolt holes on front.
I ran into an issue with middle one, my new long 3/8 spade bit with screw threads on end jammed in the hole in the last section attached. I have been drilling after each glued on section. Could not remove it, could just slightly twist it. Got a more powerful drill, and the shaft bent slightly in the hole and wrenched my hand. Solution was take a 2 lb hammer and slam the end driving the drill bit through the last 2 inches of oak as if it was a large nail. Came out ok. It acted like it was caught on a bronze nail, which prevented the flattened end from turning, Is all I can think. I still have to drill to the full size all 3 bolt holes, right now they are at 1/2" but the bronze bolts don't fit yet. Thinking I need to get a long 9/16" drill.

 

[sdowney717]

Today used grinder to shape all this new wood. Got it looking pretty decent.

Will work on this side next day. Glue in some wood in various places. Including a plank end on the other side. I only had 3 hours of work done today.

 

[sdowney717]

20 years ago, I had that splash rail off and the bronze screws looked decent. However today they show a lot of corrosion on the heads and several had corroded in half.
I am thinking rather to use 316 SS screws. The ones I pulled out of the bow, 20 years later only had slight surface corrosion. And they were under waterline.

 

[sdowney717]

I used a 1/2" steel rod with a very sharp flat 90 degree tip and a fast rpm drill and forced that thru the holes. It ground away the wood, turned it into powder making a perfect bolt hole, and made the steel rod get hot.

I had first driven it into the holes using a hammer and then put a vice grip on the end to twist it back out, and that raised up teeth in the steel which also helped grind away the interior wood hole when chucked into the drill. Don't need to buy a drill bit anymore. I found clearing the wood powder in between running the steel rod in the holes also helped.

The bolt holes are nice and straight.

I could have cut some sharp notches in the steel rod end too. But I wanted to wear the wood into a straight round hole the whole length of the hole at once, not cut away wood and have it wander off center. Meaning I wanted to preserve both exit hole ends in the oak.

I think the idea of using a vicegrip to raise metal on the rod is a good idea.

 

[sdowney717]

Glued in some missing pieces around the plank ends, which were like that for decades.

etc...

Will be splining these large gaps between planks

 

[sdowney717]

Very cold and windy today.
Ground down the filler oak and splined a section of planking both sides.
Then I smoothed and filled where planks meet bow

Lowest section of pic has a bolt still in place. Plan to drive it out to examine it and coat it with JB weld. And thinking to put a thin piece of oak glued over that area of stem. about 1/8" thick.
It does not need it, but I like the idea. I think over 54 years, this forward stem and planking up here has seen lots of wear and tear.

A mix of PL and sawdust does form a tough abrasion resistant layer on wood surfaces. It's hard to sand using 40 grit RO 5" sander, easier to sand plain wood.

After it also gets a layer of 52oo, this will never come apart again, would have to be cut apart. And it will never leak. The worms will never gain entry again. Still plan to embed that stretchy nylon swimsuit black fabric in the 5200 up here.

 

[sdowney717]

Did get some thin oak on the starboard side lower stem, but it's been super cold, windy, and snowy. This coming Monday maybe can get out there. We just got 5" snow and it will freeze again tonight. Will not have been able to do anything for almost a week. I did get all plank gaps splined.

 

[sdowney717]

More done today, finish splined both sides of bow planking. Sanded and smoothed the stem bow repair, its looking real nice.
Next step finish the planking

One more day to fill out lower starboard side of stem

 

[sdowney717]

Freezing cold in the teens, and we had couple snow storms, marina was icy and snowy for a week. But today 53, and the place is drying out, so I could get something done

Sealed up the port bow, Mix of PL and sawdust
Filled the curved planks, it is all smoothed out. I had pulled a lot of screws and replaced them.
I had pried out the old screw plugs and reused them. Will need sanding and smoothing although it's pretty decently flat right now.

Starboard side almost done, keel all done up in the bow.
I like how I widened it up front. with oak strips.
On keel bottom, the notch is where the worm shoe starts, and going up the curved bow is a SS keel protector.
I am surprised it is in OK condition seeing 64 years in the salty sea.

 

[sdowney717]

This entire bow area is going to be overcoated with 3M 5200 and that stretchy black nylon fabric. Worms wont ever find any access to wood.

 

[sdowney717]

Well, looking a lot better than when hauled out, very nicely done, I think.
It is filled, and smoothed and has a gloss. Just as a final skim layer of PL using a 6" plastic knife. PL is 100% waterproof.
After this I will coat with 3M 5200 and that black fabric.

It's looking like a glass boat in the bow what with the way the planks are so fully sealed.

I have had people asking me is that West System!

 

[sdowney717]

Well, unfortunately 25 years ago when I was uncertain and still learning about my boat, I tried repairing the starboard side front quarter frames rather than replacing them.
So over the years they pretty much have failed. Time for new ones. The rest of the boat 25 years ago, I replaced all the frames on the other 3/4 of the boat.

Many frames simply sit under the floors. No big deal. The ones without a floor on top, I will double or triple them up.
I also am going to use marine rated 316 SS 3" screws. They will hold plank to frame to floor. Also, no screw head burying in the planks. I glued wood dowels into all screw bung holes and screw head will sit on the plank surface. The frames are perfect knot free PT SYP, same kind of wood I used 25 years ago replacing all the other frames. I painted them with some blue garage floor epoxy modified paint.

Burying bronze screw heads in planks was such a dumb idea back 50 years ago. Like so much other dumb stuff they did. You do realize the screw heads got wet with salt water and rotted away even when bunged over! My way, they cannot get wet. And I think they had 5200 50 years ago. I had rescrewed 25 years ago and most of the bronze screws were still ok.

I plan to coat the hull with 5200, so they will be sealed and easy to pull out in the future is needed. Too bad whole boat was not made my way years ago. The way it was built guaranteed total destruction in 20-30 years from date of manufacture.

 

[sdowney717]

Keel is in great shape. Most of the floors are good, although the bottom lower edge of one in the middle under the engine is turning to grease wood!
Picture further aft

Replacing 19 frames.

 

[sdowney717]

Like a reinforced wood wall. Original screw holes have short section of 1/2" Poplar dowel rod glued in, then sanded smooth.
When I drive them in, I predrill the plank, then run them on in. So far they are going into the oak ok

To make the dowel fillers, I scratch the rod end against coarse paper to create a slight bevel while rotatinf rod in my hand. Then slice off anout 3/8" of rod.
Those get glued into the original bung holes in these old planks.

The screws pull down nicely tight and have not split a single glued in dowel section. Poplar on end grain is a hard wood, The screw creates it's own recess. It is working real well.

 

[sdowney717]

I use a floor jack to press the planks up tight to the frames, or 10" C clamps sometimes.

Marine grade 316 polished 3" screws
I did snap one as I drove it 2 inches into oak without predrilling.
But they seem to drive ok and inch inro white oak with nor predrill.

Plank is 7/8" thick, rib frame is 1 1/8" thick leaves an inch into the oak floors.

I was impressed with how well the 316 screws held up over 20 years later even while getting wet with salt water, while many bronze screw disintegrated.

These won't get wet as I will seal up better. They can still get wet from bilge water on the inside low down, but will be a lot easier to swap out in 20 years near the keel, if anyone wants to do it.

The Poplar dowel ends stop the screw from digging in, but I could drive these screws right through these mahogany planks.