After a busy summer of work and boating, I decided to launch into yet another wood project on the boat this fall. Winter has shut down progress for now but thought I would post some pics.
I don't know the correct nomenclature of the teak "face" I'm replacing but its the flat, 2-1/4" wide section that is framed on top by the rail cap and a matching lower bullnose. From the pic you can see that the original wood was pretty far gone: checks/splits, screw heads pulled through, paper thin plug faces.
Based on its condition I decided to remove it a year and a half ago while refinishing the rail cap to allow access to clean and finish all the way under the bullnose. The plan was to save it as a template....it came up in 10-15" pieces. The only useful pieces were the corner miter joints.
I had plenty of Qtr sawn Afromosia left over from replacing the FB rail cap so the main quandary was how to attach the new wood. Countersinking a few hundred screws into 3/8" thick material and then covering with bungs didn't make sense so I opted to use epoxy.
Templates were made from door skin material and the patters roughed out on a band saw. The top and bottom edges were chamfered to minimize the sanding required. Once sanded to fit, each piece received two coats of laminating epoxy and was block sanded smooth.
A large forstner bit was used to bore out a clean bonding point for the epoxy about every 6". I elected to use Total Boat "FlexEpox" thickened with silica.
I'm pleased with the results so far. I was able to get 2/3 of the port side applied and sealed with 2 coats of varnish before the daily temps dropped.
And, you really cannot have too many clamps. I've even had to make special-purpose clamps and clamping jigs. (Note the wood-blocks-and-drywall screw clamps on the left.) Push sticks or wedges are good, too, if you have a place against which to push. (The push-against place has to be stiff or it's pretty annoying; the jig I made for laminating the FD stem was tied down and hung in the centerboard trunk; back and forth tightening wedges.) I've even used Spanish windlasses.
You really should have bought a wooden boat, your talents are not fully exploited by a plastic boat. Very nice indeed. Your patience is what I lack to ever have wood on the outside again.
Actually, I'm overwhelmed. That is magnificent work, I think I need to go and lie down.
__________________
Don't believe everything that you think.
TG, it's odd. There is gelcoat from the stern forward to where the rail cap turns up to the flat section that continues to the bow. From there, the FG is bare.
I performed an adhesion test on both sections and could tell that there was still enough release agent on the surfaces to compromise the bonding. That was part of the motivation to bore into fresh material along with minimizing the squeeze out.
And a walnut face . When the grand kids were little they wouldn't sit at this end of the table because of the "wolf ". I never noticed it till they pointed it out.
Very interesting and nice work! My 1977 34 doesn't have that style of 'face' as shown in this shot with my rub rail removed last year. With the rubrail off, the hull-cap joint is revealed.
__________________ My boat is my ark. It's my mobile treehouse and my floating fishing cabin. It's my retreat and my respite. Everyday I thank God I have a boat! -Al FJB
Very interesting and nice work! My 1977 34 doesn't have that style of 'face' as shown in this shot with my rub rail removed last year. With the rubrail off, the hull-cap joint is revealed.
Very nice boat Al, and I love the design of the hull.
What type of Varnish? I have tried a few, and none hold up after a Alaska winter.
Mu teak is bare now, thinking of oil..
I'm using System Three gloss spar over S3 laminating epoxy on the face. I think the key to making the finish last is keeping the moisture from getting under the varnish, hence two coats of epoxy as a base. I've used this layup on all of the teak that has been refinished or replace so far.
As a test (partially driven by time constraints), the lower bullnose received 4 coats of McLosky's satin spar varnish without any epoxy under coat. This varnish has a very high oil content, brushes out nicely and seems to stay very flexible after drying. It will be interesting to see how it lasts compared to the other layup.
We're exposed to the elements 24/7. The teak finished with the epoxy+ varnish nearly two years ago has started to show hazing of the gloss varnish but no peeling. So...the cap rail and toe rail will get a scuff and recoat this spring/summer. Just in time!...I was running out of things to do on the boat.
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