Mirelle
N/A
The month is October; your topsides still gleam
With never a brushmark or sign of a seam.
Pray tell me, just how do you do it?
With never a brushmark or sign of a seam.
Pray tell me, just how do you do it?
A question for Kestrel:
- Thread starter Mirelle
- Start date
chinita
Well-Known Member
Well, I am waiting for the answer as well!
Mirelle
N/A
I was walking along the sea wall above Woodbridge on Saturday past Mel Skeet's yard and fell into conversation with the owners of "Wind Song", (Maurice Griffiths' very first design, nicely restored by them) and next to her in the yard was "Kestrel", not showing a seam or a brushmark!
Nice new rudder, too!
Nice new rudder, too!
ccscott49
Well-Known Member
Is she splined?
Mirelle
N/A
"Chapeau" to Kestrel, if so.
kestrel1891
Member
ccscott49 guessed correctly!
When I obtained Kestrel she was glass sheathed. Once removed the teak planking beneath was in generally saveable condition except for the seams which varied from 1/2" wide and parellel through nothing. The options were either to replank, in which case I would have been left with a Victorian tiller on a brand new boat, or spline it. Since I'd already sucessfully re-splined the topsides of a Twister this seemed the best course. A long job and hardwork, but she doesn't leak! All the rumours of planks swelling and breaking timbers were unfounded.
The answer to the paint finish is a lot more simple. Ordinary Dulux trade with a dash of Owatrol. £10 a litre and available in any colour (Kestrel is Almond white as brilliant white looks a bit too modern to my eye). Does anyone know the real difference between 'marine' paint and the ordinary? I suspect it's the tin and the price.
The rudder was new this year. It transformed the boat! (partly) The considerable weather helm disappeared, but only on port tack. The old one was the traditional 'b' shape but for the new I copied modern designs and gave it a very long, straight and fine trailing edge. I guess the water flow sticks to it far better than the old as with the propeller on the port quarter the flow onto it on starboard tack will be disturbed, hence the prevailing starboard tack weather helm. A folding propeller and more underwater surgery required.
When I obtained Kestrel she was glass sheathed. Once removed the teak planking beneath was in generally saveable condition except for the seams which varied from 1/2" wide and parellel through nothing. The options were either to replank, in which case I would have been left with a Victorian tiller on a brand new boat, or spline it. Since I'd already sucessfully re-splined the topsides of a Twister this seemed the best course. A long job and hardwork, but she doesn't leak! All the rumours of planks swelling and breaking timbers were unfounded.
The answer to the paint finish is a lot more simple. Ordinary Dulux trade with a dash of Owatrol. £10 a litre and available in any colour (Kestrel is Almond white as brilliant white looks a bit too modern to my eye). Does anyone know the real difference between 'marine' paint and the ordinary? I suspect it's the tin and the price.
The rudder was new this year. It transformed the boat! (partly) The considerable weather helm disappeared, but only on port tack. The old one was the traditional 'b' shape but for the new I copied modern designs and gave it a very long, straight and fine trailing edge. I guess the water flow sticks to it far better than the old as with the propeller on the port quarter the flow onto it on starboard tack will be disturbed, hence the prevailing starboard tack weather helm. A folding propeller and more underwater surgery required.
Mirelle
N/A
Thanks.
Would you consider giving splining lessons?
Now thinking of copying your rudder, too...
Would you consider giving splining lessons?
Now thinking of copying your rudder, too...
harvey
Well-Known Member
Any chance of a photo of your new rudder please?
John
John
Sniper
Well-Known Member
reference the splining lessons; what's the safest way of removing the old splines? I've got a few more to do this winter and am resigned to getting them out rather than trying to stick the existing ones back in place.
kestrel1891
Member
Afraid I don't do digital, still trying to understand analogue. Hopefully a verbal description will suffice.
THe stern post is angled at around 15°? to the vertical and the trailing edge is parallel. The bottom edge is just an extension to the keel line whilst the top edge starts at the water line and angles down at around 20°. The profile is a straight taper from the width of the stern post to nothing at the trailing edge.
It doesn't look very elegant but it works. As I said before it's based on all the modern designs that hang off horrible plastic objects.
Perhaps I should get a camera
THe stern post is angled at around 15°? to the vertical and the trailing edge is parallel. The bottom edge is just an extension to the keel line whilst the top edge starts at the water line and angles down at around 20°. The profile is a straight taper from the width of the stern post to nothing at the trailing edge.
It doesn't look very elegant but it works. As I said before it's based on all the modern designs that hang off horrible plastic objects.
Perhaps I should get a camera
kestrel1891
Member
Not sure about the lessons, but this is how I removed existing splines.
I guess your splines were held in with a urea formaldehyde glue with a limited life, typical of the 1960's. In the same situation I routed them out with a 6 mm cutter to give a clean surface to epoxy in the new. The only way I could be sure of accurately controling the router was to screw battens to the hull both above and below the seam. You end up with a lot of holes but that's better than a wobbly seam or worse still a plank routed in two. I used a depth of around 2/3's the plank thickness.
I guess your splines were held in with a urea formaldehyde glue with a limited life, typical of the 1960's. In the same situation I routed them out with a 6 mm cutter to give a clean surface to epoxy in the new. The only way I could be sure of accurately controling the router was to screw battens to the hull both above and below the seam. You end up with a lot of holes but that's better than a wobbly seam or worse still a plank routed in two. I used a depth of around 2/3's the plank thickness.
Sniper
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the information; I rather imagined it would something along those lines. What sort of centres did you find it necessary to place the screws, to avoid the batten moving about?
kestrel1891
Member
Can't really remember - too long ago.
Guess it would depend on the stiffness of the batten although as a rule I think more screws rather than less. When you're trying to push in a thin flexible piece of wood liberally covered in epoxy a clean straight seam can make all the difference.
Guess it would depend on the stiffness of the batten although as a rule I think more screws rather than less. When you're trying to push in a thin flexible piece of wood liberally covered in epoxy a clean straight seam can make all the difference.
harvey
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that...if I close my eyes.....!
