Boxing round chainplates

[Billyo]

As I fill time while I wait for my new engine to be delivered I've decided to pull, inspect and refit my chainplates.

Ive worked through some of them, in essence the low hangin fruit, and now need to open up some built in wooden boxing. I can't see any way to pull the pins holding the boxing together without ruining it, is there a tool/tried and tested technique, or do I just have to accept that I will be buying a whole load of new teak?

 

[Hydrozoan]

I imagine that methods of ‘boxing-in’ chainplates internally will vary hugely from boat to boat. Perhaps you should explain a little more about the ‘pins’ to which you refer – possibly with a photograph? If they are wooden pins which have been cut flush to the boxing, drilling out and replacing with slightly larger pins may be an option.

(My own chainplate covers were panels of teak-faced ply held in a teak frame, secured by screws. The panels were somewhat difficult to remove because they were not very flexible, yet had to be bent to clear both the frames and adjacent lockers and fiddle rails. Replacing them with panels of a more flexible plastic, covered with the main upholstery fabric and held in place with Velcro, proved to be an elegant and relatively simple solution readily allowing future chainplate inspection.)

 

[vyv_cox]

Best way to remove teak plugs is to drill a small hole in the centre, drive in a self tapper that contacts the screw beneath and pushes the plug out. Chandleries sell replacement plugs or you can buy a tool to make your own.

 

[macd]

Best way to remove teak plugs is to drill a small hole in the centre, drive in a self tapper that contacts the screw beneath and pushes the plug out.

+1. Works wonderfully well, sometimes, Vyv. Less so if the plugs are glued, but usually gives a start for rooting out the remains of the plug without damaging the surrounding wood.

 

[vyv_cox]

+1. Works wonderfully well, sometimes, Vyv. Less so if the plugs are glued, but usually gives a start for rooting out the remains of the plug without damaging the surrounding wood.

I understand that when done professionally the plugs are stuck in with varnish. I guess that gives just enough 'stick' without too much.

 

[Cockaigne]

As I fill time while I wait for my new engine to be delivered I've decided to pull, inspect and refit my chainplates.

Ive worked through some of them, in essence the low hangin fruit, and now need to open up some built in wooden boxing. I can't see any way to pull the pins holding the boxing together without ruining it, is there a tool/tried and tested technique, or do I just have to accept that I will be buying a whole load of new teak?

If the 'boxing' is only held together with panel pins and no glue, rather than trying to pull them out and making a mess, consider knocking them through with a pin punch.

 

[Hydrozoan]

In some traditional furniture, wooden pins were used instead of screws and if glued in and inaccessible from behind simply have to be drilled out. Perhaps that is never done with internal boat joinery, but without further information the OP’s reference to ‘... pins holding the boxing together ...’ is more suggestive to me of that than of chunkier teak covering plugs.

 

[Tranona]

I understand that when done professionally the plugs are stuck in with varnish. I guess that gives just enough 'stick' without too much.

Two schools of thought on that one inevitably. You can argue either way, but if finishing bright then i would prefer to glue. However, to remove I usually drill a pilot hole and then use a 1mm smaller wood drill with a centring pin to drill out the plug. Removing the screw usually cleans up the hole as the head invariably touches the side.

 

[Billyo]

Hi all

Thank you for the responses. alas I'm not looking at plugs but actual pins. Two photos attached to show what I mean.

 

[Hydrozoan]

Hi all

Thank you for the responses. alas I'm not looking at plugs but actual pins. Two photos attached to show what I mean.

View attachment 71600
View attachment 71599

So they are metal pins, and not concealed with wooden plugs? If so, I guess you may have to drill a ring around them to extract them, and then re-fit with screws - visibly, with cups, or with wooden plugs if you are not concerned to make them easily removable.

 

[Tranona]

Suspect that whole assembly is glued together and the panel pins are there just to hold it together while the glue cures. not very helpful for access

 

[Billyo]

Oh joy! I'll try some non destructive deconstruction in the next couple of days......

 

[Cockaigne]

Before you start breaking apart the boxing, have you investigated how it is attached to the hull to see if it can be removed in one piece?