Center Lines Bolts

[gaffer61]

As you may have gathered from my bedding compound post I am about to bolt together all my center line timbers. I Have worked out all my bolt positions except the the lowest stern post bolt which won't pass through the stern post and the two knees without fouling the other knee bolts which pass down through the keel. I have considered using a blind bolt drilling through the stern post and part way into the knee and then chiseling a pocket for the nut and washer. My concern about this is that once the planking was completed the nut in the pocket would then become inaccessible and this as far as I can gather could be bad news if bolts needed to be removed latter. As an alternative I plan to drill a 10mm hole through the stern post and part way into the knee, some 200mm, and then drill this same hole out to 1/2" except for the last 150mm. Putting a 125mm of thread one end of the 1/2" bronze rod I am using for the bolts and enough thread on the other end for a nut, the length of rod being 25mm shorter than the hole drilled. Then tapping the rod in until it meets the smaller diameter hole and then winding the bolt home with a spanner thereby taping into the smaller hole and pulling the stern post tightly up to the knee. The timber in question is opepe. Can anybody see any problems with this method of bolting?

 

[Peterduck]

An easier way of putting a nut at the bottom of a blind hole is to use a pommel. This is a length of round section rod of similar material to the bolt, but much larger in diameter. It is drilled and tapped for the bolt along the diameter, and in the middle of its length. It is placed in a hole of the appropriate diameter bored transversely through the knee, and functions as a nut. As you refer to 1/2inch bolts, I would go for say a 7/8inch or even 1 inch pommel. Bronze of this diameter is sold by bearing supply companies to be made into bushes. If the bolt and pommel are both liberally coated with lanolin before installation, they should be easy to remove later on. Like beeswax, lanolin has a good coefficient of friction, so that the bolt won't come out of the pommel too easily.
Peter.

 

[ccscott49]

I think this is the best way and most elelgant.

 

[gaffer61]

Thanks PeterDuck, I agree your suggestion does look a much better solution.