I need advice on cooking pitch on deck

uma

uma

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Hi I have a 23 mts tugboat (1947 built) with wooden-onlay deck of swedish pine. It has original caulking of oakum and lead putty which needs replacing as water has gone in.
I have raked the seams and plan to put the oakum in. But I have problem about cooking tar.....i am using TBS glue
1. can i use any steel pot or does it have to be cast iron?
2. do i have to have cast iron ladle or can i use a long handle steel ladle?
3. there are few smaller planks which are rotten. Can i bed new planks in tar?


i cannot have the bitumen boiler on deck...
stern deck in steel so i can cook the glue there.....but concerned that it might cool by the time i reach the bow

Any advice would be helpful
 
Any steel pot will do, as will a steel ladle. Any rotten planks should be removed. New planks should be fastened , then caulked like the others.. As for cooling, move fast..but carefully.

That is a big old boat, any more details or photos? Where are you?
 
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Wansworth said:
Are you using Jefferies marine glue?
Click to expand...

Wansworth said:
Are you using Jefferies marine glue?
Click to expand...
No, I have gone for TBS glue.
I agree ideally i should put new screws. But the screws seem to come out of steel with nuts on top and wooden plugs. The rotten planks have come off with the screw and there is no hole in steel.
Hence the plan to bed them in the glue or lead putty whichever might be more economical.
Note: I have attached a picture. She is a converted swedish icebreaker.
I will attach more pictures of the deck tomorrow as all covered in tarp due to weather warning as i have raked the seams at the bow.
I was meant to do the decks few years ago but i got sick so had to let everything slide for few years.
I dont want to be judged :-) for the deck.
I have taken her to dry dock recently and her hull is good as gold
 

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Thanks for your reply regarding the steel ladle as i was stressing as tar ladle was 99 quid!!
 
Don’t think it’s any old ladle,it needs the right spout that guides the pitch in the slot cleanly,in youtube it shows the man moving backwards holding the ladle,a steady hand!
 
Wansworth said:
Don’t think it’s any old ladle,it needs the right spout that guides the pitch in the slot cleanly,in youtube it shows the man moving backwards holding the ladle,a steady hand!
Click to expand...
I agree. I did a traditional caulking course at Suffolk boat building college. But i don't have practical experience of boating years like most of u. I am just a houseboat owner.
 
Re the ladle, think I would take a small cooking pan and put it with its side on a slightly open bench vice, then use a hammer and cold chisel to form a V spout. Perhaps extend the handle a bit.
 
Thanks i will try and make a pouring ladle. I am in central London and its in Suffolk. I eBay - ed last year and got myself caulking irons and mallet. So i am good to go. I just need a week of dry weather. I need the new wood planks to arrive. The engineer who helped move boat to drydock has stolen some of my tools. He kept key and came while i was out of country. Had to threaten skipper and get key back. Only now realising missing jigsaw etc. Thankfully caulking irons are safe.
 
I have attached few pic of the bow after clearing seams and rotten planks. All comments are welcome. Be kind though:)
burgundyben said:
Crumbs!

I'd love to see more pics and more detail. Is there a running engine?
Click to expand...

burgundyben said:
Crumbs!

I'd love to see more pics and more detail. Is there a running engine?
Click to expand...

Thanks for ur interest.
Yes she has a working engine. She has a 7 piston Atlas polar (1 piston excluded) , a gardener's generator and a lister left hand start compressor. She has 685Hp engine. with little TLC she runs. I took her to ramsgate in 2009 and again in kent in 2018.

The pictorial details are available on flicker U B
And her background history can be read on Fuerza

Please ignore the hand drawn picture of layout as the flickr site was ment to be for a sale when i got sick. But i changed my mind and took her off market.
​
 
my progress so far
- i have raked the seam from bow to wheelhouse area. Worst part ever as small rotten planks and deck on a slope....
- ordered replacement planks. Thankfully blumson will cut them to size and with extra thrown in so i might have to cut only a few if necessary just to spped up the process as planks 1.5" thick
- Today it was raining on and off so covered it with tarp while i worked on a deck hatch to take off rust
-have sourced- wood, stove, regulator and asphalt bucket to haet TBS glue. Plan to put the steel plate of the hatch under the burner and cook it whereever i am using.

- I have also sourced a large cheap tarp and will make a tent to go across the bow by rigging a rope to the bow from base of wheel house where there are steel structures
-this should allow me to work in shade and tap the oakum with cotton at bottom
- Then i need one good day to pour pitch and will put the tarp back on for next 4-5 days for it to dry completely
- All ur interest has given me energy.
 
burgundyben said:
Fab pics on flicker.

Love the Gardner. What is the main engine?

She is a fine ship.
Click to expand...
Like i said " Atlas Polar" it was Scandinavian company which made engines in glasgow..... hence the manual is in english
She also has a variable pitch propeller - a " rolls royce " , 10th one hey ever built is what they said when the first engineer i employed in 2009 contacted them for servicing and they helped as they were happy it was working....post war, they shifted to plane propellers
 
dear all, thank you for all your help.
To keep you in the loop I have so far raked the seams from bow to wheel house. removed the rotten wood. I had sone wet rot and some dry rot. Some of it was inside the hard shell of surface wood which i had to cut using japanese hand saw as i was scared to use circular saw incase it jumps on steel or damage the adjacent plank. the wood is so hard chisel didnot work but the japanese hand saw worked beautifully.
Alsoi was able to source a iron ladle for 15 quid with 60cm handle. I might be able to heat it directly too.
Also i didnt have to pay 80 quid for a rake from tekdeck systems. I used a wilkinson garden rake for 7 quid and it did the job beautifully.

I do have a question....
I have redo lot of wooden plugs. I am not sure if i am supposed to do them first or the seams first. Does it matter?
They are 1.5"/40mm wide and 12/1.5cm size wooden plugs. would i loosen them if i did them first and started raking and tapping the oakum in seams?
Please advice....
I will update few pics tonight as sun out today and want to clean up so i can start the oakum job tomorrow
 
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