Keel bolts

[Moz]

Hi,
i'm having trouble shifting my old keel bolts and wonder if anyone knows of any tricks to losen them so they can be dropped out. At the moment one or two are rusted solid and wont budge even after being whacked with a lump hammer.
Moz...

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[Deep_6]

Try http://www.woodenboat.com - I remember them doing an article on using a hydraulic car type jack with supports / blocks to remove keel bolts

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[Mike2822425]

Plan A.
It depends on the size of your boat and your location. Let us asume your boat is 30ft. long keel (at home). First you remove one keel bolt nut , then go into your nearest engineering firm, and ask for a bolt (about 4") and a nut (same thread). With these to hand you go home (if the boat is there) select your bolt to be removed, dig a 3ft. hole directly under the bolt. WD40 (or Parrafin) the bolt for 24hrs. Next using your new bolt and nut (half threaded onto the keel bolt and the bolt) beat shit out of it with the largest sledge hammer you can wield in the confined space!!

If you are lucky it will move without damaging the thread, and appear in the previously dug hole!

Plan "B".
If bolt does not move, puchase hole cutter "lets say 1" and weld it to a 1" pipe with with other fittings to allow "Black and Decker" Mark 1 to drill down the the outside off the bolt. (Then beat shit out of it.)

Keel bolts (wrought iron) and oak do not have a big problem but once you introduce a cast iron keel the probs. come in . I am not a scientist but (a wooden boat repairer) but at the point where the cast keel meets the oak framing degradation of the keel bolt is most prevalent.

Please feel free to email me at MTe2822425@aol.com

Good luck Mike.



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[Moz]

Hi folks,
thanks for the ideas. I actually managed to shift the bolts today and got your emails when I got home. Heres how I did it.
I removed the nuts then I drilled a hole into the top of each bolt, after this I inserted a nail punch into the hole and beat the shit out of them. This worked but the top of the bolt actually split on one of them so next time I will try the bolt and nut tecnique.
Thanks,
Moz........

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[Mike2822425]

Hi Moz,

What was the degradation factor of the bolt (or bolts) if you have 75% remaining of metal, bang it back in again and forget it, it will outlive most of us! Photograph the bolt before putting it back, your surveyor will like to see it! Be carefull with the sealant, traditional is good.

Be very carefull if you replace bolts. A stainless rod with nuts on both ends seems a way out BUT do you want your life to be "Hanging by a thread" thats not the way and wrought iron is hard to get hold of. If you live near a fishing port, go and find the man who sprays the metal on the metal kreels, the new bolts (mild steel) will last longer. Galvanising is "OUT" a waste of time and money, sacraficial anodes ect.

Mike.

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