little holes - do I use trenails

[lesweeks]

Having stripped off all the paint to reveal the 100 year old pitch pine planking I have found several places where there is a vertical row of small holes, three or four of them each 2 or 3 planks apart and about 3/16" dia. Each with a sharpened wooden peg hammered in but as the planks have dried these pegs now easily push out.
So the questions are .......
Why are they there in the first place (the holes that is)?
Are the pegs what are called trenails?
Should I replace them with new pegs or, (my probable course of action), slightly countersink the holes on the exterior side and fill with epoxy and fair off?

 

[sarabande]

though it is a racing certainty we have more expertise on this forum than any other, have you tried a search on

http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/

?

 

[Seanick]

The little pegs are called sprigs.
just replace with same, though slightly larger.
Youy may dip them in a little glue to help them stay in, but is not really nessecery.
If you had not let the planking dry they would probably have stayed tight.
Nio epoxy required-it will sand differntly and may show throgh the paint in the long run.
'Sprigging' is the correct method for filling old fastening holes.
Machine up quarter square stock, same as plank material, and whittle a point on the end. Tap in until firm.
Now, look at your next hole to fill, and with the last sprig held nicely in its new hole, use a sharp chisel to form another point. Break off when its nearly at a point, and dip in the glue and move on.
Afterm a few thousand you may start to enjoy the process.

Trenails are completely different. They join two pieces of wood together, are made from selected timber, and have flared ends which are wedged open by a small...wedge.

 

[lesweeks]

Perfect, thank you.
Les