nails and roves

[maggier]

i am renewing a plank on my clinker boat, i have the nails and roves ready to do the job,my problem is i tried a tester job on 2 small planks but the roves dont grip the nails very well, when i pull on the 2 planks they come apart, any ideas?

 

[dansar]

Sounds like the roves are slightly too big for the nails.

You should have to tap the roves over the nails--fairly tight fit. Don't cut the nail too short above the rove--leave enough to rivet over the rove. You need 2 people.

Hope that helps. I'm not a qualified boat builder but I have put a few planks in over the years.

I do have a few copper nails and roves in my garage--if you're short send me a PM.

Regards

David

 

[Peterduck]

I agree with Dansar; the hole in the rove should be about the same size as the thickness of the nail across the flats, not from corner to corner. When you trim the end of the nail, leave the equivalent of about one nail's thickness sticking out of the rove. Using the ball head of a ball-pein hammer, round the end of the nail over, so that it spreads out over the rove, and the rove is SLIGHTY flattened. This latter feature makes the rove grip more tightly on the nail. With a good leverage, you might be able to pull one rove apart, but it would take Hercules to pull pieces fastened by two apart.
Peter.