'Oles in oak timbers

[Casey]

\'Oles in oak timbers

I have just taken the wobbly chart table out of Kala Sona and found that some supports were nailed into the frames of the boat and some were screwed. It has been my understanding that one does not make any sort of hole in the ribs of a wooden boat and one should never use ordinary wire nails under any circumstances. Am I correct in assuming this?

Should I now plug the screw holes in the oak frames with oak plugs or can I use epoxy? Can I use the ribs in any way to support the chart table? What can I do with the nails that have snapped off leaving me with rusty metal bits in the timber?

As usual, your advice would be gratefully received.

 

[chippie]

Re: \'Oles in oak timbers

In my opinion, I think epoxy would be the easiest solution, a proper plug would take out too much wood.( or were you meaning a glued sliver ? that wouldnt have the correct grain orientation anyway.) If the rust marks havent gone too far into the timber would it be possible to punch the remains of the nails slightly further in and then fill the hole?

If the rust stain is too large you would have to remove some timber and glue some new in its place. In that case probably better to leave it and see it as part of the history of the boat. If you go with the epoxy, a wipe of the area with acetone should help the epoxy stick better.

good luck

 

[Mirelle]

Re: \'Oles in oak timbers

Been there, done that thing...

The WHOLE of Mirelle's original 1930's internal joinery was wax polished oak - assembled on unpainted, un-planed, pine carcassing with ordinary wire nails, banged in at random. (i.e. - by that stage in the building the yard knew they were losing money on the boat!)

By the late 1980's it was all sliding, almost imperceptibly, into the bilges...

Get the residues of the nails out as well as you can, ideally assemble the new furniture onto cleats on bulkheads, bunk fronts and planking. In our case its easy as we have grown frames as well as steamed.

 

[Gunfleet]

Re: \'Oles in oak timbers

Who was it said 'he's using steamed frames, and him a Methodist'? It's always tickled me.