Panel Pin Removal

[robertager1962]

Hi All

I wonder if I can ask your collective advice please? I bought an old Trinka Dinghy (the US built Fibreglass sailing dinghy, not the inflatable Tinka)

The boat is beautifully built with teak gun-whales although she has been pretty neglected and I am renovating her.
She has a bomb proof rubbing band that is covered in a sturdy canvas material that was stapled into the teak using S/S staples that were starting to pull out and are lethal to hands. I have removed these and replaced them with panel pins (probably about 200 in all) . I now discover that what I been told by our nearby Spanish chandlery were stainless pins are in fact normal steel pins - aaaargh!!!! Some are already starting to show signs of rust already (within about 2 weeks of installing them.)

I have three options I think;
1: Try and remove them and replace them with stainless pins.
2: Drive them into the wood.
3: Varnish the heads

Can I ask your thoughts on what would be best. Obviously it would be preferable to remove them but I am not sure whether I will be able to do this without damaging the wood. Also if decide to drive them in, will they eventually rust inside the wood and split it.

I am currently living on my boat in Northern Spain at the moment so have not got access to workshop facilities.

Any advice would be very gratefully received.

 

[tidclacy]

Bit of a pain but you will always worry about them so replace

 

[Poignard]

1. If you could drive them right through that would be OK provided they are being driven through timber only and not GRP.

2. You could drive them further in and plug the holes with epoxy.

3 You could extract them using a small nail puller Zoro UK - Experts in Hand Tools, Power Tools and PPE but that will damage a small area around each nail which will have to be patched up. However, if you are recovering with canvas that won't show.

 

[Wansworth]

Whereabouts in northern Spain,just out of interest!

 

[robertager1962]

Whereabouts in northern Spain,just out of interest!

A Coruna (very wet and stormy at the moment.)

 

[robertager1962]

Thanks for your replies and I know that you are right, I will only worry about them. When it eventually stops raining here I will attempt to remove them and replace with S/S pins that are on order. I think that before using these SS pins, I will leave them in a saucer of sea water for a few days to make sure they are what they say they are. Trouble is with teak is that the existing pins are going to be so difficult to remove. I looked at the nail puller Poignard and it does look a bit of a demon (I love tools) but I think that I am going to grind a slot in a flat headed screwdriver and see if I can get just enough under the head to get a little leverage. the pins were quite small (10mm) so I am cautiously hopeful. Great little boat that will sit nicely on the Davits and am looking forward to sailing it when we get down to the Rias in spring (although my 11 year son does seem to think I bought it for him.)

 

[Wansworth]

Ah. Not far from you,watch out Saturday a big storm arriving,another ‘named’ one

 

[RobinBirch]

Just a thought....if the rough and tumble of dinghy use resulted in the band pulling out the stainless staples are you sure that 'pins' are up to the job?

 

[Poignard]

Panel pins, with their small heads, seem an odd way to attach canvas to timber. Is the OP certain that's what they are?

 

[robertager1962]

Ah. Not far from you,watch out Saturday a big storm arriving,another ‘named’ one

Oh dear, another one! Was like armagedon yesterday morning, 40 knot gusts, rain like bullets and lightning to boot. I know as I had to rescue one of our window covers in my pyjamas. Where are you?

 

[robertager1962]

Panel pins, with their small heads, seem an odd way to attach canvas to timber. Is the OP certain that's what they are?

View attachment 82648

Yes it is actually a very dense weave canvas and seems to work quite nicely. Just out of interest though, how would you do it as I am still open to suggestions.

 

[RobinBirch]

I'd be thinking more along the lines of screws and cup washers, either silicon bronze or stainless steel and bed the band on a bead of polymer sealant.

 

[Poignard]

Yes it is actually a very dense weave canvas and seems to work quite nicely. Just out of interest though, how would you do it as I am still open to suggestions.

I'm not sure I really understand what it is you have there. Is it like this?



But don't see why you would want to cover up fine teak gunwhales with canvas.

What I would do is to varnish them and perhaps fit a rope all round:

 

[Poignard]

I'd be thinking more along the lines of screws and cup washers, either silicon bronze or stainless steel and bed the band on a bead of polymer sealant.

Like this?

 

[robertager1962]

Just a thought....if the rough and tumble of dinghy use resulted in the band pulling out the stainless staples are you sure that 'pins' are up to the job?

The dinghy had been very neglected and appeared to have had been left chained to a mooring bouy as it had been antifouled and was covered in tube worm cases. It is difficult to know how the staples had pulled out but I think it was more a case of lack of care than wear and tear. Hopefully it has now found a loving home..I drove right across Spain to collect it (long story). As we live aboard my beef has always getting to somewhere beautiful and then not being able to go out for a sail as the mothership is all snugged down and the crew don't want to shift from their books/electronics. I can at least drop the dinghy in and head off for a sail.

 

[robertager1962]

I'm not sure I really understand what it is you have there. Is it like this?
View attachment 82652


But don't see why you would want to cover up fine teak gunwhales with canvas.

What I would do is to varnish them and perhaps fit a rope all round:
View attachment 82651

These look beautiful! The Trinka is already fitted with a fender protector similar to Gunwhale Guard (which looks great but would imagine would be very expensive.)
I think the suggestion of the SS screws and cups is probably going to be the correct answer and I may take this route (I should have thought of this earlier) .
Ignore the blush of the hull. I have cleaned and waxed it but it still looks a little tatty. If I was at home and had my workshop I would have bitten the bullet and given her a 2 coat epoxy paint finish.

 

[Poignard]

That looks like the sort of thing you might make from a length of discarded fire-hose.

I think Robin Birch's suggestion of woodscrews and cup washers would be the most reliable method of fixing.

But if you use bronze screws (and cup washers, if you can get them) they will soon tarnish nicely and not be as noticeable as s/s.

Marine Fasteners - Anglia Stainless LTD

Anyway, I'm sure she will look nice when she's finished.

 

[Wansworth]

Oh dear, another one! Was like armagedon yesterday morning, 40 knot gusts, rain like bullets and lightning to boot. I know as I had to rescue one of our window covers in my pyjamas. Where are you?

Up country in

 

[tidclacy]

Yes Bronze is the way to go, fit and forget

 

[maggietwo]

how about cutting the pin out using a small plug cutter and the plug the hole with teak plugs and pin further along.