removing fasteners

[monkey_trousers]

while I'm at re-puttying the odd seam, I've decided (well, I might change my mind) to sort a couple of fasteners out. The wood is sound but the fasteners are rusting, the Galv has long gone.

whats the best way of getting the things out without damaging the wood??

I thought maybe drill them out and use bigger fasteners in the hole??

or should I just putty over the top where they pushed the old putty and paint off and pretend they're all ok for a bit!

 

[pyrojames]

There isn't any easy way. If there are just rusting, and still sound, you have the option of pulling them reasonably clean, drilling the hoel size up and replacing. If they are so rusted that they are wasting, you will need to pull them and drill and replace. The problem is if they break off.... No easy solution to that one.

 

[old_salt]

This subject has some previous posts have a look:-.
click here.

 

[nmiller]

Try this.
Center pot the head, a good smack will help break the rust key. Then drill to accept a strong self tapping screw. With the screw set in the hole in the nail you then use your claw hammer under the head of the self tapper to pull the nail. Not tried it yet, but have been recommended as a reliable method.
Nick

 

[Peterduck]

Are the fasteners screws or nails? The big headache with any ferrous fasteners is that when iron rusts, the rust occupies roughly 8 times the volume of the iron. It causes enormous pressure on the surrounding wood, which being a nice, friendly material gives way, ensuring that the hole is bigger anyway. If you have screws, you might try the sharp rap to break the bond of the rust and then backing the screw out if it isn't rusted too much. Otherwise, you are faced with going over the fasteners with the smallest hole saw that you can get and gluing a bung in the resultant hole after removing the fastener. A pure swine of a job. I could think homicidal thoughts about people who use ferrous fastenings on boats, even galvanised ones, because the galvanising doesn't last as long as everything else.
Peter.

 

[monkey_trousers]

galved nails/spikes once upon a time I suspect peter, but rusting nicely now and blowing the paint and putty off the top as they bid for freedom!

soon as if cleaned one up I knew I was not in for an easy ride. one in particular is right at the plank end against the stem and the plank has suffered, but hopefully there'll be enough left when I get the little [--word removed--] out to make re-fastening reasonably secure.

as for removal, had an idea to try an make a puller for them, I've a few old 3 gear pullers from my motorcycling days, was thinking of trying to weld a small 'claw' on the end of the centre, then try work this under the head, assemble the puller and use spanner to wind it out. Great Idea, but then realised I bet the fastener will snap every time


as for replacement... don't even want to think about the price of bronze fasteners the size of these boys! any suggestions

 

[Peterduck]

You're going to have so many of these things to do that it would be worth your while to get a device made up to pull them. I imagine a tubular device with 'jaws' on the inside, split into four so that the jaws will go over the head of the spike, and then the whole things is held closed by a collar which slides down close to the business end. The top end would have to have a head so that you could get the fork of a wrecking bar/jemmy around it and heave. You're dead right about the cost of bronze, but copper rivets might be cheaper and certainly come in some big sizes. Alternatively, trunnels are still a valid way to fasten a boat, and last the life of the boat. A replica of an 18th C sloop built recently in Tasmania is completely trunnel-fastened; a beautiful bit of work, and a joy to behold.
Peter.

 

[ccscott49]

The drilling the end is a good idea, however self tapping screws is not a good idea, they break! Tap a thread in the end of the fastener, make up a simple tube screw puller, and then screw in the bolt into the end of the fastener and wind them out with a nut on the end of the tube, I've seen literally hundreds of rusty fastenings in an old Herd and McKenzie done this way. Bite the bullet and replace with bronze, you wont regret it.