Renovating laminated wooden tiller

[Refueler]

I'm a fan of le Tonkinois for that soert of application. It's very UV resistant, and has the advantage that, if damaged, it doesn't peel off the wood like varnish - just rub the damage down, dry off the wood and apply a few coats. Looks good, too, with a high gloss, but non-slip finish.

We cannot get LT or Burgess here ... but we have various forms under name of Pinotex and others that similar ... designed primarily for decking / fences / other woodwork that needs protection from elements, but without creating the 'varnish skin'.

In fact I am using Pinotek Teak to bring up my teak woodwork now ...

BUT its well to remember that traditional one pot varnish can do similar if used in the old way :

Sand back the wood to smooth final finish.
Mix varnish and spirit in a ratio of 20% varnish ... 80% spirit ...
Using decent cloth ... WIPE the solution onto the wood.
This raises the grain and any 'hairs' ..... sand back ...
Do this repeatedly until grain raises no more (sanding between).
Now start to increase the amount of varnish to spirit ... still using cloth to wipe it on.
Sand between EVERY coat ...
Final coat can be 50% varnish 50% spirit for a 'skinless' matt more natural wood finish ...
Or increase varnish % to achieve the finish desired ... the more varnish - the glossier and more 'skin' results.

Done correctly - it can last years ......

 

[[193211]]

Key the mating surfaces of the laminates, if using epoxy. Gently warm the resin before adding hardener if you’re concerned about penetration. Consider warming the substrate before application. Avoid heat after mixing.

I used one part poly (Compass?) as it’s pretty durable and not too fussy. Bed all your fittings properly and consider an epoxy bush for the head fixings.

A canvas cover over everything is a sound plan and dead easy to make.

 

[eddystone]

Don’t know if you can see from photo but only place I get delamination is in the middle of the rounded bulb at the end and the tapered “cheeks” where it thickens up for the bracket.
10mm seems a very big hole to inject resin but I think I can see the point of inserting a (hardwood?) dowel

 

[Seashoreman]

There don't seem to be many options for getting a new wooden tiller made and even less for something made exactly to the shape I want so for the time being i'm planning to do a deeper renovation of my existing tiller than I've done previously. It's a really nice tiller (in my humble opinion) but it tends to delaminate in a couple of places and the varnish has flaked off where additional coats have been applied very well. Last time I added so much varnish in the vicinity of the bracket that wrestling it back in made it worse than before I started. So I intend to try to sand it back to bare wood, scrape out where there is a gap in layers and glue and clamp. It does seem very solid so I'm not worried it's going to break and I have an old spare tiller anyway.

Any tips on:
- fixing localised delamination
- best varnish to use, particularly in UV resistance

I know this guy Hurst Marine has stock laminated tillers for Leisure Boats but maybe drop him an email
and he could point you in the right direction?
Repair and replacement parts for most Leisure yachts

 

[eddystone]

Just a follow up question. Having stripped the tiller back to bare wood I'm impressed that my previous repairs with epoxy are still sound, but there is one feathered strip on the side of the main laminated structure that I need to get som resin into. Is it OK to use use acetone on bare wood to clean off excess epoxy (West 105) bearing in mind Le Tonkinois doesn't go over cured epoxy very well?

 

[vyv_cox]

Just a follow up question. Having stripped the tiller back to bare wood I'm impressed that my previous repairs with epoxy are still sound, but there is one feathered strip on the side of the main laminated structure that I need to get som resin into. Is it OK to use use acetone on bare wood to clean off excess epoxy (West 105) bearing in mind Le Tonkinois doesn't go over cured epoxy very well?

Cured epoxy is inert to just about everything, which includes acetone. You will need to abrade it off.

 

[eddystone]

Cured epoxy is inert to just about everything, which includes acetone. You will need to abrade it off.

Sorry I meant cleaning excess off surrounding wood whilst its still wet - or will white spirit do that?

 

[Tranona]

Suggest you mask off the areas around the split you want to keep clean.

 

[vyv_cox]

Sorry I meant cleaning excess off surrounding wood whilst its still wet - or will white spirit do that?

Alcohol, i.e. methylated spirits, removes uncured epoxy.

 

[Refueler]

Alcohol, i.e. methylated spirits, removes uncured epoxy.

I was going to mention Meths before - but thought better of it ...

Its an old trick to thin epoxy to use with glass bandage if you don't have laminating epoxy ... but it ruins the strength factor. And you often get a colour change ....

 

[rogerthebodger]

I was going to mention Meths before - but thought better of it ...

Its an old trick to thin epoxy to use with glass bandage if you don't have laminating epoxy ... but it ruins the strength factor. And you often get a colour change ....

Meths was also stated by OldSaltOZ as a means of thinning Epoxy to allow the epoxy to penetrate wood of ferrocement boats

 

[Refueler]

Meths was also stated by OldSaltOZ as a means of thinning Epoxy to allow the epoxy to penetrate wood of ferrocement boats

OK ... didn't notice ..

 

[[193211]]

As mentioned above, mask off well and wipe away any excess. Don’t get any tape in the joint or it will be staying there. Golden rule is to clean up as best you can before it curing. Avoid complicating things with solvents.

 

[thinwater]

Meths will 'dilute' epoxy - but it breaks the chemical chain of the resin - creating a less strong final set. Its better to use heat to thin and still retain its strength.

This. Even 5% will weaken the glue 30-50%. West Marine published on this. By 50% solvent it is weaker than caulk and never hardens.

Penetrating epoxy is about 5x weaker than conventional epoxies.

The best bet is very slow hardener epoxy and warm conditions. Warm the wood through, not too much, before applying. Heating on the outside, with a cold inside, will just make it go off before it soaks in.

 

[Refueler]

This. Even 5% will weaken the glue 30-50%. West Marine published on this. By 50% solvent it is weaker than caulk and never hardens.

Penetrating epoxy is about 5x weaker than conventional epoxies.

The best bet is very slow hardener epoxy and warm conditions. Warm the wood through, not too much, before applying. Heating on the outside, with a cold inside, will just make it go off before it soaks in.

I used to repair Carbon Fibre tubes by epoxy .. standard Araldite type epoxy .. 30min version.

Mix and spread along the tube exterior with lollypop stick ... where splits were ...

Take hair dryer and waft over to heat and get epoxy to soak in ... then bind with clear tape to give smooth surface before epoxy sets. Leave to set .. remove tape.

The heat does 2 things .. thins the resin to soak in - but also speeds up the setting ... 30min epoxy could set in 15 with that ...

 

[vyv_cox]

This. Even 5% will weaken the glue 30-50%. West Marine published on this. By 50% solvent it is weaker than caulk and never hardens.

Penetrating epoxy is about 5x weaker than conventional epoxies.

The best bet is very slow hardener epoxy and warm conditions. Warm the wood through, not too much, before applying. Heating on the outside, with a cold inside, will just make it go off before it soaks in.

The OP is not trying to dilute or improve penetration, he simply wants to wash/wipe off the epoxy.