Rusting Nail Heads

[May]

Would any one be able to help with a possible problem , I am about to buy a boat with Carvel Maghogany7/8'' planking on oak steamed timbers, at 3' centres are heavy sawn oak frames these frames are fastened with large headed iron nails approx 5/8 to 3/4'' in size, 1 per plank per frame, they (the Heads) are starting to rust and poping out the putty / filler, when scratched to remove rust with knife it is a very light coatinggoing to solid metal very quickly. What I need to know is how to stop rust showing through to the new paint work can one epoxy nail head to seal it ,will rust still come through ! The nails are to good to think about pulling to replace ! any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!! Thanks a million look forward to your replys

 

[Seanick]

Did this on several thousand nail heads, and have 3 failiures so far.
Remove old putty/stopping. using a narrow cold chisel, chip away rust flakes. Next, go in with a small wire brush on a drill and remove more rust, debris and surrounding soft timber. Mix up some epoxy resin, and brush into the holes. Return to the first and warm the resin with a hot air gun. This will make it quite runny and should penetrate a little further. Go over all the other nail heads in this manner, adding extra resin where required. When the resin starts to harden, either dowel the holes or add microlight or low density filler to the resin and fill.

 

[ccscott49]

I reckon Seanicks' method is as good as any, you will never completely stop an iron fastened hull weeping, they all do eventually, but you can as Seanick found out delay it. I might be tempted to put some "cold galvanising paint" on the heads first, might also help.
I saw a guy in Villanova il geltrui, with a Herd and McKenzie, pulling iron nails, every year, he would pull those weeping the worst and replace them, cunningly, he made a jig, to drill the centre of the nails, then tapped a thread in the nail, made a puller and screwed this into the nail, then pulled them out. Replaced them with bronze ones above the waterline. No more rust!