tiller re furbishment

jack_tar

jack_tar

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I removed my tiller last week, all the varnish was uv affected and peeling off, and the timber was typically damp.
After leaving it for a few days to dry, I scraped all the old varnish off and sanded down.
There were a few dings in the tiller so I filled them with epoxy mixed with some of the dust from sanding.
Today I have scraped the exess hardened epoxy off and sanded down again. My problem is, The timber has continued to dry out and some cracks have appeared, nothing drastic but I am wondering what to do now, 1 continue to let the timber dry, then fill all the cracks with epoxy sanding dust mixture. 2 continue to let it dry and just re varnish your advice much appreciated. The timber is I think is some form of mahogany
 
Can't answer your question but once you have done the refurb why not make up a canvas sleeve to slide loosely over it to protect it when you are not on board?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Can't answer your question but once you have done the refurb why not make up a canvas sleeve to slide loosely over it to protect it when you are not on board?

[/ QUOTE ] I endorse that. I inherited a rather neat canvas tiller cover which I have religiously fitted every time I leave the boat if it's going to be for more than a day or two. Varnish is in perfect condition despite not having been touched for at least 5 years.

i think the cracks you are seeing are an aesthetic issue rather than a real problem. I'd let it dry out before revarnishing, if you want to fill the splits do so but I don't think it's essential.
 
If you have it indoors - especially centrally heated indoors, it will dry out a lot, and take months to do so fully, and end up so dry that it is destined to reabsorb moisture and swell when it goes back to it's "natural" environment. Wood will always try and equilibrate it's moisture content with the surroundings. And no coating - except perhaps epoxy - can stop it.

If the surface if the timber is dry to touch now I would let it settle a couple of weeks in an outdoor garage, then fill any further cracks inthe manner you are doing, then sand and varnish it. It should be pretty close to the right moisture content. The tiller cover idea works well.

If you can cadge a timber moisture meter, you probably want a reading of 16-18%.

Good luck
 
I agree with this.

Removed my own solid ash tiller from the boat two weeks ago. Although it already seems far dryer to the touch than it did outdoors, I'm not going to sand and finish it for another month.

Wood constantly absorbs and releases moisture from its environment, but - depending on the difference between the moisture in the wood and the ambient humidity - it can take months to finally settle down to its new environment.

In your case (and mine) it just needs to be dry enough to take a finish, then back onto the boat. Then a breathable tiller-sock will keep both direct rain and - more importantly - UV sunlight off it.
 
Would using teak oil instead of varnish help? Would the wood absorb the oil instead? Would it still need to be kept for a while in the garage?

Also i have not stripped it yet. So maybe the wood has not lost all of its moisture.
 
thanks for all the advice, I had intended to leave it for a while. the cracks are purely cosmetic and are not effecting the strength of the tiller. will think of using some sort of oil. i understand the deckoijle ( spelling) stuff is very good. need a crash course in sewing machine to make the cover.
Cheers
 
There may be wiser views than mine on this but..
I don't think wood absorbs oil instead of water (emphasis on the instead). Much water is actually bound into the wood structure, and it is this which equilibrates with the surrounding atmosphere, and as it changes it causes the wood to swell/shrink. It is the different amounts of shrinkage in different directions with relation to the grain that causes wood to crack as it dries. As I understand it, oils can and do penetrate wood, to an extent that might impede, but not prevent, the movement of water. Varnish and paint on the surface also impede but don't prevent water vapour movement. Epoxy has the biggest effect - but of course very poor UV resistance as a surface coat.
 
You can soak or liberally paint on Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) which replaces the water in the wood and speeds up the drying process, it sets hard in the pores of the wood. Use it like oil and just keep putting more on until it won't soak up any more, which may take a good few days.

I did a tiller over winter that was really damp, soaked it, then left it a few weeks to dry, then epoxy, then varnish. Should do until I get the new one laminated up.
 
Cracks in the tiller allow moisture to find it's way into the wood in far greater quantities. This encourages the splits to widen, even without the damage caused by freezing. The consequent weakening of the tiller will ultimately lead to tiller failure, possibly in the worst possible circumstances.
 
Thats the reason for using PEG to replace the existing water then sealing the tiller once dried. The OP stated that the cracks were purely cosmetic and using PEG would not encourage the splits to widen. Cosmetic splits can then be filled at the epoxy stage leaving a dry sealed tiller.

If the splits were structural then obviously a structural repair will be needed as well. Or do as I did and just add another job to the list of making a new laminated tiller some time...
 
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