Project Log: Saturday, January 25, 2014
I sorted the various bulwark boards and arranged them in
their proper order (top to bottom, aft to forward),
starting with the port side. I double-checked the
fit of the half-lap joints to ensure they would go
together properly; in one case the repairs I'd done to
these areas after removal some time ago had left some
lumps of epoxy that I needed to remove in order for the
joint to fit correctly.
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Starting at the aft end, since that was the direction
the half laps ran, I prepared the hull to install the
bulwarks. At each existing fastener hole, leftover
from the boards' original installation, I milled a small
countersink to provide a little extra reservoir of
sealant right at the hole. |
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I applied sealant around all the fastener holes, then
installed the boards with new stainless screws.
Where necessary, I rebored the countersinks in the
boards themselves to allow the screws to recess further.
Starting at the top and working down, I installed the
three after boards before moving onto the next set. |
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I repeated the process going forward. Where the
planks met one another, I applied some sealant at the
vertical seam between the boards, and a little on the
joint itself to add a little adhesive strength.
The top portion of the half lap joints was much too thin
in most cases, and the fasteners couldn't be recessed
sufficiently, but I'd deal with the ramifications of
this a little later. I'd known this would be the
case all along since the early moments of the planks'
restoration, and presently I'd have to deal with it, but
not right now.
Reusing these original boards had been a compromise
solution from the start, but considering the amount of
time it would have taken to remake them (the boards are
not straight, but are individually tapered, shaped, and
spiled to match the compound curvature of the hull and
sheerline, so preparing new ones was a chore that surely
would have tested my cheerful nature and challenged my
desired efficiencies), along with the cost of new teak
when the original was still in acceptable condition, I
consciously chose these minor issues over a much more
major project. |
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Continuing forward, I completed the port side.
Later I'd come back and install bungs over the screw
holes before continuing work on the varnish buildup
(along with additional varnish work on the caprails and
rubrails too). |
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During the afternoon session I installed the planks on
the starboard bulwarks. |
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This installation pleasingly took less time than I'd
anticipated, a rarity that I thought I'd celebrate by
quitting early. |
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Total Time Today: 3.75 hours
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