Wooden Boat Repair Question
Pat Ford
>In the peroid between 1967 and 1975, I subscribed to a "newspaper like" monthly publication called "The
>Maine Coast Fisherman". This was back in an era when there were still alot of wooden boats, both afloat and
>being built. The Fisherman ran a number of articles on the repair of wooden boats where the wood had rotted.
>The was a chemical method that they wrote about where the rotted wood became a form and a filler that was
>injected, or treated with some kind of polymer that the wood very readily adsorbed. When the polymer
>harded, the original shape of the wood remained, in place, and a repair, at least as strong as the original
>construction was acomplished.
>Does anyone know about this process and what the polymer is and where to >get it?
There are commercial formulations that purport to do this, readily known
at any marine chandlery.
Unfortunately, they do not work.
Replace the wood.
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Pat Ford-Ford Boat Works-Seattle-206-789-2456
Classic Speedboat Repair for Twenty Years
Pacific Northwest Chapter-Antique and Classic Boat Society web pages:
http://www.halcyon.com/pford/acbsx.htm
Wooden Boat Shop-books and supplies for the wooden boat builder:
http://www.halcyon.com/wbs/wbs1.htm
cpe...@fast.net
Maine Coast Fisherman". This was back in an era when there were still alot of wooden boats, both afloat and
being built. The Fisherman ran a number of articles on the repair of wooden boats where the wood had rotted.
The was a chemical method that they wrote about where the rotted wood became a form and a filler that was
injected, or treated with some kind of polymer that the wood very readily adsorbed. When the polymer
harded, the original shape of the wood remained, in place, and a repair, at least as strong as the original
construction was acomplished.
Needless to say, during three moves, the back issues of the Fisherman that I saved "fell overboard". Does
anyone know about this process and what the polymer is and where to get it? Or would it just be possible that
someone has some of the old issues of The Fisherman around that might have these articles preserved in a
readable form?
Chet Parks
cpe...@fast.net
Ron Ginger
>cpe...@fast.net wrote: <snips>
>>In the peroid between 1967 and 1975, I subscribed to a "newspaper like" monthly publication called "The
>>Maine Coast Fisherman". This was back in an era when there were still alot of wooden boats, both afloat and
>>being built. The Fisherman ran a number of articles on the repair of wooden boats where the wood had rotted.
>>The was a chemical method that they wrote about where the rotted wood became a form and a filler that was
>>injected, or treated with some kind of polymer that the wood very readily adsorbed. When the polymer
>>harded, the original shape of the wood remained, in place, and a repair, at least as strong as the original
>>construction was acomplished.
Platt Monfort invented one such product, called GIT-ROT. He packaged it and
sold it for several years, then sold it out to Boat Life, and they still sell
it. I used a good deal of the stuff back in the 60's.
I agree, it really doesnt work. It would penetrate the very soft wood, but it
stopped short of penetrating the good wood, so you had a nice solid chunk of
plastic that poped loose from the wood, and the rot continued under it.
This is the same reason the 'saturation' in the origianl WEST name is also
bogus. Epoxy does not penetrate good wood. It bonds well to the surface but it
does not penetrate into the wood.
Platts later inventions of the Geodesic Ultralite boats are more more usefull!
Ron Ginger
my signature is http://www.ultranet.com/~ginger
paul oman
>
>cpe...@fast.net wrote: <snips>
>>In the peroid between 1967 and 1975, I subscribed to a "newspaper
like" monthly publication called "The
>>Maine Coast Fisherman". This was back in an era when there were still
alot of wooden boats, both afloat and
>>being built. The Fisherman ran a number of articles on the repair of
wooden boats where the wood had rotted.
>>The was a chemical method that they wrote about where the rotted wood
became a form and a filler that was
>>injected, or treated with some kind of polymer that the wood very
readily adsorbed. When the polymer
>>harded, the original shape of the wood remained, in place, and a
repair, at least as strong as the original
>>construction was acomplished.
>>Does anyone know about this process and what the polymer is and where
to >get it?
--------------------------------------------------
We carry a number of different water displacing epoxies that might
work. (The stuff you are talking about was probably Git-Rot).
We have a new product called BIO-VOID which is a very thin, water
displacing epoxy designed to be poured/injected into voids where it
will displace the water and bond to all surfaces. Our latest BI-VIOD
story (either planned or actually happened) concerned using the product
in rotted logs of a very old log cabin.
The product is still very new, but based upon proven technology.
Paul Oman
Progressive Products
713-997-9872
713-997-9895 fax
see our web page: http://www.tenagra.com/progress/
>
Stuart Wier
The organisms that make wood rot penetrate far ahead of any detectable
effects of rot. So, no matter what you do to the "rotten" wood,
rotting is still in progress around it.
Roger Seelaender & Kris Cruz
>In the peroid between 1967 and 1975, I subscribed to a "newspaper like" monthly publication called "The
>Maine Coast Fisherman". This was back in an era when there were still alot of wooden boats, both afloat and
>being built. The Fisherman ran a number of articles on the repair of wooden boats where the wood had rotted.
>The was a chemical method that they wrote about where the rotted wood became a form and a filler that was
>injected, or treated with some kind of polymer that the wood very readily adsorbed. When the polymer
>harded, the original shape of the wood remained, in place, and a repair, at least as strong as the original
>construction was acomplished.
>
>anyone know about this process and what the polymer is and where to get it? Or would it just be possible that
>someone has some of the old issues of The Fisherman around that might have these articles preserved in a
>readable form?
>
>Chet Parks
>cpe...@fast.net
>
After reading your problem on rotting I thought I would tell
you about a new product that has started to be marketed in
Germany. It is a two part system such as epoxy, but gives a
better penetration of the rotted wood. One thing though
that you should remember is that the wood cells have ceased
to absorb water through the deterioration of the cells
themselves, though the wood seems to be soft and water
swelled it will not bind in the cell network. This new
product that has been used alot in Denmark on older merchant
ships has been proven to be excellent.The rotted wood has to
be drilled as with most applications but not to large. The
liquid is then injected into the holes now it becomes
interesting. This liquid bonds the old cells into one net so
that there is complete bondage into the healthy and
unhealthy wood. This process is done until the rotten wood
is saturated, after hardening it can be sanded, and then
painted. As said though before by another answer you
received, if you can replace what is rotten, do it. It is
first of all much more authentic, and secondly it keeps the
value of your boat much higher. Let me know if your
interested in this product, and if you need any tips about
restoration on your wooden boat.
K.J. Gilbride
<Roger.Se...@lake.de> wrote:
> cpe...@fast.net wrote:
> >The was a chemical method that they wrote about where the rotted wood
became a form and a filler that was
> >injected, or treated with some kind of polymer that the wood very
readily adsorbed. When the polymer
> >harded, the original shape of the wood remained, in place, and a
repair, at least as strong as the original
> >construction was acomplished.
> >
> >Chet Parks
> >cpe...@fast.net
> >
>
This liquid bonds the old cells into one net so
> that there is complete bondage into the healthy and
> unhealthy wood. This process is done until the rotten wood
> is saturated, after hardening it can be sanded, and then
> painted. As said though before by another answer you
> received, if you can replace what is rotten, do it. It is
> first of all much more authentic, and secondly it keeps the
> value of your boat much higher. Let me know if your
> interested in this product, and if you need any tips about
> restoration on your wooden boat.
Roger,
I would be very interested in the product you mention above. Please
forward me all the info you have on this product, name, place where it may
be purchased etc.
Thanks alot,
Kevin
jsmith
gilb...@acs.bu.edu says...
Dear Guys:
Several versions of this same stuff are out there. These thin epoxies
are generally referred to as epoxy coalescents. The basic routine is
that you must perforate the rotten timber with a 1/8" x 1" grid of holes,
overlapping every row. These holes must go almost but not quite thru the
timber and cover an area a good deal larger than the apparent rot zone.
The wood is then dried and flooded with the epoxy mixture. Since gravity
plays an important part in the process you need to be working on the
level and preferrably flat, two things boats are not. The process is
very messy and the nice neat lines of perfect holes are almost impossible
to attain.
There are additional problems with this process. By nature rotten wood
holds more moisture than healthy wood. Boats are not known for their dry
environment, therefore entrapped moisture will prevent the epoxy from
achieving anything close to full penetration. In addition, wood is
resilient, springy, epoxy is not. Utilizing an epoxy coalescent in a
timber creates a hard spot. Energy applied to the timber is not
transmitted evenly thru this hard spot. This can cause structural
failure at the wood/epoxy interface.
The problem here is that you are working blind. You don't know if you
have achieved full penetration, you don't know if you have stopped the
rot and you wont know if you have caused a stress riser until you are
three miles out with the wind blowing half a gale. Then you'll wish you
had simply replaced the bad wood with good wood and been done with it.
Oddly enough, I sell the rot cure stuff. If you would like to discuss
the details of replacing the bad wood give me a call. I can be reached
at Jamestown Distributors 800 497 0010, 8am to 5pm east coast time.
Best Regards
John Smith