Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Foolish...
    Member
    • Oct 2009
    • 54

    Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

    Yes... I have a boat that was assembled with steel bolts... Why are there steel bolts???... My only working theory... The bronze gods must have taken the day off way back when.... 1962

    I'm looking for some ideas and solutions.

    I have 120 steel cap head bolts that I'm trying to remove. At the top of each frame, just below the deck line, there are two bolts at each location.... 120 total... They are (or used to be) steel 5/16 or 3/8 diameter, 5-1/2" long cap head bolts. They go though 4 pieces of wood.

    I've set up support blocks on both sides. to prevent tear out. Then tried drilling off the cap head. Once left with just a stud I tried pressing the bolt out. Then resorted to driving them out. At a bolt an hour this isn't working. They have swelled in the hole so hard, that I have bent industrial grade Die Ejector Pins in my attempts.

    Right now I'm considering coring drilling the bolts. Now where am I going to find a 1/2" drill bit with a 3/8" hole in the center at least 8" long???? I plan to fashion a Stainless Steel Pipe as that drill bit. Unless there is a better idea.

    That would leave a 5" long, 1/2" Diameter hole in hull and frames.... So how do I correct that?

    Thanks in advance for the ideas!!!
  • Peerie Maa
    Old Grey Inquisitive One
    • Oct 2008
    • 62419

    #2
    Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

    What are they securing? Photos would be useful. If they are that hard to remove, they are probably still doing their job, I would consider leaving them alone. Why do they have to come out?
    It really is quite difficult to build an ugly wooden boat.

    The power of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web
    The weakness of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web.

    Comment

    • ShoestringMariner
      Senior Member
      • Jul 2014
      • 281

      #3
      Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

      Can you not use an impact gun? Is the nut exposed?

      Comment

      • slug
        Banned
        • Dec 2012
        • 8131

        #4
        Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

        I must frequntly remove nuts that are cold welded onto things like exhaust systems. I split the nut. Google nut splitter.

        For removal in areas with little nut splitter tool room I use a dremel tool with a cut off wheel to split the nut. Keep the tool at very low rpm and slowly cut a diagonal into the nut then finsish off with a chisel whack .

        Once a nut is split it always comes off ...either with a socket or steel chisel and expand it.

        Be careful with BIG hammer pounding tools , impact tools. Or any cool BIG BANG therory methods.

        They more often cause damage and dont get the job done.
        Last edited by slug; 04-01-2015, 07:52 AM.

        Comment

        • slug
          Banned
          • Dec 2012
          • 8131

          #5
          Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

          Originally posted by Peerie Maa
          What are they securing? Photos would be useful. If they are that hard to remove, they are probably still doing their job, I would consider leaving them alone. Why do they have to come out?

          As PM states steel is very long lasting. When kept well painted they cause little trouble.

          if they are to be replaced with new steel.......always seat them in bedding coumpound and paint the exposed steel with several coats of quality primer. I prefer Sika as bedding...be sure to fill the hole with bedding then coat the bolt and threads with bedding before inserting

          Comment

          • Foolish...
            Member
            • Oct 2009
            • 54

            #6
            Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

            I'm foolish enough to have taken on this project.... I'm restoring the rest of the boat. One of the reasons they have to be replace is that the cap head is nearly rusted off. The nut inside is nearly rusted away. (Most no longer look like a nut) It is no longer a "bolt". Rather a rod with two weak ends. The second reason that they have to be replaced is the damage the cap heads have done to the outside of the hull. Everyone of them has pushed the plug out (The previous owner, spackled epoxy in the damaged bung hole) The third reason is that the inside nut would be impossible access once the new deck goes on. right now that area is fully exposed.

            Comment

            • Foolish...
              Member
              • Oct 2009
              • 54

              #7
              Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

              There is no nut hex shape left... both the cap and the nut are mostly rusted away. With the cap end nearly gone.

              Comment

              • Foolish...
                Member
                • Oct 2009
                • 54

                #8
                Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

                Originally posted by slug
                I must frequntly remove nuts that are cold welded onto things like exhaust systems. I split the nut. Google nut splitter.

                For removal in areas with little nut splitter tool room I use a dremel tool with a cut off wheel to split the nut. Keep the tool at very low rpm and slowly cut a diagonal into the nut then finsish off with a chisel whack .

                Once a nut is split it always comes off ...either with a socket or steel chisel and expand it.

                Be careful with BIG hammer pounding tools , impact tools. Or any cool BIG BANG therory methods.

                They more often cause damage and dont get the job done.
                I agree the bigger hammer theory does more damage than good.

                I can easily cut the nut off. And I can drill the cap head off. That's not the issue. The issue is removing the remaining "rod" from the wood. If this were metal on metal I would have used a gas wrench to heat and expand the hole, then pressed the bolt out. I've worked on some very large pieces of industrial equipment and have access to a lot of those toys....

                However this boat is made of WOOD... And yes I'm learning everyday... Enjoying the journey...

                This remaining "steel rod" is 5" long between 5/16" and 3/8" in diameter. Bolting together 4 pieces of wood. It is rusted and expanded in that hole. How do I remove that?

                Comment

                • chuckt
                  Senior Member
                  • Oct 2009
                  • 4970

                  #9
                  Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

                  I'd leave them in place and figure a way to add bronze. As you have discovered, it's practically impossible to remove them. A concern is that you are drilling a new hole. Is there enough material that you aren't over-weakening? You could add some wood to add strength. I did this on a couple of my floors. A picture would help.
                  Chuck Thompson

                  Comment

                  • alkorn
                    Senior Member
                    • Jun 2006
                    • 504

                    #10
                    Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

                    Foolish:

                    I'm trying to reconstruct from memory a technique I once read about but can't remember where. If anyone knows the source, please chime in.

                    Basically, the idea is to cut wood rather than drill steel and remove the bolts by enlarging the hold slightly. You make a custom hole drill using a piece of thin steel hydraulic tubing or stainless steel tubing, with ID equal to or slightly larger than bolt OD. Make it long enough to chuck up in a drill plus go through the hole. Cut deep slots across the end to make sort of a square-tooth saw. Once you've removed either the bolt head or the nut, start the thing over the end of the bolt and cut a hole around it. You have to pull the tool out frequently to clear the cut of sawdust. It's not real fast, but it's a lot faster than drilling through 5" of steel. You end up with oversized holes so you must use oversize new bolts, or plug the holes with wood/epoxy and re-drill.

                    Like I said, I haven't tried this and I'm not sure I have it right. It may be worth trying on a bolt or two. The worst that will happen is that the saw will bind in the hole and the drill will wrench your shoulder out of its socket.
                    I will beg you for advice, your reply will be concise, and I will listen very nicely and then go out and do exactly what I want! (Apologies to Lerner and Lowe.)

                    Comment

                    • the_gr8t_waldo
                      Senior Member
                      • Nov 2008
                      • 1363

                      #11
                      Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

                      screw extractor... it looks like a section of tubing that has teeth cut into one end. chucked into a drill motor, once the head is is cut/ground off, it slides down the shank and cuts the surrounding wood, until the rusted fastener can be lifted out. at 120 bolts to be removed, you'll become adroit at sharpening 'em.
                      Last edited by the_gr8t_waldo; 04-01-2015, 11:16 AM.

                      Comment

                      • ahp
                        Senior Member
                        • Jan 2001
                        • 6107

                        #12
                        Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

                        If there is any hope of removing those steel bolts, do it. Steel expands in volume when it completely rusts by a factor of ten. Replace them with what, 120 big bronze bolts are going to be pricy. Bore the holes out to 1/2 inch and epoxy in dowels? There are places that you can buy dowels of various woods.

                        Comment

                        • BrianM
                          Wood-And-Boats
                          • Sep 2002
                          • 1237

                          #13
                          Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

                          the most effective method I've seen is to use a long, narrow, hole saw. Cut the wood around the bolt out and epoxy plug
                          Cut wood not steel.

                          Comment

                          • donsmarine
                            Banned
                            • Feb 2009
                            • 117

                            #14
                            Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

                            ahp post #12. I'm confused. If they all rusted would there be 1200 bolts, 120 3 3/4" bolts, or a pile rust dust near the wood?

                            Comment

                            • slug
                              Banned
                              • Dec 2012
                              • 8131

                              #15
                              Re: Removing Rusty Steel Bolts and Repairing the resulting hole

                              You will only know what you have when you remve one. Be careful if you hit the stud with a hammer that you dont mushroom the head..

                              Comment

                              Working...