Keel Strengthening

[buckrammer]

My 1908 vintage Cape Cod catboat, Buckrammer, still has her original keel. While a coring drill still extracts green white oak from deep within (!), the outside certainly shows the years. I've been toying with ways of both strengthening and fairing the exterior of the beast and wonder if anyone has experience in this department? Some have suggested a good sanding/planing until I reach clean, bare wood then covering the timber with an application of West epoxy with 407 added. Others have suggested sheathing the keel with thin (<1/4 inch thick) white oak strips bedded in West thickened epoxy and fastened, at first, with stainless brads fired from a nail gun then followed up with screws. Any ideas?

[Dave Fleming]

If it ain't broke don't fix it!

But don't take my word for it.
<insert winky smile here>

[Nicholas Carey]

Originally posted by buckrammer:
My 1908 vintage Cape Cod catboat, Buckrammer, still has her original keel. While a coring drill still extracts green white oak from deep within (!), the outside certainly shows the years. I've been toying with ways of both strengthening and fairing the exterior of the beast and wonder if anyone has experience in this department? Some have suggested a good sanding/planing until I reach clean, bare wood then covering the timber with an application of West epoxy with 407 added. Others have suggested sheathing the keel with thin (<1/4 inch thick) white oak strips bedded in West thickened epoxy and fastened, at first, with stainless brads fired from a nail gun then followed up with screws. Any ideas?Glue-lam a shoe on the keel. white oak strips and thickened epoxy. Instead of using stainless brads, use monel staples. Just leave them in.

[Bob Cleek]

If'n it were mine, and not having seen it, mind ya, I'd strip off the old paint, sand lightly, soak her in CPES, fill the checks with white lead putty mixed with some bottom paint, paint the bottom, launch her and go sailin'!

[Cedarhill Boatworks]

What Cleek said.