old fasteners /silicon bronze fender washers

[Bob Williams]

I am starting to refasten the hull of my 1930 43'Stephens. The bottom has be refastened before (how long ago who knows) When it was done they just put new screws next to the old ones.I have been removing all screws and replacing with new silicon bronze one size larger (from a #8 to #10)the problem is with the original fasteners , when I try to remove them the heads break off or crumble. So I have been drilling the screw out and installing a new larger one is this ok ?. Another problem : I have sistered about 34 frames laminated with white oak I plan on using silicon bronze stove bolts, Im having a hard time finding silicon bronze fender washers. Is there another metal that would be compatible Thanks :

[RGM]

What exactly are you doing with the SB stove bolts? Fastening the new frames to the longitudinal structures of your boat? With all of this screw extraction and refastening what do your planks look like now in the vicinity of the fasteners, Swiss cheese? It sounds like this would be the third set of fasteners driven thru these planks, some thru previous holes, some not, is that right? Are you sistering frames because they are decayed or essentially sawn in half by all of the refastening? Or perhaps both? What is it planked with? What are the typical dimensions of the planking? What are the dimensions of the frames?

[Mac_Muz]

If you request a catalog from Jamestown Distributors at 1-800-423-0030, you should be able to solve all your hardware problems... As for the rest I can't say..... Mac

[Thaddeus J. Van Gilder]

not only do I not know where one might buy off the shelf bronze fender washers, I have never seen them on a boat.

But, cordova bolt company in Ca can make them I am sure if you buy a minimum amount.

[Bob Williams]

The boat is carvel planked of Port Orford cedar aprox. 1 1/8" thick with 2x2 steam bent white oak frames. The reason for the sisters is that the frames where cracked at the turn of the bilge,as for the stove bolts thay are #10x24 machine bolts to be used on the laminated sistered frames.I did find some silicon bronze fender washers but thay cost as much as the bolts

[RGM]

I'm still trying to figure out what you're doing with the stove bolts. You say that they are going to be used on the laminated frames. How, may I ask? I've never used "off the shelf" fender washers on a boat before. I've used oversized flat washers on a few occassions. I've made fender washers out of flat bar or plate and used them when assembling larger wood components of a vessel. Silicon bronze isn't cheap up front, but it tends to be a pretty good deal over the long haul. How's that Port Orford cedar holding up, pretty good?

[Allen Foote]

Bob, I had the same thing to correct on my 43' Egg. I drilled almost all the way through those added screw holes with a fostner bit...leaving a flat surface at the bottom of the hole and then epoxied in a wood plug with West System. I did this before anything else inorder to restore some strength back into the plank. Unfortunately, the damage to the frames is another matter. And your cedar should take epoxy well. You can use copper with the silicon bronze. Good luck