How would you fill this?

[wndsnd]

Hi All,

Here is a picture of a bottom plank that has a 1/4" gap. I pulled out old cotton caulking and goop, and need to reseal. I think 1/4" is too wide to caulk, and I am thinking of epoxying a wood strip to one side with wedges, and creating a more acceptable gap to caulk. The plank is 1/2" eastern pine. Would this be an acceptable method? Any other ideas, what gap should I leave for expansion?

http://www.imagestation.com/mypictures/inbox/view.html?album_id=2239130093&id=4131195207&url=http%3A//www.imagestat ion.com/picture/sraid147/p1f0795712bc704d8e646644908f6535c/f63d0947.jpg&caption=TownieR

[wndsnd]

Ok, I tried to post a link to the photo but it is my first photo attempt and it appears to have failed.

[Paul Scheuer]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid147/p1f0795712bc704d8e646644908f6535c/f63d0947.jpg
Right click on this image to see the parts of the URL that link the pic. You had way too much stuff. It works best to clip the URL from "image properties" (right click on your opened ImageStation pic, properties, block the URL, and copy) then paste it between the IMG brackets or use the "Instant UBB code/ image" process.

[ 11-16-2004, 04:15 PM: Message edited by: Paul Scheuer ]

[wndsnd]

Thanks Paul,

What did I do wrong?

[NormMessinger]

Try the Norm-al method:

Instructions for posting pictures

Photo to be posted must be on the web and in a site that allows cross posting. Many Forum users use www.imagestation.com (http://www.imagestation.com) . This is a free site which seems to have unlimited storage, large picture size, and unlimited albums.

Upload your pictures to ImageStation and create your albums or leave the pics in the in box as you wish.
Pictures in ImageStation are displayed in three sizes: thumbnail, display and original. Left click on the thumbnail brings up the display photo, about 640 bits X 400 or so. A left click on the display photo brings up the photo in the original size you uploaded. Forget this one, except in rare cases which I cannot explain it cannot be cross linked. So....

Left click on the thumbnail to show the display version.

Right click on this picture.

Left click "Properties".

Highlight the Address [URL] and copy it (Ctrl/C).

Now go to The Forum and prepare your new message.
Write what you want as a preamble to your picture, then:

Below the message area is a button, "IMAGE". Left click it.

Paste the URL you copied above into the block displayed.
Note that the block contains http already highlighted. Just paste without doing any thing else so you don't get http twice.

Add what ever additional text you wish to add after the URL of the picture is displayed.

Click on the "Preview Post" button to confirm that what you want us to see will appear, then close the window.

Click the "Add Reply" button and standby for responses.

[BillyBudd]

Here's a method I've seen, but never tried. It comes from Papua New Guinea where the canoes get splits in the log and something is needed to fill gaps. Styrofoam to the rescue! I've seen that gasoline disolves those styrofoam cups and the guys dribble the juice into the cracks where it re-solidifies. Go figure, huh?

[wndsnd]

Thanks all,

I think I have it figured out.

Here is my project:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid147/p21388dc87426abf5be0ddbbf810306b1/f63d0a2c.jpg

Many split planks after 50 years.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid147/pabae80d05f5816aa98911562830b50c4/f63d0a21.jpg

Port side replanked

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid147/pdcc1d4818107cbb1834073e49ad24ff1/f63d0a28.jpg

Now Primed
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid147/p08d1ae48d6250b8fb396ea2fa0e91b84/f63d0a31.jpg

Now I am working on the bottom before I turn her around to attack the starboard side. The bottom planks are sound, but the plank gap is just too wide.

Thanks again

[Nicholas Carey]

Originally posted by BillyBudd:
Here's a method I've seen, but never tried…Styrofoam to the rescue! I've seen that gasoline disolves those styrofoam cups and the guys dribble the juice into the cracks where it re-solidifies. Go figure, huh?Hmmm...back in the 70s somebody bright did something like that to fix PIRATEs weepers (rusted fasteners bleeding through the paint). The removed the plugs covering the fasteners, cleaned the rust and then "puttied" the hole with plastic golf tees dissolved in gasoline. They were hell to remove some 25 to 30 years later.

I'm not sure I'd recommend that.

[paul oman]

think i would use or make a flexible epoxy and then add wood flour to form a gel.

you might also first stuff most of the crack with a thin strip of fiberglass cloth saturated with epoxy - this is probably good when cracks etc are beyond 1/4 inch or so wide.

just another idea! - (never tried this!) - hot glue from a hot glue gun then putty and paint....

regards

paul oman
progressive epoxy polymers

[Elco's]

"Hell to remove some 25 to 30 years later"?!?

sounds like it worked to me.

[ 11-17-2004, 10:45 AM: Message edited by: Elco's ]

[Frank Wentzel]

Paul

What could be added to a standard epoxy to make it more flexible.

/// Frank ///

[Wild Wassa]

A compression strenghth filler, like Boat Craft Pacific's compression strength filler added to epoxy or glass macros stay slightly flexible ... but not as flexible as a rubber caulking compound (forget the epoxy).

Or rake it out, clean both sides of the gap well, ram a bit of cotton in, then 'prime' and finally, use a rubber caulking compound over the top of the cotton. Tape the timber and smoothed the rubber out with a blade. Tape the timber close to the gap as the rubber is a bugger to clean up, then pull the tape while the rubber it is still wet. When set, sand and prime and paint.

Warren.

[ 11-17-2004, 12:12 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[paul oman]

Hi Frank

solvents will make epoxy flexible (at least for a few months)

at the risk of being repremanded (again!) - we sell a few flexible epoxies and I think our
solventless - solvent also works that way when added in small amounts to any epoxy - I need/plan to test it more before I say something I will be sorry for...

anyway, flexible epoxies are out there, but you probably will not find them at the ship's store...

paul

[Dan McCosh]

The issue isn't so much the width but the shape of seam. If it is still tapered, and has only a small gap on the inside, cotton caulking would work fine. Otherwise, it looks like rebuilding the edge might be necessary. Doesn't seem likely, though. 1/4 ins. isn't usually that big a gap.

[wndsnd]

i have worked the seam and the gap is not tapered, it seems to be uniform. I still am leaning towards filling with a tapered pine strip, and then caulking with Cotton and sealed.
I thought the other side was better, but since I have been working on it , it looks to be the same.

:(

Paul, I thought that the strength of epoxy was based on cure times, the slower the stronger, and what solvents you use, so would a flexible epoxy have any strength?

THanks

[ 11-18-2004, 09:35 AM: Message edited by: wndsnd ]

[John Blazy]

High-end epoxies will be longer cure than the five minute ones, but cure time really isn't an indication of cure strength - the quality of the raw resins in the epoxy are what give it strength. However, there is likely a relationship in cure time, due to the potential of internal stresses created with fast hardeners, and/or excessive amine quantity for fast hardening. A high-quality semi-elastic (semi-flexible) resin in a fast-curing system is likely to be pretty strong, as the elasticity will make up a little for the internal stresses caused by the high-crosslink density from fast, or exothermed curing. Most good marine epoxies are formulated for a good balance between elastic and hard, but in certain cases, flexible epoxies might be real nice. They will still "key" well into a porous substrate, so strength should be good.

[paul oman]

I agree with John above me.

keep in mind that epoxies actually take about a week to fully cure (perhaps longer).

Generally additives to the basic epoxy (like nonyl - common in cheap epoxies, solvents, etc.) weaken them.

Much of the strength comes from the resin saturated fiberglass cloth used with the epoxy.

generally epoxies are very brittle, some more than others. Too brittle is not good, but too flexible isn't a good thing on a boat hull either. But for crack filling, sealing flexible plywood, etc. (wood expands and contracts with moisture, epoxies with temp) strength isn't the issue, bonding and 'give' are what counts. An epoxy that can 'move' or flex with the wood is a good thing in this case.

hope this helps explain things a bit.

regards

paul oman
progressive epoxy