Putty in lapstrake seams

[Anastasia]

I've just finished scaping the bottom of the lands on my clinker. One of the previous owners, anonyomous to me, ran putty down the inside of many, but not all, of the lap seams. From the little probing that I've done it seems that the depth and thickness of the putty is inconsistent.

Any suggestions on the wisdom of letting the putty in the seam versus trying to get it out with a heated putty knife (or by some other method).

[Anastasia]

I've just returned from my barn/workshop where I was trying to scrape the substance, whatever it may be from the land seams. It's probably not putty. It's white, rubbery, and a bit crumbly under heat. It also shows great tenacity. I'm wondering how many years how many years of my life i want to dedicate to getting it out.

[John Bell]

Welcome to the wonderful world of 3M 5200!

I don't know what to suggest to help you remove it, but I'll wager that is what you're dealing with.

[On Vacation]

Score it with a very sharp razor knife. With some patience, you will get most of it cut if this is only sealing the open lap area.

[Jack Heinlen]

Um, where is the boat leaking? Someone put putty or some other goop in there to stop leaks. Not terribly effective. Goop can be, but it has to go onto raw, clean wood.

Be gentle with the wood, no matter how you go at this. Then determine the leaks, and refasten, or harden up on the existing fastenings.

A polysulphide, properly applied, to a well prepared substrate, will stop leaks, but look at structural matters first.

How is the darling fastened, BTW? How is it used? She might just be wanting more time in the water, the putty a red herring. Hard to say. Don't do anything you'll regret in the morning.

[ 02-06-2004, 09:04 AM: Message edited by: Jack Heinlen ]

[AndyFarquhar]

Good luck if it's 3m 5200. Why are you taking the stuff out? For aesthetics? My advice - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Regards

Andy

[Anastasia]

Thanks so much for your advice, and yes, I want to move slowly in figuring out what to do.

The boat is a about 30 year old, 17 ft copper riveted sloop. My guess is that it has primarily a trailer boat --- I bought it on a trailer at a garage sale in Southern Oregon where summers are quite hot and dry. I'm working on sealing a pond so that I can float it in the summer.

As I'm working on it, I wonder how far I should go in refurbishing it. Part of me would like to have above the water line bright, hence thinking about how I can get this white substance out. Secondly, I think that the substance stresses the lands and believe that it would be better to tighten up the rivets and just put a substance/wood in where wood has been damaged lands, which is only in a couple small places.

[Jack Heinlen]

Have you stripped the paint, completely? Read Walt Simmon's books on lapstrake boat building. Just those two things will make you better able with this boat. And do go slow. New and fast isn't always better. Often it's worse.

The summer I re-launched an Indian, it was fully and beautifully found, Bristol from the deck up. That's what I re-built. But it leaked like a bastard. Cedar planked, the leak was mostly around one butt block. The rest of it would have soaked up quite nicely. But boy that leak made me turn red on more than one occasion.

You've got to get intimate. I made nice woodworking of the deck, coaming etc, but neglected basics in the hull.

Don't get me wrong, it was a blast. We just pumped and sailed. Last I heard Sacagawea, ex Nhama, is still afloat every summer out of the New Meadows River, and still a riot to sail. 21 ft, 1200 pounds displacement, half almost half of it lead in the bilge, with 230 sq. ft of sail, she is amazing. I'll bet someone got after that butt block too.

I only got to sail her one summer. I would like to sail her again. The only displacement boat that worked better that summer was a Dragon. Couldn't beat her upwind, but she couldn't touch us off. smile.gif

[ 02-07-2004, 01:54 PM: Message edited by: Jack Heinlen ]

[Anastasia]

I have Simmon's Repair book, but not the one on Lapstrake Construction.

When the boat was swelled it didn't take on much water. Once when it was fully swelled and we had extra weight in it the land between the 2nd and 3rd lap sweeped a lot.

Yesterday I took a look in a box that come with the boat, which I had stored in the barn. Sure enough, in there I found a tube of 3M 5200. From the help of you's and a forum search I have a little better idea of it's tenacity.

I was going to save the scraping of the entire hull for after I complete repairs to wood. I thought that would give me a better idea of how much time i want to spend on finishing in order to be able to sail it some time this summer.

I'm not wedded to the idea of making it bright above the waterline, which was the original finish, but often exploring the possibility.

I 've been scraping problem areas. It's flipped over on two saw horses in our shop. First, I scraped around areas where I think wood needs attention --- areas where the ice pick when in and surface damage to wood --- and then the lap seams. I've had a few wood people and a couple wooden boat people look at it. They told me the wood is still quite sound for a 30 year old boat.

I have been slowly exploring seams by the rails and top planks, saving the hull below the water line for when I have a clearer understanding of what to do. A couple places, one on the stern garboard and the other on the port garboard have long (about 5 inch) cracks that have been filled, my guess now with 5200. I've been practicing making dutchmen at the vice and am beginning to get better understanding of the skill required.

[Jack Heinlen]

When the boat was swelled it didn't take on much water. Leave it alone.

[Tom Galyen]

I have a replica 18th century "Jolly Boat" and when I got it, it had been kept in the water and was OK. However I have to keep it on a trailer, and with the help and advice of a boatbuilder filled the lapstrakes with "Life caulk". It hasn't leaked but a little since. I don't want to be the person who has to take it out however.

Tom G.

[Anastasia]

Say I decide to leave the 5200 in the laps lands, could I in someway color or cover it to get rid of the white seams; thereby continue my journey towards making the boat bright above the water line?

[Dave Williams]

Anastasia,

I would leave it for sure. The 5200 is paintable.

If it ain't broke (leaking) don't fix it!

To kindness,
Dave

[Anastasia]

Some of the 5200 on the lands is coming out or crumbly from age and my scraping. Am I in trouble here, or can I put something on it to smooth it out - like the demon 5200. SlikSeam or Life Caulk - before I paint it.