deck calking

[rstraghan]

I have a West Coast troller with 2 inch thick fir decks. Current calking is traditional cotton, and now needs redone after 20 years.

I am being advised to use a biscuit cutter to remove the old calking and prepare the wood for recalking - any comments?

The big question is what to use for "goop"

[Stan Derelian]

Use the search here for seam compounds. There's more than you can imagine!

[Terry H]

Use a reefing tool, find a good shipwright, he can show you his, then you can have one made or make your own, (if he doesn't have one he is NOT a wooden boat shipwright). If he does, ask him about seam sealers.

If the seams are not reefed out right you will have a fight on your hands to get them calked and sealed.

Do NOT use bisket cutter! reefing tool will do the job and perpare the seam for re-calking.

[ 04-27-2003, 08:53 PM: Message edited by: Terry H ]

[Gary Bergman]

I have a few fancy tools, but find that when in a squeeze, I seem to always grab a homemade one, a small half-round file that I bent the tang into a hook, so go figure. as far as caulk, I use a two part, but for small repairs, a little boatlife polysulfide suits me fine.