Penob 17 Deadwood Attachment

[Tom W.]

I have gotten near to the stage of forming and attaching the Deadwood to my Arch Davis Penobscot 17. I would like to know from the collected knowledge out there what is the best adhesive to use. Arch instructs the use of thickened epoxy, screwed and glued, but Ellis Rowe in WB #187 specifically states not to use epoxy for this but bedding compound. Just wondering what the experience has been out there. http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid198/pae6df7ece3a42bd4ac047d51ebe6e623/f0f3492e.jpg

[bainbridgeisland]

My preference: If timber is thick then bed it. If timber is thin, glue will work. This applies to both sides of the glue joint. i.e. bed it unless all the components are relatively thin.

The reason for this is that swelling and shrinking of thick wood members can overload the glue bond. Most epoxies used for wooden boat construction do not stretch enough to accommodate the swelling and shrinking. Other, more flexible glues (and some epoxies too) can work, but not the average boat building epoxy.

Oh, and some woods, for example white oak and teak, are hard to glue with epoxy.

David Mancebo

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Ask Arch himself. He saved my bacon many times when working on my Sanddollar. Seems to me it could depend on if your boat will live in the water or on a trailer.

[Tom W.]

I have talked to Arch about a few things, good suggestion. I envision the boat spending most of its time on the trailer, I don't plan on getting a mooring.
The deadwood will be 1 1/4" thick, about 13' long, and at its tallest, toward the stern, about 7" high. Thanks.

[ddeaton]

What flavor of wood are you using for the deadwood?

[ddeaton]

kiwidispora just finished his and turned over. Might ask him how he attached his. I am close to attaching mine as well and would like to get a game plan together.
Danny

[Tom W.]

Here where I live hickory is plentiful. So is cherry, oak and ash. I have not gotten the wood for the deadwood as of yet, but am tending toward hickory as it is pretty clear and stable.

[ddeaton]

And if you are bedding, would you epoxy coat the hull and deadwood seperate before assembly, or bed, assemble and then epoxy coat the whole works? I would opt for the first for the same reason of using the bedding compound to begin with. Sorry, thinking outloud.

[ddeaton]

I am almost thinking of using ash, plenty of it around OH. Not the best for rot, but mine will not live in the water.

[Tom W.]

I plan to coat both the deadwood and the keel with thickened epoxy, or bedding compound, after careful fitting of both. Ash is easy to work with and can be obtained with quite clear grain, I amy use that if I find the right piece.