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On classic Lightnings, the centerboard winch line goes through a diagonal brace that goes from the front of the trunk to the deck. Not sure if it could be done with your pillar, but just a little...

Here are some pictures of the centerboard winch from one of my Lightnings. It easily handles a 125 lb centerboard. I happen to think they are great but they have fallen out of favor with racers...

Many thanks for the feedback.

Degreasing: Epifanes recommends degreasing as a 1st step in prep for varnish. And I figured that lots of stuff could have gotten on the trunk in my old Lightning's...

I am working on the inside of my 1955 Lightning. I found yesterday that the 1st coat of Epifanes Woodfinish on my centerboard trunk was still tacky after (I think) 4 days of drying in my heated (60...

My main mentor recommended ash for the tiller of my Lightning build, so that is what I used. But, try as I might, I wasn't able to get my planes sharp enough to deal with the ash, and sanding it was...

I would be tempted to seal the crack with tape from the outside, and put enough water inside the boat to wet the planks near the crack. In a few days, you should have a lot more info on how much the...

Not sure if this is the perfect solution for you, but often times you repair a crack by gluing in a piece of cedar. The method I have used is to use your router set to half of the depth of the...

Here is a better picture of the orange peel.


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OK - I am still grinding away painting the bottom of my Lightning and it is in pretty decent shape. But I would like to be able to do better when I paint the topsides.

The issue is that I always...

Sorry - I should have given you more info. At the George's recommendation, I am using his topsides paint on the bottom of my Lightning, which will live on a trailer, sail only in fresh water, and...

Well - I am finally painting my latest antique Lightning. I am using Kirby topsides paint.

It was 75 degrees with 60% relative humidity, which I thought would be OK.

I used Kirby Conditioner...

I was having trouble finding marine plywood that didn't cost a mint to ship to Vermont. Boulter had what I wanted but it was going to cost $ 100 to have three sheets shipped from Boston.

I...

FWIW - I did a number of laminated frames for my home built Lightning. My laminations were probably too thick because I had to use a good bit of clamping pressure to get them to take the shape. ...

John - While the centerboard pin fits tightly in the hole in the board and the holes in the trunk, the pin is the only thing holding the board. The slot in the trunk is a minimum of 1/2," but old...

Thanks much for the feedback . . .

David - Yes, the Lightning Class rules require a flat board. Same for the rudder except for close to the edges.

Wizbang - So far, I haven't taken the...

My old Lightning's steel centerboard is in pretty darn good shape with just a little bit of rust. I was thinking about hitting the rusty areas with some kind of rust inhibitor, doing whatever...

I was going to try Total Fair on my current project, but the instructions say that you can't apply it over surfaces that have 1-part paint on them. Since I didn't have the energy to completely strip...

I wonder if another primer might do a better job of hiding the 407 filler?

My brother is a sometimes house painter, and, any time he has stains or other discoloration to deal with, he uses Kilz...

Yes 410 is white and sands like a dream, but . . . every stinking time I have used it, pinholes appear when I sand it, and again, and again, and again. Like Groundhog Day. Also, the West guidance...

On my 1955 Lightning restoration, I am using what was left of the 1970s hardware. However, there is nothing left of the boom vang to tell me how it was rigged. But other Skip Etchells built...

Another point of comparison . . .

My Lightnings are 19 ft long and weigh about 750 lbs.

The rudder blade is 3/4" and the cheeks are 3/8", so the rudder is 1 1/2" wide in its upper section. The...

OK - here is a little update.

A friend recommended Pettit 6627 Tie Coat Primer, so I called Pettit to see if Tie Coat was the best solution for me, and got great news.

They said that, as long...

I try to stay away from tools that could, as you say, chop the hell out of the wood. I am an old guy with bad knees, and I would probably stumble and cut right through my soft cedar if I went after...

Thanks very much for all of the thoughtful responses.

And, yes, this is my 1955 Lightning I am talking about. As with all of the Skip Etchells built Lightnings, it has edge-glued cedar planking...

I will be doing 4 coats of epoxy to create a moisture barrier, and am looking for a way to make sanding easier. The idea of the 4th coat is to give me the opportunity to sand it smooth without...

Thanks very much for the responses and the potential resources.

I am trying in this restoration to make the Lightning look a bit like it did in 1955, but it won't be anything close to a...

As part of my restoration of my 1955 Lightning, I am going to build a replica of the rudders Skip Etchells built back in the day.

A knowledgeable friend tells me that the pintles and gudgeons were...

Yes, the really big holes are for transom flaps. Homemade wood flaps came with the boat. No hinges for them. I think they just used shock cords to pull them tight. I haven't seen transom flaps on...

Wizbang - I don't know what the big holes low in the transom used to do, but they were filled in at some point. They need a little epoxy but I think I will otherwise leave them alone.

The...

Well, we are moving along on the antique Lightning, fittingly, at the pace of molasses in January.

The centerline vertical post in the transom cheek framing needed to be replaced. After I got the...

I agree that Epifanes Clear Wood Finish should not be called a varnish, but that is not what I was referring to.

I was referring to Epifanes Clear High Gloss Varnish, which is the traditional...

I was in the same boat, so to speak, when I was restoring my 1956 Lightning. The topsides were very light colored cedar and I wanted to keep them that way on the inside. At least in my experience,...

Jim - I get your point, and thought about that.

When I restored my other 1956 Lightning, I modernized it to see how competitive I could make it.

But, on this latest one, I am not trying to...

I have two 5-inch wide teak boards to fill the 10-inch gap. Sorry I wasn't more clear about that earlier. Is that better?

My new-old 1956 Lightning has teak floorboards that are a beautiful grey color. But some of my floorboards are missing and I have bought some new teak to replace them. So I now have a mixture of...

Todd - your boats are beautiful and it certainly seems that you have the varnish business figured out.

When I think about it, my Lightning will have a very easy life. It won't be sailed very...

Thanks much for the responses.

I am 72 with a bad back and knees, and can only work on the boat for 2-3 hours a day. I just don't have the go-power to do multiple coats a day, so the products...

Well, it seems I am getting old, tired, and cranky.

The entire interior of my new/old Lightning is bright finished, and I am getting pretty close to varnishing. On the other hand, I just don't...

I have a Bosch which cuts well but the exhaust gets clogged up pretty quickly and on a regular basis. It gets clogged in both directions. This happens a lot when I am planing cedar. Maybe there is...

The trailer for my 1956 Lightning has a trailer hitch with a round fixture that you turn to tighten the hitch around the ball. (See picture) I am wondering if that hitch can be upgraded to one with a...

I am hoping to kill two birds with one stone on my latest Lightning restoration. The West guys encouraged me to do a barrier coat of epoxy before priming and painting. And I also want to use a...

Well, I have had almost all of the fun I can stand scraping, stripping and sanding the interior of my new-to-me old Lightning. And there is more fun to come! This is the week I get to crawl up...

Jeff - what I am trying to say is that the way the paint looks in the can matches the SI Cover, but that, when it dries, it no longer matches.

I haven't talked to George yet. He is at the big...

OK - On my new toy old Lightning, I am hoping to match the original color of the boat, which is an interesting medium blue. I sent the Sports Illustrated Cover to George Kirby and asked him to...

I used Epifanes Clear varnish to bright finish the entire interior of my home built Lightning. I thought that varnishing marathon would never end. And I vowed that I would never do it again.

But...

I am working with George Kirby on the restoration of my Lightning. My boat will also sit on a trailer and get sailed a few times a month on Lake Champlain. I asked George for a recommendation on...

Well, I took a break from preparing the inside of the boat for new varnish because it was making me crazy.

The insides of the topsides are the issue. I want to preserve as much of the old varnish...

Haven't used an oscilating tool yet, but it is on my list of things to try.

OK - The good news is that the seat supports are in good shape. The bad news is that Skip Etchells used copper rivets to secure them. But I need to remove at least the cross seats up front and...

Well, when the rain finally stopped for a while, I did my 1st round of scraping and sanding yesterday. I used a regular paint scraper and then 80 & 120 grit paper. I got a lot of old varnish off...