stopwaters

[tburris]

Ok without being to technical what are they and what are they used for? what is the best material for a stopwater? Do you completly go through or part way when putting a stopwater in? If Im not mistaken they are used when you put two peices of wood together and it keeps the water from getting in the joint? If that is the case could a person who is strip planking a boat put them in between each strip stagering them? Just was wondering?

Thanks

Ted

[Dan McCosh]

A stopwater is used to prevent water from leaking in through a joint--typically a scarf in a keel or stem joint. It's usually a wood plug in a hole drilled parallel to the joint surface, on the line where the wood joins. It wouldn't work on planking, however.

[kc8pql]

I'll add that's it's usually softwood that will expand when it takes up water, sealing the hole and joint tightly.

[ken.bryant]

It wouldn't do any good to put them between planks. They are useful only at certain strategic joints, where a narrow joint between two stem or keel pieces might leak. In that case, the stopwater has to block the entire seam; so yes, it must go all the way through, side-to-side.

[tburris]

thank you, there isnt to much written about them and i was just currious

ted

[Farmer Diddley]

Page 86 of Greg Rossel's book has a good description of the whys and wherefores of stopwaters.