|
|
|
|
|||||
|
||||||
Subject: RE: TWL: Wood boats
From: Stan Kurowski (skurowski@XXX.XXX)
Date: Mon Mar 04 2002 - 22:07:37 EST
SNIP
>To the best of my knowledge
> compounds like
> Boatlife, Siki-flex or 3M 5200/4200 are not recommended for that
> application,
> but I'm not sure why.
SNIP
These compounds are not recommended below the water line due to the high
probability of the seams being contaminated with oil from the bilge. These
compounds will not stick to oil soaked wood.
I recalked Beaver Rock last year.
We used Portland cement with a little plastic roofing mastic mixed in to
give it a little strength.
Above the water line we used one of the commercial seam compounds at $30/qt.
I am not real pleased with it. One of the old salts said that a good above
water seam compound is an old fashioned oil based house caulk (try and find
it nowadays). My wooden boat wright doesn't like the Boatlife and Sika-flex
type compounds. He says that whenever he has worked on a seam with these
type compounds, the calking has been mush behind them. It seems they trap
the moisture in the cotton and oakum.
BTW, I hired a local wooden boat wright to do the seams below the water
line. He taught me how to calk and I did above the water line with his
supervision. What an art! It was satisfying to learn an old trade and then
do the work. It's easy to get lost in the whack of the mallet.
Stan Kurowski
M/V Beaver Rock ( http://beaverrock.home.attbi.com )
Anacortes, WA
|