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The
Prelude to Varnishing-
(or
getting ready the right way)
by
Sherwood Heggen
The boating season is over and it is time to varnish your boat. The
first step in the task is to remove the hardware. Removing and then
installing hardware on a boat after the varnish job has got to be
the simplest task. All you have to do is take things off and put
things back where you found them. But wait, if you are a “throw
all the parts and screws in a bucket” kind of guy, the
installation process might be more frustrating than fun when it
comes time to putting it all back on. Putting the hardware back on a
boat can be made more enjoyable by spending a little more time while
taking it off. That time would be best spent by being methodical
about the job and isolating problems that would hinder
reinstallation.
Take
a new approach to the hardware removal this time. Where do you
start? Start by getting a spiral notebook to take notes about
problems, oddities, things requiring repair, and such things that
would hinder quick reinstallation of the hardware. Also, obtain
plastic crates or tubs that have handles on them to hold the
hardware after it is removed. Paper boxes work but just don’t have
the strength for a lot of heavy parts. Label the tub or crate with
the kind of boat the hardware is for. Also, get some zip lock type
sandwich bags - big and small. These will hold screws and bolts that
you remove from the boat. You will also need a Sharpie marking pen
and a bunch of note sized scraps of paper. On the scrap of paper,
write the description of the item and put it in the bag with the
fasteners. Tape the bags holding the screws/bolts to the related
hardware. Is this organized, or what?
Start
removing the hardware by taking off the cutwater or stem band.
Before you remove the screws, try tightening them. Why? Because you
are going to check each screw here, and on the rest of the boat, for
“spinners”. Spinners are screws that have lost there hold in the
wood. Now is the time to identify them so they can be fixed. Note in
the spiral notebook what screw hole is stripped. If you can get to
it right away, mark the hole with a piece of tape. Otherwise mark it
down in the book. Continue with this method throughout the hardware
removal process. Place all of the screws for each piece of hardware
in the zip lock bags and note what they are for, i.e., port forward
vent, starboard forward vent, port aft vent, etc. One thing to keep
in mind is just because parts such as vents and rub rails might look
the same, it doesn’t mean they have the same exact hole pattern.
Again, tape each bag to the related hardware. Some pieces of
hardware are small enough to be placed in the bag.
Another
thing to check while you are removing the screws is whether they are
correct for that piece of hardware and boat. Determine what is
correct. If you find Phillips head screws holding down hardware on a
pre-war boat, change them to the correct slot head screws.
Typically, hardware is installed with oval head screws or bolts when
they are exposed to view. Size is important for proper appearance.
To be correct, the shoulder of the screw should be at the edge of
the hole when fully tightened. And for pity’s sake, don’t use
steel screws!! Spend the money and get stainless steel or chrome
plated brass screws. In thinking about this, I remember removing a
galvanized carriage bolt from the center windshield bracket of a
Chris Craft barrelback. Believe me, you can ugly up a boat in a
hurry just by securing the hardware with the wrong fasteners.
Please, take your time and determine that you have the right
fasteners before you put everything back together.
After
the hardware is removed, it is the time to fix the stripped holes.
Here, many “restorers” run to the kitchen and get a box of round
tooth picks and cram two or three in the hole with a glob of epoxy.
Maybe it works, sort of, but extend a little more effort to do a
better job than that. Use the toothpicks for picking your teeth.
Determine first why the hole was stripped. Often it is stripped
because the wood around the screw hole is rotted slightly or
stressed from over-tightening the screw. If the wood is hard around
the hole, make a simple square stick of scrap mahogany the size of
the hole on a table saw or band saw at the cost of nothing. Coat the
stick with yellow carpenter’s glue and drive it in with a hammer.
Cut it flush to the surface and the hole is plugged. If the wood is
soft around the hole, drill out the hole with a three-eighths inch
wood bit. You might want to treat the hole with some CPES to
recondition the wood beyond the hole. Fill the hole with a mahogany
bung made with a Fuller plug cutter. Glue it in place with yellow
carpenter’s glue. Now there is new solid wood to secure the screw.
Prior
to removing bow light and stern light, check their operation to be
sure they are reliable. If you find problems, now is the time to fix
them. When removing the bow light and stern pole base hardware,
check to be sure the wires are not frayed or the connectors are not
loose on the wire. If the wires are attached in a “quick and
dirty” manner, take the time to redo it correctly. As you remove
the wires, attach a tag to each one describing location when
connected. If it was connected incorrectly, note the correct
location.
Before
you remove the instruments to refinish the dash, make a drawing of
the location of the instruments on the dash board as seen from the
back side. Identify each instrument on the drawing. Label each wire
as you disconnect them to make reconnecting the wires easy. The
labels for the wires to the ammeter might read “ammeter left”
and “ammeter right “ as seen from the back. Label everything so
that it makes sense to you.
What
does the hardware look like? Is the chrome looking a little worse
for wear? Now is a good time to get it to the chrome guy so it looks
as good as the new varnish will when all is done.
Another little item is to replace the rubber at the base of the
windshield if it looks old and dried up. Also, replace the gasket
for lining the windshield brackets that hold the glass.
There
might be many other items that could use attention on your
particular boat. If you find something, note it and fix it before
you start the varnishing process. When it comes time to put the
hardware back on, it will be a simple task. Oh, put a coat of paste
wax on the surface of the hardware that will contact the varnish
before screwing it in place. The next time you have to remove the
hardware, it will come off without taking the varnish with it down
to the wood.
Be
proud of your boat. It is a reassure from the past that not many
people are privileged to own. Taking a bit of time on the front side
will reap great rewards on the back side when you have to put
everything back together.
So
there you have it. Again I urge you to not destroy it, but to
restore it and keep it in a condition equal or above your level of
pride.
Got a question or an idea for
Gadgets and Kinks?
Feel free to call me at
715-294-2415
or e-mail me at Heggensj@Centurytel.net.
I look forward to hearing from you.
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