Search found 50 matches

by Ian Malcolm
Wed Nov 04, 2015 2:01 am
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: Autumnal sealant rage
Replies: 9
Views: 9226

Re: Autumnal sealant rage

Most modern sealants are moisture curing. If the tube has a cap, remove the nozzle and use it!. If its a gun cartridge you are probably S.O.L. but you could try pouring some candlewax down the ass end of the tube and rolling it around then tipping out the excess to reseal the piston and cap the end ...
by Ian Malcolm
Tue Sep 15, 2015 12:17 am
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: New floorboards
Replies: 3
Views: 4978

Re: New floorboards

.... but too slippery as-is! You will need either a final coat of deck paint on the top surface or to use a non-skid additive. If you go with the deck paint, it may be worth keeping it 1" away from the ply edges and where the seat support struts rest so you can easily see if the varnish has bee...
by Ian Malcolm
Wed Jul 08, 2015 12:02 am
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: Cleaning wood grain
Replies: 4
Views: 6098

Re: Cleaning wood grain

Most self polishing and eroding antifoulings use xylene as the thinners and are often colophony resin based. Try naptha, outdoors, away from naked flames and ALL other ignition sources. However, even if you dissolve all the base resin the pigment and copper oxide biocide are likely to still be embed...
by Ian Malcolm
Sun Apr 12, 2015 11:13 pm
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: A couple of little jobs on Finn K60...
Replies: 10
Views: 9433

Re: A couple of little jobs on Finn K60...

I wouldn't expect a thin layer of Sikaflex or similar used for fairing to stay put very well. Anything rubbing on the feather edge will probably cause it to peel back unless you apply it to still tacky G4 then overcoat with the same while the sealent is still at the 'green' cure stage. The original ...
by Ian Malcolm
Sat Apr 11, 2015 1:03 pm
Forum: Boat Chat
Topic: Has April 1st come round again?
Replies: 4
Views: 6524

Re: Has April 1st come round again?

That has 5th November written all over it. It looks too far gone for 'flowerbed'.and anything useful appears to have already vanished. The prognosis might be different if its #1 of the class or otherwise provably of historic interest, although I suspect the restoration would have a certain ship of T...
by Ian Malcolm
Sat Apr 11, 2015 12:52 pm
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: Luff groove (this time alloy mast!)
Replies: 12
Views: 10310

Re: Luff groove (this time alloy mast!)

Be glad we are dealing with dinghies and keelboats here which are extremely unlikely to have any significant amount of flexible plumbing as the possibilities for innuendo and coarse humour when you need to get a somewhat too tight reinforced hose over a hose tail on a pump or whatever are extreme, e...
by Ian Malcolm
Fri Apr 10, 2015 3:18 am
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: A couple of little jobs on Finn K60...
Replies: 10
Views: 9433

Re: A couple of little jobs on Finn K60...

Machine screws can be removed from Epoxy if they are brand new with no thread defects and are coated with a thin even layer of paraffin wax before installation in the wet epoxy. However it does weaken the bond a bit. One trick if you want a reinforced thread is to wet out some kevlar roving and worm...
by Ian Malcolm
Thu Apr 02, 2015 11:31 am
Forum: Boat Chat
Topic: who fancies a game of What's This?
Replies: 14
Views: 12846

Re: who fancies a game of What's This?

Yes, I'm surprised how long my original 3mm D12 lasted. I changed it a couple of years ago as it was looking a little tatty. It was still plenty strong enough and I could have end-for-ended it, but couldn't be ar**d to unpick the stopper knot inside the drum shaft and the very tight double anchor be...
by Ian Malcolm
Thu Apr 02, 2015 10:51 am
Forum: Boat Chat
Topic: who fancies a game of What's This?
Replies: 14
Views: 12846

Re: who fancies a game of What's This?

Its not just kickers that can benefit from a drum winch. They offer a lot of mechanical advantage in a very small space and are far more efficient and less hassle than a muscle box. They also have a lot of travel for a tackle that powerful. I reckon the Holt Allen one was about 10:1 (by measuring ra...
by Ian Malcolm
Mon Mar 09, 2015 1:45 am
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: Standing rigging, Talurit etc etc
Replies: 5
Views: 6494

Re: Standing rigging, Talurit etc etc

Aluminium ferrules are for galvanised wire. One should always use bronze ferrules on stainless wire. Someone used th wrong parts way back when - Result: rampant electrolytic corrosion and a failure waiting to happen.
by Ian Malcolm
Mon Feb 09, 2015 4:32 pm
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: Rust marks...
Replies: 7
Views: 7604

Re: Rust marks...

Any Oxalic acid based gelcoat cleaner will get the rust off both the stainless and the GRP. Its best to go for the gel type rather than powder as you don't want any abrasives. Heavy rust stains will require repeated applications. Use any good brand of metal polish on the stainless and GRP polish on ...
by Ian Malcolm
Tue Jan 13, 2015 6:53 am
Forum: Boat Chat
Topic: Wayfarer advice needed
Replies: 6
Views: 8253

Re: Wayfarer advice needed

Back in the days when transom sheeting was the usual thing, Wayfarers usually had 3:1 mainsheets with the dead end on a becket on the upper single block and a fiddle block for the lower - autoratchet of the owner was well-off. If winds were light, the dead end could be removed from the becket and ma...
by Ian Malcolm
Sun Jan 11, 2015 2:08 pm
Forum: Boat Chat
Topic: weighted dagger board.
Replies: 23
Views: 19505

Re: weighted dagger board.

Early Albacores had metal plates. I fitted one in my 60's boat for coastal cruising and was entirely satisfied with the boat's handling and performance with one. Obviously its not good for sheltered inland waters racing though. A good setup to control one is a Holt Alllen drum winch (for kicking str...
by Ian Malcolm
Sun Dec 21, 2014 1:36 pm
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: Hanging boats up
Replies: 9
Views: 8636

Re: Hanging boats up

What you can get away with to suspend a boat for maintenance in benign summer weather often isn't advisable for long term winter storage. You *MUST* be certain the joists or rafters are strong enough to carry the extra load considering the loading on the floor above or design snow and wind loads on ...
by Ian Malcolm
Sat Nov 29, 2014 4:25 pm
Forum: Boat maintenance, repair and restoration
Topic: Glued clinker, hot air guns and a little leak
Replies: 7
Views: 8263

Re: Glued clinker, hot air guns and a little leak

Common modern glues (e.g. Epoxy or Polyurethane) soften significantly at elevated temperatures and loose much of their strength. West System say "damaging heat" for their epoxy is prolonged exposure to temperatures over 110 deg C, and below that temperature it will regain full strength whe...