Drying out
Drying out
I have a workshop on short term loan - I also have a wooden Osprey which has suffered from being outside over the winter and has water under the varnish. I would like to dry it out fairly rapidly and am thinking of a plastic sheeting tent with a dehumidifer in it. Would this help speed things up or would it cause problems with wood drying out too fast????
Thanks
Graham
Thanks
Graham
Graham T
Osprey 1340, Osprey 1245, Osprey 55, Miracle 1358, Laser heap, ancient Mirror kit half assembled, Project Miracle in need of decks........
Kielder Water Sailing Club
Osprey 1340, Osprey 1245, Osprey 55, Miracle 1358, Laser heap, ancient Mirror kit half assembled, Project Miracle in need of decks........
Kielder Water Sailing Club
- Ancient Geek
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Re: Drying out
I am sure a dehumidifier will help especially if you VERY regularly empty it! Hanging a 60watt light bulb in the hull and another under will help enormously too!
Simples.
Re: Drying out
Agree with AG.
de-humidifier will work as long as you can make the workshop relatively air-tight....otherwise you are just de-humidifiing the ambient atmosphere, which is hard work in this country.
When I have needed to do this, I have just turned the boat over and put a 60-120 watt tube heater, like are sold for garages or greenhouses underneath and left it for a few days. You will be surprised how much the heat builds up - you can improve it by either blocking the c-board case or by putting a sheet over that reaches down to the ground. But personally, I just leave it for the air to go around.
Works a treat.
eib
de-humidifier will work as long as you can make the workshop relatively air-tight....otherwise you are just de-humidifiing the ambient atmosphere, which is hard work in this country.
When I have needed to do this, I have just turned the boat over and put a 60-120 watt tube heater, like are sold for garages or greenhouses underneath and left it for a few days. You will be surprised how much the heat builds up - you can improve it by either blocking the c-board case or by putting a sheet over that reaches down to the ground. But personally, I just leave it for the air to go around.
Works a treat.
eib
Ed Bremner
CVRDA
Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
CVRDA
Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
Re: Drying out
Is there a way to tell if the boat is dry enough to paint, other than by feel?
The Peril
Agamemnon
Lovely little Cadet
OK 1954
Xena Warrior Princess
Finn 469
Laser 2
Wayfarer World
Agamemnon
Lovely little Cadet
OK 1954
Xena Warrior Princess
Finn 469
Laser 2
Wayfarer World
Re: Drying out
If it is dripping or steaming, leave it for a while!
You can get tools that measure the humidity of wood, so that would be the scientific way to go.
You can get tools that measure the humidity of wood, so that would be the scientific way to go.
Rupert
Re: Drying out
Obviously if it already painted and not stripped it will take a long time as the water is trapped and can really only get out where it came in and that could be a tiny hole in the paint or varnish so strip off first. A heat gun in this job will help!! However you will find that it is amazing how the water will linger in places like the hog/keel/garboard joint. When I did Gannet I thought it was dry and then when I cut back the rotted wood it was still wet not that far in and wetter even further in!! Light bulbs, heaters etc all have been suggested.
Re: Drying out
Presumably then it would help if I strip it down? There is not a single inspection hatch anywhere in the boat, only two bung holes in the transom.
edit: sorry, I have just read the above properly this time. I will strip it down. Pond sealer sounds strangely appropriate.
edit: sorry, I have just read the above properly this time. I will strip it down. Pond sealer sounds strangely appropriate.
The Peril
Agamemnon
Lovely little Cadet
OK 1954
Xena Warrior Princess
Finn 469
Laser 2
Wayfarer World
Agamemnon
Lovely little Cadet
OK 1954
Xena Warrior Princess
Finn 469
Laser 2
Wayfarer World
Re: Drying out
If it has been outside....I would really try and dry it out a bit.
Do cut a couple of inspection hatches and check inside to make sure it is worth the tenner of paint.
cut and then have a good sniff.
bring inside by preference....if not, put a NEW heavyweight tarp over it and leave for a while, preferably with a low wattage tube heater inside.
When dry, coat it all in thinned G4 (pondseal) and that will harden it all up nicely.
good luck
tell us how it goes
eib
Do cut a couple of inspection hatches and check inside to make sure it is worth the tenner of paint.
cut and then have a good sniff.
bring inside by preference....if not, put a NEW heavyweight tarp over it and leave for a while, preferably with a low wattage tube heater inside.
When dry, coat it all in thinned G4 (pondseal) and that will harden it all up nicely.
good luck
tell us how it goes
eib
Ed Bremner
CVRDA
Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
CVRDA
Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
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- Location: France
Re: Drying out
I used to keep my Division II windsurf (a hollow foam core sandwich deck Dobellman DB2 , made by Roga of Spain) at minimum weight by fitting a hair dryer in an opening hatch on the transom (there was a plug at the bow to let air out ) and in any case the hair dryer had a special overheating device -(compulsory for safety)
It also proved worthy for my laser which sprung a leak at the bow after some close tactic racing in Croaria in December 2005 and had to be dryed before epair
It also proved worthy for my laser which sprung a leak at the bow after some close tactic racing in Croaria in December 2005 and had to be dryed before epair
Re: Drying out
I am going to need a very small hatch cover, and probably a new jigsaw - the last one was viciously murdered by some worktop.
I have not cut a hatch hole before - any tips?
I have not cut a hatch hole before - any tips?
The Peril
Agamemnon
Lovely little Cadet
OK 1954
Xena Warrior Princess
Finn 469
Laser 2
Wayfarer World
Agamemnon
Lovely little Cadet
OK 1954
Xena Warrior Princess
Finn 469
Laser 2
Wayfarer World
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- Posts: 368
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 9:54 pm
- Location: France
Re: Drying out
start in the centre with a fast drill just big enough to let the jigsaw blade in , make a first small circle with the jigsaw (new blade , close pitched teeth) check that you are not making splinters underneath (or delaminate if it is a foam sandwich GRP part) if it is OK make a snail like path and end by outer circle (take care of pencil thickness / parallelism when marking, too small a hole can be enlargefd wit a file or sand paper while if too big...
protect the edge with suitable sealant (foam /GRP) or varnish (wood) use bolts rather than rivets and sealant under the hattch rim.
always buy two hatches (if the maker goes bust or changes specs you have a spare one)
protect the edge with suitable sealant (foam /GRP) or varnish (wood) use bolts rather than rivets and sealant under the hattch rim.
always buy two hatches (if the maker goes bust or changes specs you have a spare one)
Re: Drying out
Thanks. Time for a trip to Screwfix....via Sailboats...
The Peril
Agamemnon
Lovely little Cadet
OK 1954
Xena Warrior Princess
Finn 469
Laser 2
Wayfarer World
Agamemnon
Lovely little Cadet
OK 1954
Xena Warrior Princess
Finn 469
Laser 2
Wayfarer World
Re: Drying out
What, if I may ask is parallelism? Is it not best practice to use a pair of compasses when drawing a circle? I do agree that on plywood it is guaranteed that some area of the circle will splinter as obviously 2 quadrants will be across the grain and 2 quadrants with it. On the outside of the hole use masking tape over the cut line. On the inside there is little you can do. Again pond sealer is fine for sealing edges and you can re-coat in 3 hours.
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- Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 9:54 pm
- Location: France
Re: Drying out
Well maybe my english is not good enough..trying to explain...
I use the outer rig of the hatch as "template" to draw a pencil line for the saw cutting, but in an uneasy corner it is all too quick to put the pencil at an angle and get a potato shaped circle...so i'd saw the hole carefully just a little less than the rim / pencil line and finish the adjustment with a hand tool, or sandpaper to get a good close fit.
I use the outer rig of the hatch as "template" to draw a pencil line for the saw cutting, but in an uneasy corner it is all too quick to put the pencil at an angle and get a potato shaped circle...so i'd saw the hole carefully just a little less than the rim / pencil line and finish the adjustment with a hand tool, or sandpaper to get a good close fit.
Re: Drying out
This may help.
Cut out a smaller hole than you need, then clamp/screw (through the piece to be cut out) another piece of ply to the underside of the cut. Then cut to required size. This should stop any of the splitting to the back side of the wood.
Simoun445
Spearhead
Cut out a smaller hole than you need, then clamp/screw (through the piece to be cut out) another piece of ply to the underside of the cut. Then cut to required size. This should stop any of the splitting to the back side of the wood.
Simoun445
Spearhead