earliest rocket on ebay
Now I have the boat home and the side deck off I can confirm that the side roll decks are not original but I will be contacting B&Q with the bar code number to see if I can get an approximate date for the framing timbers!! (Isn't researching a project in depth such fun) I can imagine in years to come that's what they will be doing!!!!!!!!!! Anyhow it seems as if the original knees for the decks are still there although some are a funny shape and I can't quite understand what goes where. The ribs by and large are pretty good - only a couple cracked and a couple a little soft but I think I can get away with leaving them if I get a bit of cuprinol clear into them to stop further rot. I believe there is some stuff which you can get to penetrate and harden them too. The planking of the hull from what I can see so far looks excellent - beautifully put together and neat riveting - much more refined than the Woottens Merlin I have and also thinner planking I feel. A question on stripping - the boat is that lovely straw colour so was wondering how to maintain that rather than cutting back so far you end up with the dark mahogany? I may have a problem with the red upper planking as it will likely be a different colour once stripped off may go white with those as per Chris' 507 - as he says it shows off the mahogany.
I think that Cuprinol make a good wood hardener used to come in a green can. Just take care, there is a resin-based on which needs an additive and there is a iso-cyanate (I guess) one that is as thin as water and is moisture hardening, which is the one you need.
Rupert originally put me onto the stuff and it is brilliant, especially for dodgy ribs and such which are a little soft but not worth replacing.
Only other advice.....don't be tempted to do it in the sun, or put out in sun after applying. I did this last year with some Tideway bits and it was a nightmare. All bubbled up (like wood-seal can do if left in Sun) and also entrapped uncured stuff inside. Real orrible. Just apply inside and leave for 24 hours or so.
Not sure what to recommend with straw coloured (faded) mahogany. Just take great care, if you go through it anywhere you will end up with straw coloured patches and red patches....not very nice. On the other hand, I am always amazed by how quickly some Mahogany fades and others darken in the sun. Most patches sort of fade in after a little time in the sun.
Had an interesting chat once with Laurie Smart (who now builds Merlins - but started at Wootens) about which mahoganies fade and which darken in the sun. He is the absolute expert with matching wood colours, but am afraid I can't remember enough to be of any use to anyone.
cheers
eib
cheers
eib
Rupert originally put me onto the stuff and it is brilliant, especially for dodgy ribs and such which are a little soft but not worth replacing.
Only other advice.....don't be tempted to do it in the sun, or put out in sun after applying. I did this last year with some Tideway bits and it was a nightmare. All bubbled up (like wood-seal can do if left in Sun) and also entrapped uncured stuff inside. Real orrible. Just apply inside and leave for 24 hours or so.
Not sure what to recommend with straw coloured (faded) mahogany. Just take great care, if you go through it anywhere you will end up with straw coloured patches and red patches....not very nice. On the other hand, I am always amazed by how quickly some Mahogany fades and others darken in the sun. Most patches sort of fade in after a little time in the sun.
Had an interesting chat once with Laurie Smart (who now builds Merlins - but started at Wootens) about which mahoganies fade and which darken in the sun. He is the absolute expert with matching wood colours, but am afraid I can't remember enough to be of any use to anyone.
cheers
eib
cheers
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
Ronseal make the best wood hardener, and it has the advantage it dries in 2 hours. I've not tried it in the sun, so can't compare to Ed's experience. Infact, I was using it when Ed was making his post, on the inside of a GP14 breakwater, where bits of it had rotted from underneath, and I haven't got the time to work out all the horrible angles to make a new one...
Rupert
Is that the wet rot wood hardener that they advertise? See below
http://www.ronseal.com/prodshow.asp?gID=0&prodID=74
http://www.ronseal.com/prodshow.asp?gID=0&prodID=74
507 ended up with a white stripe on the front section of the top plank not really for aesthetic reasons but because the hull had been painted green which I stripped off and cleaned up very carefully and sanded back - so far so good until I hit it with the first coat of varnish and saw that that part on one side had been repaired with a naff piece of ply. It all looked OK until the varnish brought out the colour. Couldn't think what to do - try and re-repair or not. In the end I thought of painting white and put the name there! So it really a crafty piece of bodging.
And I quite liked it so I did the same to Half cut.
And I quite liked it so I did the same to Half cut.
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