Zenith - Swedish B Class.

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neil
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by neil »

It's not a terrible job at all, just time consuming but very rewarding.

she's on a cradle that brings her up to waist height.

As for weight, there's not a lot to her. The ribs are 1/2" by 1/4" and the planking is 1/4" thick. Currently I can lift the hull easily. Might be different when the deck goes on.
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neil
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by neil »

OK, tried the Starchem 'Synstrip' this afternoon.

First impressions is that it's not quite as good as original Nitromors. Less pungent, very gel like, doesn't flow like Nitromors did.

I reckon it's about 2/3 the ability of Nitromors, probably will need twice the attempts of removal than previously.

This is probably down to the mix of paint and varnish that Zenith is slaughtered in. I tried the centreboard case, that is just varnished mahogany and the varnish just peeled off, so quite impressed on straight varnish.

But at just under £30 delivered for 5 litres I reckon I'll get the whole boat done with one container's worth.

So, in conclusion, not as good as original Nitromors, but better than all the other stripper alternatives.
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by neil »

Work has started on the re-ribbing

DIY Steamer (or 101 uses of an old Merlin boom)

ImageImage

It'll be going in here, and after 15mins of steaming it slides straight in

ImageImage

Ready for trimming

Image

6 done, about 80 to go.
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by PeterV »

I've done this before on whalers and small yachts, the pliability is wonderful. How are they fixed, as I remember fixing all the copper roves took two people and a long time?
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Ed
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by Ed »

Well I am sure I will help with a few of those :)

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neil
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by neil »

There's no roves in the ribs, apart from the last nail that goes through the hog, where the rib slots into the hog.

Using 16g nails, with the ends bent over as originally done. It takes about 10-15 mins to fit a rib singlehanded, but as it only takes 15 mins to steam one I can fit a rib while the next one is steaming.

Workshop gets lovely and warm and turns into a sauna.
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by chris »

Do the ribs slot under the hog? If so how do you sort out the old one? I ask because my 14 seems to have the ribs in rebates under the hog then the first skin is pinned to it then the second over that so that at leat one nail head is totally consealed. This is also true of all the 1" planks up the sides. the first skins is nailed then the second skin nailed over the top covering the fist nail head. You can see two clenced nails each time. I'm abou to get it in the workshop soon but just trying to sort out the best approach.
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neil
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by neil »

I'll try and get some pics when I'm next out there, but I'll attempt to describe it here.

The rib is rebated about 3/4" into the hog and a 1.25" 14g copper nail with a rove goes through the keel, rib and hog. This is the only nail in a rib with a rove.

Luckily the old ribs are thin so I can easily break the timber between nails with a pair of pincers. This leaves the nails. The nails are bent and I give them a tap to push the head out enough the get the pincers to take the head off. Once the head is off the nails can be withdrawn from inside the hull.

What must be avoided is straightening the nail and pulling it through the hull by the head as unless the nail is dead straight it nips a sliver of timber on exit. I know this from experience.

The nail that goes through the hog/rib/keel has the rove drilled out. Probably the most time consuming part of the process as is needs a punch used first followed by a 1.5mm drill bit to make a pilot before a 5mm bit is used to drill the rove off. As these nails are straight they are OK to withdraw through the hull. I use a fine punch to knock the nail through until I withdraw the nail using pincers.

When removing the rib I leave about 1.5" remaining where it enters the hog. This is enough to get hold off with a pair of long nosed pliers and some judicious wiggling loosen the encapsulated end of the rib and it can be withdrawn. It took a while to find the right length to leave to make this happen, too little and there's not enough to get hold of, and too much meant the curvature of the hull got in the way when withdrawing the end of the rib

What I didn't say in the post with the pics of the new ribs is that I give the inboard end a quick touch on the bench grinder before it goes into the steamer to give it a slight taper on the sides and top (edges are also given a light radius with 120 grit so there's no sharp edges to split when the rib is bent). I do mean a slight touch on the grinder, just enough to burnish the three edges, this means it slides into the rebate easier. When the new, steamed, floppy rib is slid into place I give it a few taps to slide it into the rebate. I put a slight mark 3/4" from the end to see when it is fully home. Once it's in its a case of hammering the the new nail and sorting the rove.

Doing this single handed means I lucky I have long arms to hold the dolly in place while hammering the nail in, then using a trolley jack to support a wide punch on the nail head while the ball pein hammer used on the clipped nail/rove.

This is one of the reasons it I can only do 3 or 4 ribs in an evening.

It's taken a while to develop the system to get the ribs out and removing the last bit that goes into the hog is tricky, after honing the process on the first 10 or so I reckon the other 75+ will be quicker.

Hope this makes sense!
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by neil »

Well, after a slight delay of 2 years, work has started again on Zenith, this time with a plan and fewer distractions/other projects to get in the way,

After a couple of weeks of steaming all broken ribs have been replaced in the bow tank (10 I think) and I've only got about 3 to do in the stern tank (about 20 were broken) . When the two tanks are complete it only leaves 60+ to replace in the cockpit/centreboard area. The closer I looked, the more broken one I found, gave up counting after I'd found 90 to replace.
IMG_3482.jpg
After some initial enthusiasm I've settled into a pattern where I can fit two an evening, it takes 20 mins to get to full steam, and 18 mins per rib is the ideal steaming time. I can use the time after fitting a rib to remove another one, so I always get into the workshop with at least one rib removed ready to accept a new one. So far I've only had two break on me when bending them into place. Every evening seems to include at least 30 minute thinking time as well.

Should be able to report more progress soon, once the two tanks are done I'll finish removing the remaining varnish and paint, construct a new support for the mainsheet horse and seal the wood before tackling the main area and repair the two holes in the hull.

Hopefully all the rib streaming and hull repairs will be complete by the new year. Would love to have Zenith on the water for the next Roadford event as that's she'll be 80 in 2015 - so she'd look like this again.
zenith3.jpg
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chris
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by chris »

Really look forward to seeing her!
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by Rupert »

Me too. Any chance of Zenith and Rannoch sharing water?

That would give us a quandary for the concours...
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neil
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by neil »

Rannoch was sold a while back and now resides on the IoW. Sold her to an Uffa enthusiast so she's gone to a good home.

I have a feeling that Zenith is going to be the last restoration I'll do, it's certainly the longest; 10+ years of ownership and the last 3 years of thinking about sorting her out.
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by Rupert »

I knew she was sold, but not that she had gone abroad... well, you do need an expensive ferry to get to England.
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by neil »

anyone care to guess what this is for and what stage I've got to?
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Re: Zenith - Swedish B Class.

Post by Ed »

Sorry, no you have got me there....

It is your dolly, sitting on top of 12in of vertical wood....

mmmmm......not sure where this thread of thought is taking me.

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