|
 Vintage
Race Boat Shop
We maintain vintage wooden boats.
Page 8 - Edge-Bonding The Deck
G-48 Obsession
21 Foot Gar Wood Speedster
Owner/driver
- Bill John
Riding Mechanic - Donnie McLean
In
2008, after 4 summers of hauling and hard running on the
Vintage Race Boat Circuit, plus constant use on beautiful
Lake Winnipesaukee, my beloved
Obsession
was back in the shop for some TLC,
including some bottom work, fresh paint and varnish, and we have decided to also
"edge-bond" the deck. The hull planks were edge-bonded with 3M-5200
adhesive four years
ago, and we are very pleased with the results. They still look fresh, and the Epifanes #19 black enamel paint on the
hull sides is also still in excellent shape. But the seams
on the deck of the boat were "working" quite a bit, so
it was
time to edge bond them also, to improve the appearance, but
more importantly, to add strength to the hull.
Click here for
the start of our
Edge-Bonding project -
lots of photos.
The
photos below show the boat before we started, still in
excellent shape, but I am never satisfied. Yup, the boat is
well named, for after 27 years of ownership and constant
maintenance, my beloved Obsession keeps getting better and
better !!!
That's my riding mechanic Donnie McLean, cutting the
"working" deck seams with a Makita 4 inch, circular saw. Two
blades were used to get the width we wanted, and the cut was
done just shy of the batten. The last photo shows the
result, a nice clean open seam. After these photos were
taken I just had to leave - could not take the pain ???!!!
After the deck seams were cut out, a V shaped file was used
to widen and shape the seams. The V shape seam allows the
nozzle of the 3M-5200 adhesive tube to ride in the seam
during application, and gives this tenacious adhesive more
bonding area. We then taped the seams, and began the very
tedious and very messy application, using six tubes of black
3M-5200. This was a two person, two step job, first applying
the adhesive with a caulking gun, and then packing the gooey
mess into the seam - ensuring the seam is completely filled.
After a week of curing, the results were a very nice looking
and a very strong deck, that still flexes and matches the
edge bonded hull sides.
While we were waiting for the 3M-5200 adhesive to cure, we
started work on the black hull sides. First, Jerome Holden
of JC Signs helped us remove the decals and lettering, and
then we spent several days sanding the hull sides - first
with 320 grit paper and then with Scotchbrite Pads. Then we
applied two coats of Epifanes #19 black enamel paint, using our
ever improving "rolling & wisking" technique.
After the new deck seams had fully cured, we applied the
first of many build coats of Epifanes varnish. Before each
coat, we sanded and faired the deck, first with 320 grit
paper and then with Scotchbrite Pads. We then applied the
very thick, amber tinted Epifanes varnish, using our "rolling & wicking" technique.
At least six coats are planned, and because we thoroughly
sand and fair the surface between each coat, the deck just
keeps getting smoother and smoother.
And the results - absolutely stunning after just two coats.
After four coats, the boats is just beginning to really snap
???!!!
After four coats of varnish on the deck, we hoisted the boat
up and started work on the bottom. We call this "bottom
detailing" because we take extra time to thoroughly sand the
bottom to expose any issues, spend the required time for
repairs, and then build up the bottom paint coats with the
same care as the deck varnish coats. The first step was a
thorough sanding, and since the epoxy bottom was already
pretty smooth, we spent two days sanding with 320 paper, and
then a third day sanding with Scotchbrite pads. This was the
same prep work that was done on the deck, and the results
were well worth the effort.
Remember - if
you wanna be fast, you gotta be smooth ???!!!
After the thorough sanding, we found two areas that need
attention, a void in the second step/shingle and a
separation in the aft step/shingle. The void was fixed by
boring a hole and injecting epoxy with a syringe. We then
cut out the wood separation area on the aft step, and then
applied thickened epoxy coats until the area was level and
smooth.
Then
two coats of Interlux Brightside "Sea Green" paint was
applied. This is a very high quality, very thick,
polyurethane marine paint that contains Teflon. Although
this is actually a topside paint, we have found it to be the
best for fresh water bottom paint also. We apply it with our
preferred "rolling & wicking" technique and the results are
absolutely stunning.
Page 8 - Getting ready for
Clayton & Wolfeboro !!!
For locals, please stop by
the shop and join our:
Saturday Morning Gatherings
Some related vintage race
boat links:
Return to Our Beloved Vintage Wooden Boats
Return
to Home Page - Vintage Race Boat Shop
|
