Thread: Timber mast base repair/restore

No, just varnish. I'd pull that plug and see if condensation has done any damage. The plug should have a drain hole in it for this reason. Besides the plug looks like real crap wood. Unless you can epoxy coat every square inch or the inside and outside of that mast, it's much better off just letting it breath.

Thanks,

as a long time lurker, I do wonder if you ever sleep! I'll drill a pilot hole and insert a screw, and use that to try and pull the plug. I see what you mean about the plug, growth rings per inch wise. Might be easier just to drill it out and replace.

Originally Posted by PAR

No, just varnish. I'd pull that plug and see if condensation has done any damage. The plug should have a drain hole in it for this reason. Besides the plug looks like real crap wood. Unless you can epoxy coat every square inch or the inside and outside of that mast, it's much better off just letting it breath.

yes pull the Plug out , it looks like PINE , which is rubbish , and shouldn't be used in a boat,.

Give the end a sand to get back to good timber, and remove the grey weathered surface, then yes Varnish, first coat slightly thinned 5%, then at least 2 coats of straight varnish, This is end grain and will soak up finish on the first coat, so be aware.



Jeff
vk4

I agree with Jeff, though there are lots of pines that are very desirable, that doesn't appear to be one of them. I also agree about thinning the varnish, but would cut it about 15% for the first wet out coat, so the solvent will drag the varnish in, as deep as it can get. Let this dry then 2 or more coats of straight varnish. A 5% cut is what I would use to improve flow in certain conditions, but a heavier cut on the first pass, in a situation like this.

Yep I sleep, but admittedly, I do have odd hours, especially if doing epoxy work in the summer months. Daytime temperatures challenge the slowest hardener, so I'm often working at night in cooler temperatures. I'm chasing drips on a transom core replacement right now, so I'll be up for another hour or so, saving myself a bunch of work, had I just let it go until the morning. One thing experience teaches is these little tricks, which can save countless hours of unnecessary effort later.

Thanks

I had my first attempt at plug pulling, no success. The mast is stepped in a tabernacle, so there is a 12mm hole to take the pivot bolt about 250mm from the base. The plug extends past that hole, and from what I can see inside, is bedded in epoxy. I'm planning on drilling out the plug with a brace and bit, then cleaning up the four sides to take a replacement oregon plug.

I'm not sure how far up the mast the plug extends, tapping with a screwdriver doesn't give any clues.

Dale

Dale,

If the plug is epoxied in , I would consider removing a portion that you can reach with out compromising the mast integrity, then bedding in a section of Oregon , or hardwood with a bed of epoxy to really seal off the pine above.

If it extends past the pivot bolt as you believe, then removing the lot will no be do-able, with out a lot of effort.

Jeff
vk4

Originally Posted by vk4

Dale,

If the plug is epoxied in , I would consider removing a portion that you can reach with out compromising the mast integrity, then bedding in a section of Oregon , or hardwood with a bed of epoxy to really seal off the pine above.

If it extends past the pivot bolt as you believe, then removing the lot will no be do-able, with out a lot of effort.

Jeff
vk4

Thanks Jeff,

I've sanded the base back to clean wood. I think I could pop out a 15mm deep section, with some assistance from a friend. I've some left over silvertop ash scrap that would make an excellent plug.

I gather the main concern here is the permeability of wide grain pine, plus the lack of a breather hole may cause an increase in moisture content of the oregon, leading to rot.

Drill a hole through the plug 1/4" (6 mm) or bigger, but not more then 1/2" (13 mm). This will let any accumulated moisture get out. The mast step should have a hole or groove related to the drain hole, so the moisture can escape the step and not pool under the mast's heel.

I agree, if it's epoxied in, just knock out a chunk and insert another softwood (not hard) plug (vertical grain) as a cap, to seal the pine in and serve as a bearing for the heel.

With luck these two things (drain hole and new heel cap) will protect the existing plug, which is probably a swallow tail extending well up into the stick.