Tom at Buzzard Roost sent this to me about repairing Dry Rot in the wood.
Chuck.
***********************************************************
Had to take a break to put a 2nd coat of varnish on the center thwart from my old Old Town Camper. It had gotten dryrot on one end and I had
to do something about it. It occurred to me while varnishing that
perhaps some were unfamiliar with the West System technique for stopping and correcting dryrot, so here is what I did a few weeks ago:
Took the thwart out of the boat and brushed it with a handheld
brass-bristled brush to remove loose, powdery rot. I then mixed up a
small batch of epoxy and thinned it about a third with acetone, enough
to reach a thin, watery consistency. I stood the end with the dryrot in
the epoxy/acetone mix for several hours so it could absorb as much of
the mix as feasible. Then just as the mix was starting to 'go off' I
removed the thwart and hung it up to drip off excess and set up well.
The dryrotted area that was soft and weak is now as hard and strong
as the day I got it. So I sanded it down
last night and put on a coat of a new varnish I'm trying, a floor grade
water-based polyurethane. Just steel-wooled it and put on the 2nd coat.
Oughta outlast me now.
Guess I shoulda put this on Sparkeys Forum but didn't think of it 'til
just now. So Sparkey if you think it's of any value you're welcome to
transfer it as far as I'm concerned.
I 'spect most people already are aware of the technique but it could be
the salvation of someones' old heirloom wood & canvas canoe if they're
ignorant of it. OF
Joe F .. Suggested this...................
Tom, there is another product that is made specifically for such applications, Smith's Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer. I buy it locally from a wholesale marine paint supplier, but is available online from http://www.jamestowndistributors.com and others. In addition to marine applications it is used in architectural restoration/preservation projects. You can look it up on Google to get the details.
jf
Chuck.
***********************************************************
Had to take a break to put a 2nd coat of varnish on the center thwart from my old Old Town Camper. It had gotten dryrot on one end and I had
to do something about it. It occurred to me while varnishing that
perhaps some were unfamiliar with the West System technique for stopping and correcting dryrot, so here is what I did a few weeks ago:
Took the thwart out of the boat and brushed it with a handheld
brass-bristled brush to remove loose, powdery rot. I then mixed up a
small batch of epoxy and thinned it about a third with acetone, enough
to reach a thin, watery consistency. I stood the end with the dryrot in
the epoxy/acetone mix for several hours so it could absorb as much of
the mix as feasible. Then just as the mix was starting to 'go off' I
removed the thwart and hung it up to drip off excess and set up well.
The dryrotted area that was soft and weak is now as hard and strong
as the day I got it. So I sanded it down
last night and put on a coat of a new varnish I'm trying, a floor grade
water-based polyurethane. Just steel-wooled it and put on the 2nd coat.
Oughta outlast me now.
Guess I shoulda put this on Sparkeys Forum but didn't think of it 'til
just now. So Sparkey if you think it's of any value you're welcome to
transfer it as far as I'm concerned.
I 'spect most people already are aware of the technique but it could be
the salvation of someones' old heirloom wood & canvas canoe if they're
ignorant of it. OF
Joe F .. Suggested this...................
Tom, there is another product that is made specifically for such applications, Smith's Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer. I buy it locally from a wholesale marine paint supplier, but is available online from http://www.jamestowndistributors.com and others. In addition to marine applications it is used in architectural restoration/preservation projects. You can look it up on Google to get the details.
jf