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Rubrails


ecgossett

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Oh, I dig cleaning up a regular old joint, although I do appreciate learning your way, too. Best part about this place is getting perspectives from other minds.

I'm curious about PAR's method of using the gap between the coved and squared edges as a caulk seam. Am I to rely on squeeze out? If so, how do I keep the goop out of the weave, off the bright rail, and nice and full and smooth? I think a solvent wipe would leave a small cove in the top of the caulk, which would be less than ideal, here, I should think.

Usually, I just set the rail flush with the plank, and don't have decks to worry about. Usually I just build dumb little sampans and pirogues from pine wood and nails, though, or SoF boats, so what do I know? I rarely use epoxy or tube stuff, and quit all GRP type stuff 10 or so years ago.

I've never used the method and it sounds cool. I may not use it, but I definitely want to learn it!

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Tape everything off on bright finishes. You don't need to use the ooze out, but it's handy when it's there. I don't use solvent wipes as it often does as you suggests, but more importantly causes the surface of the goo to cure more quickly than the full bead and this can cause cracking when everything does eventually cure. As to the color, it depends, I usually go with a contrasting one, so you can see when it needs to be renewed, but sometimes I'm simply trying to hide the seam, so a matching color makes sense.

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I've seen this stuff but don't have a lot of data on it other than the usual tech and MSDS sheets. It's an elastomeric, so you can paint over it, but alkyd paints will probably have a reaction without a primer, though is fine for acrylics. It's not recommended for immersion and it doesn't "tool" as well as the polyurethanes.  It also doesn't seem to tolerate a lot of movement. It's a "spirits" clean up goo, so that's no fun either. When I look for a new caulk type of product, I key in on the label and the terms; waterproof, mold and mildew resistant, paintable, etc. If it doesn't have these things on the label, I don't consider it.

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Commonly available stuff is from DAP and it's their Dynaflex 230 series. It's waterproof, mildew resistant, good flexibility, is paintable, tools easily, etc. All the big box stores carry it. It's not recommend for total emersion, but all of the acrylic urethanes will have this disclaimer. Another option is DAP, Premium Construction adhesive. This is a polyurethane and though cures a bit stiffer, has much higher tack, yet is still waterproof and paintable, though is solvent cleanup.

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When the guys put in my neighbor's windows a while back, they left a half case of this, amongst other things, including a chop saw and impact driver.

I returned the chop saw and impact driver when they came back two days later, but I kept the screws and half box of caulk. Sorry.

Anyway, I used this to seal up a dumb little pirogue we made from plywood to beat up. Ain't beat it up yet, and the goop is still gooping. This boat is stashed in the wild, so no kid gloves, here.

Not a pro, and not recommending it, yet, but it meets all PAR's criteria, it was free to me, and I have used it before. I plan to use it on my rub rails, which I chickened out on the flush mount deal. I'm setting them down about 1/4 inch from the deck...

post-4050-0-64706100-1441039960_thumb.jpg

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Apparently I'm not the yardbird guano I imagined myself to be. Once I clamped them flush, I just had to leave them.

Thanks, PAR.

By the by, I did not go to my usual paint store to buy the masking tape, because I am a painter, and I'm one of THOSE painters, like 3rd generation, and, well, masking tape... My grandfather's brushes would probably burst into flames if they ever touched the stuff. :)

post-4050-0-12549100-1441062475_thumb.jpg

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Oh yeah, noted. I'm going to leave them screwed in place for a few days to take a little set, then I'll stick em on.

It's going to look real slick, I think. Thanks again for the info.

In all, honesty, I think these are the first bright pieces of wood I've put on a boat in 10 years, well. Except for a SoF coaming...

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There are only 2 places I would ever use silicone or a goop containing it:  glazing acrylic or polycarbonate and to fill the spaces for teak decking.  Once silicone contaminates a surface cleaning it off enough to get anything else to stick (caulk, paint, varnish, almost anything) can be difficult to impossible.  There is always a better choice.  Just like some old boats, free is some times not worth the price.

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Thanks, and noted.

Actually, for me, a tube of anything is usually the wrong choice, but I don't do a lot of modern boatbuilding, not for maybe 10 years.

I normally bed in soft stuff, like bear or monkey poo, or even (gasp!) plumbers putty. But, for the sake of trying PAR's method, I'll use what's here already. I can always REALLY chicken out and paint them, because paint sticks to this stuff fine. :)

Of course, I may REALLY REALLY chicken out, and set them down a bit when I actually install them, and use a little doo behind them instead of tube stuff...

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Dave, That DAP product he's using is a typical exterior "painters" caulk and don't contaminate the surface that much. It's siliconized, not a true silicon, which I agree (real silicon) is just too troublesome to use except on glass or some plastics. Again, the tape trick will prevent it getting on places you don't want it, particularly varnished surfaces, where adhesion issues can show up.

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PAR, thanks for the confirmation it might not be terrible to use.

I do always appreciate Dave's $ .02 because his posts show him to be careful, conscientious, and capable. And sometimes really funny.

Aside from that, my favorite sport is learning. Oh, and no varnish, only water based poly, or maybe oiled. Pretty much everything is water based out here in the Golden State. Pretty much.

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I've tested a number of water based finishes and am not convinced they work very well, especially the clears. I wouldn't use oil on those rails, for fear it would screw with the caulk bond. Yeah, Dave is a well regarded contributor and a bit sick in the head, like me, which is probably why I like him. Us nut jobs need to stick together.

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Yep, water based stuff is pretty sketchy, but infinitely better than 20 years ago.

Thanks for the tip on the oil and caulk. I'll probably just leave them bare. This boat will not be used hard or put away wet, so they should age nicely. Plus, bare wood is the easiest finish to touch up.

And for the record, I'm not a nut, man. I'm a rivet man. ;)

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Wow Robert, you DO have a terminal case. You can never have enough boats. You need one for each type of boating that you need to do, or think you need to do. Here's my short list. Single place canoe for backwaters, two place for bigger waters or when the wife wants to go, three cheap kayaks for camping (mine, wife's, grandson's), small outboard for turtlin', larger outboard for day cruising a bit faster or with company, day sailer, cruising sailboat for single handed cruising, ...................

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Now if I could just convince my wife of all this sound logic about multiple boats I am hearing...  :)

 

And I completely get the building one while the next is on paper-  I have a kit CS 17 going together, a SailRig for my Chesapeake 17 kayak, and a SUP all in process in my shop-  and I gently remind Graham that I am ready for that OB 20 kit anytime he is....

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