Topic 1000

Anything that doesn't fit into the other Physical Systems categories
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bbarnewolt
Posts: 46
Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:10 pm
Location: Mattapoisett, MA

Re: Topic 1000

Post by bbarnewolt »

Tricia wrote:Every time I have rebedded a port light I have done some epoxy work to make the cut-outs in the cabin sides fit better. I also seal any exposed wood with epoxy. Last time I used West System 6-10, which, while expensive, is so much tidier than mixing and thickening in a cup. I mask the cut-out on both sides, then stick scrap wood battens on either side with double-sided tape. A dremel with a sanding drum makes quick work of final shaping of the new epoxy.
I've used the 6-10 as well with fine tuning by the dremel afterwards. Works great. Never thought to use wood battens with double tape. Good idea!
Brien
1988 F36/38
Mattapoisett, MA

tnltracy
Posts: 117
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:45 pm

Re: Topic 1000

Post by tnltracy »

Glad to see so much activity on this topic. Ed and Bob, thanks for the updates and details on sole refinishing. I've been doing a bunch of reading and am planning to go the Tung oil route at this point. I am leaning toward Waterlox as the product of choice. Hope to have a door in the shrink wrap this week so I can grab a couple panels to try out. I am unsure if I have anything I need to spend a lot of time removing yet, or just sanding to prep.
1984 Freedom 32 #28
Warwick Cove, Greenwich Bay, RI

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gamayun
Posts: 270
Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:14 pm

Re: Topic 1000

Post by gamayun »

tnltracy wrote:Glad to see so much activity on this topic. Ed and Bob, thanks for the updates and details on sole refinishing. I've been doing a bunch of reading and am planning to go the Tung oil route at this point. I am leaning toward Waterlox as the product of choice. Hope to have a door in the shrink wrap this week so I can grab a couple panels to try out. I am unsure if I have anything I need to spend a lot of time removing yet, or just sanding to prep.
This has been a GREAT topic! I hope others will chime in on their projects. I learn so much from these forums (fori?) and especially get a lot out of reading posts here, but often the Freedom Yachts forum is not highly used. Maybe that'll change in 2016 :D
Kynntana, Freedom 38

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bobr
Posts: 116
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:05 pm

Re: Topic 1000

Post by bobr »

Postscript on my floorboard refinishing project using a water based, one part urethane called Bristol Finish Classic Clear.

Overall I give the product a B. It might get an A in the hands of a better craftsman. I understand some furniture refinishers spray it on which sounds like a good idea to me.

I ended up with 6 to 8 coats. It took me around 50 hours to strip, sand and refinish. It got slow at the end as I got some pooling of the finish and some bubbles just when I was trying to get the final coat on a couple of the boards. Not sure why I got bubbles, the pooling was from applying too much when it was no longer being absorbed into the wood. I switched to 320 grit for the final coat on these stubborn boards and it helped.

The good: It doesn't stink. Supposedly it is less slippery underfoot than varnish or polyurethane. Cleans up with water.

The bad and what I would do differently: See above. I would put on fewer coats. As a friend said, it is just more to take off when you get a ding and water begins to migrate into the wood again. As you can see from the pics I do not have a uniform color. Much darker in the aft cabin and v berth that see less traffic and natural light than the main cabin. A pro might have bleached to a uniform color. I tried staining but it darkened the holly strips so that was abandoned. I would coat the bottoms first, which I did last as I did not know how much I would need for the tops. This led to some drips on the tops and yet another round of sanding and coating. In the end I used up almost the whole gallon for 6 to 8 coats on top and 2 on the sides and bottoms. It does not flow on a smoothly as varnish and you will get some bubbles, seemingly without rhyme or reason. Most can be brushed out but I have a some very small ones that remain.

Conclusion: I picked this product because I did not want the fumes of a 2 part poly and did not trust my skills with varnish or feel confident it would hold up to my dog's nails. Did it myself to save money and do something that kept me connected to the boat during the New England winter. I'd do it again, but not for another 10 years or so (hopefully!).
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Bob R.
1995 Freedom 35 (Pedrick)
"Liberty"
Old Saybrook, CT

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hotstonp
Posts: 78
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:54 pm
Location: Southampton

Re: Topic 1000

Post by hotstonp »

Love the look of those recondition cabin sole boards. That will be a task for me next winter.

My tasks this year are:
New sails ordered
Autohelm fitted (I sail with my 9 year old daughter and some times she just wants to sit rather than helm as she isn't really tall enough to see)
Build a teak box to stand on behind the wheel (so she feels happier at the wheel)
Fit an outhaul and a cunningham with associated cleats and organisers
Fit a couple of USB charging points
Fix a couple of small leaks through stanchion and cleats
Scrape off the deck paint, lift fittings and reseal as I go.


This winter I have had the boat shrink wrapped so I can work on deck. A previous own covered everything in a gritty deck paint that is flaking off in a many places and the foredeck is like a skating rink. So I am sanding and scraping it all off, lifting the fittings as I go and resealing. No nightmares so far but always worried about the balsa. The cover has been a real blessing give the amount of rain the UK has had.
Feronia - 1986 Freedom 33 Cat Sloop (UK Hoyt), Hull # 001, Aluminium Needlespar rig, shoal keel.

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