Preparing Templates / Port Material Removal

     Since Rhino's toerails have a convex surface, and since I had plans to apply a router for the removal of the bad wood, I had to configure a way in which to safely remove the bad while preserving the good. I thought the best way to approach this task was through the creation of a template on which the router could operate, following a predetermined path.  To that end, I went ahead and scribed the convex surface of the toerails onto 6" x 8" sheets of 1/4" birch ply.  I prepared a forward and aft piece for the port toerail and also for the starboard toerail; taking these measures back to the shop, I carefully removed the material along the scribed lines.  The idea was to transfer the patch measurements onto a horizontal board bridging the two vertical pieces scribed to match the surface of the toerail.  Finally, the router would move along the stable jig, following the patch cut-out and remove the bad wood.  I spent just an hour on this concept before deciding to abandon it to a less-Rube-Goldberg approach:  hammer and chisel.

     So during the previous day's work on Rhino, I applied tracing paper to the toerail and marked the worst of the water and sun damage on the paper.  Using some leftover counter top laminate I had in the shop, I created a flexible template for what would eventually become the dutchman patches.  I taped the  tracing paper onto the surface the laminate, and then used a straight-edge and a utility knife to remove the interior of the patch template.

Below, the port dutchman patch marked and ready to be cut out.

Below, the starboard dutchman template prepared and ready for use on the toerail.

Once the templates were prepared, I ventured over to Rhino and placed them on the toerails to transfer the eventual dutchman patch measurements.  In the picture below, I have traced the dutchman template and am in the process of removing the bad material with hammer and wood chisel.  The intent is to remove as little material as possible, yet to rid the rails of rot.

Finally, the port toerail showing removal of the compromised wood, the void would require further shaping in order to receive the dutchman patch. The dutchman patches will be set with thickened epoxy instead of wood glue in order to tie in the surrounding material, adding strength and stability.  Smaller voids across the surface of the bow section will be filled with paste stain - Interlux paste stain wood filler.  The paste stain is appropriate for a boat of this construction and vintage; and will tie in the balance of handrail and toerails with the preparations made on the bow.

March 10th, 2013 - Total Time 4 hrs