Preview: Wooden Boat Repair — Refastening, Part 2 — Removing the Old Screws

20 Responses So Far to “Wooden Boat Repair — Refastening, Part 2 — Removing the Old Screws”

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  william burnham says:

  I’m currently refastening a 32′ 45 year old S&S sloop.
  I would like 2 sets of the RIG tools (cutter and extractor).
  Can you help me in obtaining them?
  Bill Burnham
  Mystic CT

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    Steve Stone says:

    Hi William. Ya, the “rig” is ingenious. We don’t have specific sources for these bits but he describes them well and you can search for them online. i.e. a search for “irwin extractor set” gives you lots of options for the extractor socket bits.

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      william burnham says:

      Thanks Steve
      Will keep at it
      Best
      Bill Burnham

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  rob davidson says:

  What were the fasteners made of, they looked corroded like iron, but the broken ends looked like …brass/de-zinced….?

  Thanks

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  Harvey Nobe says:

  Another interesting video would be on how to remove old square boat nails. Most of mine are rusted in and clenched on the inside of the frame. So they can’t be drilled out, can’t be pulled out and are hard to drive out.

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    Wes Faulkenberry Jr. says:

    Harvey, this is just a thought off the top of my head: Is it possible to get the tip of a small pry bar under the clenched-over portion of the nail? If so, then pry up the end of the nail, clip it off roughly flush to the frame, then drive out the remainder of the nail with an appropriately sized drift pin or nail set. I think this method is sure to scar up the surfaces of your frames, but if you can live with that, this method might answer. Best of luck, Wes

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  Edward Hollister says:

  thank you ! well watch again to get the info on tools.

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  Capt. Peter Reich says:

  Not sure how well it would work on a boat but I once had to re fasten a mahogany deck on a house that was originally built with galvanized screws which were failing. To remove the bungs (3/8″) I cut the head off 2-1/4″ drywall screw and put in drill. In forward at slow speed turned screw into center of bung. Once point of screw bottomed out on head of deck screw, the threads backed bung out. Worked like a champ and only took a few seconds per bung.

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  C Douglas Walling says:

  Ahoy Guys , I saw on the video , a screw extractor, that I haven’t seen before , and I want one or two ! It has a 1/2″ OD and a reverse thread screw head receiver to grab the OD of the screw head for extraction .
  Gosh , where did you find this drill bit tool ? Please send me two , to Singapore , right away .

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  Kevin Pagliuca says:

  I thought this was a good video. Especially liked the demonstrations with problem fasteners. In the video, it was demonstrated how to remove a stripped screw using what they referred to as a “rig” to cleanly remove just enough wood surrounding the stripped fastener so that an Irwin Screw Extractor could be placed over/around the stripped fastener to extract it. My questions is:
  Is the “rig” a custom fabricated tool made by John and Pat or is it available commercially? If it is available where can I purchase a “rig”?

  Thanks for sharing!
  Kevin Pagliuca

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    Kevin Pagliuca says:

    Since posting I’ve learned that “the rig” was fabricated in-house and is not a commercially available tool.

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      C Douglas Walling says:

      Ouch !!! I need two of them , ASAP ,,,,, Help !

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      Andrew Hamilton says:

      I’m looking at a screencap closeup of “The Rig” and it really doesn’t look like a shopmade tool to me- maybe I’m wrong.
      I need to find something like this. I tried the tubelike tool from Woodcraft and it shattered on the very first application, so I’m not inclined to buy more of them. Perhaps there’s an extracter somewhere between the two in terms of stoutness?
      I’m restoring a 1936 H 12/12 and most of the coaming fasteners snapped off flush or minus- I was as careful and slow as I could be, but they’re 86 year old bronze.
      Any ideas about a source for “The Rig” or something close to it? Thanks!

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  Bart Chapin says:

  I was intrigued by the anchor discussion. Maynard you sold me on the Herreshoff type for Maine waters, though I don’t very much like handling that type of anchor. I managed to find a 30 pound Wilcox Crittenden version on Craig’s List. The fluke design is slightly different than the Herreshoff version. Actual Herreshoff anchors are very scarce. I wonder whether the slight difference is significant? Is the angle from the fluke to the stock the same in both versions? The fisherman type has triangular flukes which I imagine would foul even easier than the other two with diamond-shaped flukes. The thickness of the leading edge of the fluke is also different with the different versions. I believe that both the Wilcox and Herreshoff versions are forged, an important characteristic I would think. Any thoughts?

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    Maynard Bray says:

    Hi Bart,
    Most W-C anchors are pretty close to Herreshoffs, but I think all have shanks that are round instead of rectangular. I have several, and they’re “close enough” to work well. Farther down the scale are the fisherman anchors with triangular flukes, made that way to hook over the edge of a vessel’s rail, I think, like the Maine cruise schooners always carry them. For smaller boats using rope instead of chain for a rode, these flukes are more apt to snag.

    Herreshoff changed from forged anchors to cast steel in later years, but these were always proof-tested before delivery.
    Maynard

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  Dennis Dunn says:

  I’m sorry, I meant the “Rig” tool. I’ve found the Irwin extractors online. Thanks.

  -Denny

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  Dennis Dunn says:

  Is the “rake” tool available commercially? Thanks.

  -Denny

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    Miro Peternelj says:

    Search eBay for

    IRWIN-Tools-Bolt-Grip-Bolt-Extractor and Wood Plug Hole Cutter. I found the firs for 20 $ and plug cutter for less than 3 $.

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  Walter Connolly says:

  Did you remove every screw below the waterline, were they silicone- bronze and if so are they of any value as scrap?

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  Walter Connolly says:

  Sail making and the origins of nautical terms such as thwarts, tumble home etc.