Subject: Re: [baidarka] Wood Treatment
From: Peter Chopelas (pac@premier1.net)
Date: Tue Jun 01 2004 - 21:23:37 EDT
> > , but I do know a fair
> > amount about wood and oil finishes, as I am a gunsmith and
> > gunstock carver. Linseed oil will provide absolutely no
> > water protection,
>
> Yes, that was the idea. The boat will be used primarily in fresh water,
and
> will probably spend the vast majority of it's life hanging from my outdoor
> shelter's roof, out of the sun, but in a non-controlled atmosphere. It is
> usually DRY and hot around here, but in the spring winter and fall.
You might do this, go to any paint or hardware store (even Lowe's or Home
Depo), get some "spar varnish" (I have purchased "man-o-war" brand at Lowe's
for a good price), thin it with 50 percent turpintine and add an anti-fungal
addative to it. You should only need about a quart. Paint over the whole
frame with perhapse 4 or 5 coats, especially the joints and lashings. You
could finish off with one or two coats a mixture of only 20 percent
turpintine, . It will seal the wood and forstall mold or rot, the thin
coats will be flexible and not have a tentancey to crack as much. Make sure
you espically coat any end grain, and places where moisture can be traped
(like the bow and stearn assemblies). This is also a good "base" coat if
you are using cotton canvas, it will make the fabric last a bit longer.
Personally I would use polyester fabric in such an environment, it will last
longer in unprotected weather. Use heavy pigment the fabric sealing paint,
or buy soild colors for the fabric, it will protect the fabric better from
the sun.
> > red oil based house paint,
> > and you'd have basically the same thing. This would actually
> > be a very good protectant to the wood,
>
> I've been told that if the frame is painted, paint will get into the
joints,
> and sort of glue the boat together, which is supposed to be a bad thing in
a
> SOF boat????
Paint has to be flexible, espcially for going over wood surfaces, or it
would crack and peel off in only one season.
> > Tung oil is an oil finish that is actually a good protectant.
> > It requires multiple coats, and basically would build up
> > like a very thin varnish.
> Based on this information, I'm leaning toward Tung Oil. :) Sounds like it
> will fit my bill.
Tung oil will not give as glossy a finish as spar varnish nor any UV
protection, but it should be fairly inexpensive. If you keep it out of the
sun this would be fine.
> > the first thing that jumps out
> > at me is that it's pretty foolish to try to put a protective
> > finish on the frame unless you can also get finish on the
> > ends of all the members, and in all the mortises, etc.
Actually moisture saturated wood is 15 to 20 percent weaker than dry wood.
For this reason alone I would want something on the frame to keep out
moisture. For freash water use, I think it should be necessary to make it
last longer, plus using cedar, red wood, or even fir since these all have
fairly high degrees of natural rot resistance.
Good luck,
Peter
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