25D Interior Seats

[Steve Laume]

Steve, if you can find unplaned ash it is easy to resaw two strips out of the thickness. Here in the Northeast, most saw mills will have some ash boards laying around that are thoroughly air dried.

I have a nice stash (of ash) in the racks of my barn that was cut here on the place. I know this doesn't help your situation but I always enjoy using wood that I have taken through the entire process of tree to finished product, Steve

[Tod Mills]

Sometimes more difficult to find, these work well because the driver is less prone to popping out under torque than a phillips...

http://www.mcfeelys.com/tech/faq.htm

[img]http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... s/268b.jpg[/img]

[Oswego John]

Hi Tod,

You are quite correct in your statement. I have found that i've had no trouble stripping phillips heads screw heads when using screws the size for sheet rock length, even up to 2". Only with the longer ones.

When I was dock building, I used square drive screws soley. I would thru-bolt the frames and attach the deck planking with 3 1/2" or 4" square drive screws. I would drill a pilot hole and then drive the screws in with a 1/2" Ridgid drill motor. Super power.

One thing worth mentioning is if I am using the type of screw pictured when fastening slats or lattice, I usually drill a pilot hole in the thin wood and then slightly chamfer the hole.

If you will notice the picture of the screw, the area just below the head is beveled and when the screw is socked home, the bevel can act as a wedge and split the thin wood.

Obviously, this type of screw should be made flush with the work or a little below flush.

On a completely different tack, I know a guy who installs fine, light, thin wood with mastic of choice and an air powered gun and almost invisible brads.

So, yes, those square drive screws never strip their heads. I buy my square headed screws by the box at my local Ace Home Supply. Oh, BTW, don't forget to buy a square drive bit or two (at least one for dropsies deep into the bilge netherworld)

Happy project
Happy 4th of July
O J

[Steve Laume]

Sometimes more difficult to find, these work well because the driver is less prone to popping out under torque than a phillips...

http://www.mcfeelys.com/tech/faq.htm

[img]http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... s/268b.jpg[/img]

I have used those square headed screws for lots of construction projects. One of the nicest things about them is that you can put them on the end of a driver and they will stay there.

As for fastening those 5/16" ash strips I believe the Philips heads are still your best option as there would not be room for a square head on a 4# X 3/4" screw. You also want pan heads to finish off nicely.

Those screws are so small I can't even see the slots in the old one's without glasses, Steve.

[Dean Abramson]

We removed the back rests, and their cushions in our 25D, and we never looked back. (We did save them, of course, and sold them with the boat.) A big improvement. Lots more room, a feeling of space, and access to the shelves.

We bought two large throw pillows, which we leaned back against while eating or hanging out below, and also used those frequently in the cockpit too. The pillows were a little taller than the distance from bunk to the shelf; we found that if we stood them up and bowed them slightly so they stuck up under the shelf, they would stay there while we were underway (because of the slight tension). At night, they lived in the quarter berth, or, if a guest was there, on the galley counter.

Dean