CD 330 refurbish

[dr2owen]

Previously, I posted about replacing the cabin sole in my CD330. After extensive staring at the situation, I think I am going to have to dismantle a bunch of the interior to do the job properly. That requires removing a rather daunting number of wooden plugs to get at the screws. What is the best way to get these plugs out? If anyone has any insight to help me accomplish this task, I am sure open to input. Also, the cover over what I believe is the CNG locker on the starboard aft side of the cockpit has deteriorated to the point that I can't even tell how it was constructed. It appears to be filled with plywood? Any help about what to do to fix this is also much appreciated.

[steveg]

Hi,

As far as removing the plugs, I had success by first drilling a small hole in them, then using an awl to bust them apart and remove them, with a small chisel for clean up as necessary. Others here may have a better method.

[Steve Laume]

I have had good luck with simply driving a wood screw into the plug until it contacts the underlying fastener and pops the plug. If you have a lot of them to do, you might cut the head off of a longer sheet rock screw and chuck it up in a battery operated drill. It will save you the time of aligning the head and give you more control. If the plug doesn't come out, completely clean, which it usually does, you can use an awl to pick out the rest, Steve.

[John Stone]

I have used all kinds of methods to remove thousands of wood plugs. Getting the plug out is easy. All the methods described above will work. The trick is not to damage the the shoulders of the hole. If you do, when you reinstall the plug there will be a gap around the perimeter of the new plug. I have had the most consistent results by using a 3/8” foster bit made by porter cable or another quality company. I use a scratch awl to prick the center of the plug then put the center point of the fostner bit in the indent. I put my cordless drill on low speed and drill down til I just make contact with fastener. If there is dried glue in the fastener slots I use a dental pick to dig it out being very careful not to touch the shoulders of the hole.

I have also made many thousands of plugs. If you make your own, and I encourage you to, purchase a fuller tapered wood plug cutter. You will need two sizes. A 3/8” and a 1/2”.

[Maine_Buzzard]

Much of Guppy’s interior was plywood with teak veneer. The plugs were often disks of veneer glued over the screws.

Expect some interesting discoveries as you tear the cabin apart.

“A little dry rot there, captain! It’s OK when it’s above waterline!”

Captain Ron

[John Stone]

This is a follow up to an earlier comment. Attached is a picture of a plug I replaced a few days ago in the cockpit coaming. I drilled the old plug out with a 3/8” Porter-Cable fostner bit and installed a new plug I cut at home with a fuller tapered plug cutter. I installed the plug with Tite-Bond III glue, chieseled it off near flush, sanded it smooth, and have begun the process of feathering it back in with multiple coats of varnish. Over time the uv will even out the colors.

Solid wood plugs are what you use in plywood as well. But, you do need to set the plug deep enough for the glue to work.

[dr2owen]

Much of Guppy’s interior was plywood with teak veneer. The plugs were often disks of veneer glued over the screws.

Expect some interesting discoveries as you tear the cabin apart.

“A little dry rot there, captain! It’s OK when it’s above waterline!”

Captain Ron

Captain Ron's words were certainly prophetic. The deeper I dig the more I find. It now appears that the water damage has affected one of the joists supporting the floor and will have to be replaced. Does anyone have any idea what type of wood was used for the floor joists in a CD 330?

[John Stone]

[/quote] Does anyone have any idea what type of wood was used for the floor joists in a CD 330?[/quote]

Dr2Owen

On a boat those cross timbers are generally referred to as floors—what you would call a joist in a house/building. I don’t think it’s incorrect to call them floor timbers or even floor beams on a FRP boat though. What you walk on is called the sole.

On my 1983 CD 36 the floor beams were some kind of pine. I replaced all of the floors when I gutted and rebuilt her. I used Doug Fir but you can literal use any kind of wood you want. The floor beams are shaped to fit the contour of the hull where they are positioned then, glassed in place. The ends of the wood should not rest againt the hull. There should be an air gap or it should rest on a wedge shaped foam pad.

Here is a link to the documentation of floor and sole rebuild of the Far Reach. We did it a little different because I made the beams removable but you will get the idea of the technique. Generally, I would recommend you copy the way the other floor timbers are installed in your boat.

Long leaf pine is a good choice as is iroko. You can also use white oak. So many choices. But if it were me whatever I used would be tight grained, somewhat rot resistant, with no knots. I would not talk yourself into teak. It would be ridiculously expensive and not really the best use of a wood better suited for other locations.

[dr2owen]

Thanks for the help, John. Where do I go to get the link you talked about.

[John Stone]

Sorry. Forgot the link.

http://www.farreachvoyages.com/floorbeamsandknees.html

[Maine_Buzzard]

Iroko is a great choice for new floor timbers. Good rot resistance, a bit harder than mahogany, and not $35 a bdft!

For cutting big boards to smaller dimensions, rough cut first, let it twist and curve, then finish cut. Lots of internal stresses in a large slab.