Symphony for angle grinder – Repairing a crossbeam damage that occurred a year ago in a night storm in Dalmatia is not difficult at all. Quite the opposite. This is an easy and simple job. In fact, it’s a real symphony for an angle grinder.
Planning
Symphony for angle grinder – Repairing a crossbeam damage that occurred a year ago in a night storm in Dalmatia is not difficult at all. Quite the opposite. This is an easy and simple job. In fact, it’s a real symphony for an angle grinder.
Such work requires thorough preparation and consideration of how and what. So it is right that we take the time to think and plan. The easiest way to do this is with a glass of beer.
When a crew goes for a beer, it usually doesn’t end at one. Not this time either. This is how it went on.
Yes, after working all day on hot asphalt and after the first beer, there is a kind of hunger. Bravo Tina. Great idea. Yes, let’s go for pizza! The nearest pizzeria is just around the corner. Of course, they also pour beer there. Let’s go for another one or two…
Overhaul of a Wooden Catamaran
A series of six articles & videos
How the damage occurred
It’s morning. It’s still raining. Only when the rain stops and everything dries will we be able to continue working. Now is the time to relive the memories.
A year before this overhaul, Ariki was in Dalmatia, in a fishing village on the northeast side of the island of Hvar. He was tied to the pier with three ropes. Ariki was there for three weeks. Others came and went. The weather was one way or another. Everything happened, from strong heat with no winds, to wild storms, during which, for an old stone pier, despite the shelter, waves more than a meter high were coming.
In such weather, Ariki danced, jumped and ran like a young stallion. But he never slipped along the pier.
It was like that for 18 nights. The nineteenth night, however, happened. We were all already asleep. The storm raged over us. Ariki was jumping, the sea was roaring… we slept peacefully.
Suddenly it was screech as Ariki went up the wave. And it was even worse when he went down. Then it bumped and screeched again. But we were already outside. Almost naked, in underwear. Directly from a warm bed on a cold and wet night.
The rope with which Ariki’s stern was tied was untied from the bitva on the pier.
Symphony for angle grinder
There is not much damage. Everything was taken over by the crossbeam, which otherwise protrudes over the edge of the hull. It tore off the oak bollard and damaged the finish plate well. This one must go completely away.
The best tool for such work is a small angle grinder and a lamellar grinding wheel. For this procedure, we used the coarsest lamellar stainless steel grinding wheel. This is because the end plate on the crossbeam is glued and screwed with stainless steel screws. It is easiest to remove all at once, screws and damaged wood.
All material must be removed so thoroughly that the internal construction of the crossbeam is clearly visible.
Drill the screw holes with a larger drill bit. All damaged parts of wood and other materials must also be removed from them. Later, these holes are filled with putty made of epoxy and filling. We use AEROSIL for this.
How to find a crack
How to find out where the wood under the varnish is rotten or damaged? Many think this is a difficult task. In fact, the opposite is true. It’s very simple. Cracks in the paint should be looked for. Where there is a crack, it should be sanded to the wood.
If you have a sharp eye and maintain the boat regularly, it is often the same as here. The wood under the crack is healthy. No deeper grinding is required.
The new end plate is made of 10 mm thick plywood. It is glued to the crossbeam with epoxy putty and screwed with stainless steel screws.
The wooden bollard is a homemade handiwork, just like all the parts that make up Ariki. It is made of oak wood and screwed to the end of the crossbeam with two larger stainless steel screws.
