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Author Topic:   Rusted Rail

nukethewhaler posted 05-11-2010 02:51 PM ET (US)
I have a 1963 13 foot whaler that needs a good deal of TLC. The first problem I want to solve is the rail. It appears that they used a metal pipe in the rail to receive rivets. It has rusted in many places and will no longer receive fasteners. My intuition is to fill the cavity with epoxy but before I go this route I would like some feedback. Has anyone addressed this problem and what kind of alternatives are there? Thanks
burning_hXc_soul posted 05-11-2010 03:59 PM ET (US)
Are you talking about underneath the rub rail? Like in this area?
http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy228/burning_hXc_soul/HPIM1628.jpg
nukethewhaler posted 05-12-2010 09:44 AM ET (US)
exactly!
burning_hXc_soul posted 05-12-2010 10:39 AM ET (US)
Have you already cut the sides of the boat to inspect it like in my picture? or have you just pulled the rub rail off and tried to put in more rivets and they wouldn't stick and not cut in the area underneath the rub rail? For me, the sides of the boat where literally cracking off underneath of the rub rail and in some places, there was no fiberglass let alone gel coat left! I cut out the sides of the boat with an angle grinder, grounded out the area surrounding the repair of gel coat. I then gouged out the area that was rotted. It appeared to be some kind of epoxy tubing underneath that was all cracked and rotted, and some wood too. I let it dry out for 2 weeks, then I re-foamed it, cut the excess foam out, and re-glassed it. I also filled in all of the rivet holes and plan to attach a new rub rail with some kind of liquid nails or something to avoid the same thing from happening again.
jimh posted 05-13-2010 08:46 AM ET (US)
I do not believe there is any structural significance to the embedded material you have found in the area of the hull-liner joint at the gunwales. It was not put there to hold the rivets, but for another purpose entirely.
On your 1963 hull that metal tubing must have been exposed to some water, perhaps saltwater, and started to rust. I would try to patch up the hull and fill in any openings where the interior of the hull is exposed. If that metal tube is rusted, you could just cut out the rusted portions and fill with foam.
I think if you look closely at that metal tube, it should be flexible electrical metal conduit. Let me know if that is the case.
Tom W Clark posted 05-14-2010 11:24 AM ET (US)
Jim is correct. The flexible armored electrical conduit was placed in the hull to vent the gases from the hull during the foaming process. It serves no other purpose and can now be removed.
Later, Whaler used yellow braided polypropylene rope in the 1970s for this purpose but now has other methods to vent the gases from the hulls.

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Author	Topic: Rusted Rail
nukethewhaler	posted 05-11-2010 02:51 PM ET (US) I have a 1963 13 foot whaler that needs a good deal of TLC. The first problem I want to solve is the rail. It appears that they used a metal pipe in the rail to receive rivets. It has rusted in many places and will no longer receive fasteners. My intuition is to fill the cavity with epoxy but before I go this route I would like some feedback. Has anyone addressed this problem and what kind of alternatives are there? Thanks
burning_hXc_soul	posted 05-11-2010 03:59 PM ET (US) Are you talking about underneath the rub rail? Like in this area? http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy228/burning_hXc_soul/HPIM1628.jpg
nukethewhaler	posted 05-12-2010 09:44 AM ET (US) exactly!
burning_hXc_soul	posted 05-12-2010 10:39 AM ET (US) Have you already cut the sides of the boat to inspect it like in my picture? or have you just pulled the rub rail off and tried to put in more rivets and they wouldn't stick and not cut in the area underneath the rub rail? For me, the sides of the boat where literally cracking off underneath of the rub rail and in some places, there was no fiberglass let alone gel coat left! I cut out the sides of the boat with an angle grinder, grounded out the area surrounding the repair of gel coat. I then gouged out the area that was rotted. It appeared to be some kind of epoxy tubing underneath that was all cracked and rotted, and some wood too. I let it dry out for 2 weeks, then I re-foamed it, cut the excess foam out, and re-glassed it. I also filled in all of the rivet holes and plan to attach a new rub rail with some kind of liquid nails or something to avoid the same thing from happening again.
jimh	posted 05-13-2010 08:46 AM ET (US) I do not believe there is any structural significance to the embedded material you have found in the area of the hull-liner joint at the gunwales. It was not put there to hold the rivets, but for another purpose entirely. On your 1963 hull that metal tubing must have been exposed to some water, perhaps saltwater, and started to rust. I would try to patch up the hull and fill in any openings where the interior of the hull is exposed. If that metal tube is rusted, you could just cut out the rusted portions and fill with foam. I think if you look closely at that metal tube, it should be flexible electrical metal conduit. Let me know if that is the case.
Tom W Clark	posted 05-14-2010 11:24 AM ET (US) Jim is correct. The flexible armored electrical conduit was placed in the hull to vent the gases from the hull during the foaming process. It serves no other purpose and can now be removed. Later, Whaler used yellow braided polypropylene rope in the 1970s for this purpose but now has other methods to vent the gases from the hulls.