Comments on: A bit on how those big planks are installed http://www.mysticseaport.org/morganblog/2012/05/a-bit-on-those-big-planks/ Mystic Seaport Fri, 11 Oct 2013 15:43:16 +0000 hourly 1 By: tom.daniels http://www.mysticseaport.org/morganblog/2012/05/a-bit-on-those-big-planks/#comment-5 tom.daniels Sun, 19 Aug 2012 17:04:48 +0000 http://morganblog.mysticseaport.org/morganblog/?p=1#comment-5 Thanks Doug. I’ll see if other folks around here call it that as well.

]]> By: Doug Parsons http://www.mysticseaport.org/morganblog/2012/05/a-bit-on-those-big-planks/#comment-4 Doug Parsons Fri, 03 Aug 2012 19:48:17 +0000 http://morganblog.mysticseaport.org/morganblog/?p=1#comment-4 Here in Gloucester ,Your lagged C clamp is a rather simply designed clamp that we call a “Jenny”

]]> By: Tom http://www.mysticseaport.org/morganblog/2012/05/a-bit-on-those-big-planks/#comment-3 Tom Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:01:44 +0000 http://morganblog.mysticseaport.org/morganblog/?p=1#comment-3 Hi Denny,
You’re right, the linseed oil is strictly for slowing down the planks’ inevitable drying out while the boat is out of the water. We’re trying to minimize plank shrinkage and checking. The red lead is most often used as a way to slow rot in a boat, so it’s painted on the faying (mating) surfaces of wood parts, such as where the planks rest against the frames. It’s also often used in places where the boat is continually damp, like the bilge. It’s very toxic stuff and kills just about anything it comes in contact with. You could make the case that painting the inside faces of the planks is a good way to slow down moisture transfer, but the cost of doing this is
1) expense and time (red lead paint is Very expensive)
2) the steaming process will cause much of the paint to release, thus negating it’s effectiveness
3) it’s not historically accurate
4) The salt from the salt shelves does a good job of preserving the wood without the paint.

We wouldn’t paint the outside of the planks with red lead to slow down the drying because we plane the outer plank faces to fair them, and that would spread highly toxic lead all over the place. It would be a nightmare to contain.

We’re not using red lead on the frames to address future rot issues during this round of restoration, I think because of the expense, lack of historical accuracy, and because we’ve found that the salting seems to do a very good (and non-toxic) job of preserving the wood. I’ll check in with Rob and Quentin to verify that as well.

-Tom

]]> By: Dennis Dunn http://www.mysticseaport.org/morganblog/2012/05/a-bit-on-those-big-planks/#comment-2 Dennis Dunn Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:50:33 +0000 http://morganblog.mysticseaport.org/morganblog/?p=1#comment-2 Tom:
I understand that you are coating the planks with Linseed oil to keep them from drying out. Can you comment on this choice as opposed to red lead? Thanks.

-Denny

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