Help - Removing thin deck plugs and stubborn screws

[zak99]

I am working on a 60 foot classic boat de and re caulking the teak deck.

The job now is to remove all (over 1000) the 10mm plugs and screws, re counterbore and replace the screws and plugs.

The reason for removing is where the deck has worn, some of the screws are showing, and many of the plugs are wafer thin, potentially allowing leaks. I have a few difficulties that I could do with some advice on to help speed things up given how many I have to do.

1. Removing the shallow (and deep) deck plugs, at the moment I am using a small gouge or round chisel, cutting round inside the plug and eventually flicking out the surplus, then cleaning up with the gouge. I have a 3/8 forstner coming next week so that may help providing I can get dead centre. I thought about a perspex guide with a 3/8 hole in it to offer over the plug, and use the forstner through that. May work, we'll see. Any thoughts, ideas please?. The forstner may run off where the bronze screws are close to the surface.

Is there a plug available between 10mm and 12mm, slightly bigger than 10mm would be great but I suspect its not an option?

2. Removing the stuck bronze screws 10g x 2 inches. Under the teak is not ply but an epoxy subdeck (laid in 1992). ALL the screws seem to be stuck at that layer, so its possible the teak was laid on wet epoxy, I'm not sure. Many of the screws are snapping presenting a nightmare of drilling out the remainder. The deck beams are Mahogany. My most successful method so far is using a 60w electric rope cutter with a modified blade to transfer heat into the screw. I'm having to use it well beyond its design spec. I could do with more heat. This has reduced the snap rate but not enough. It was also suggested to hit the screw with a driver and hammer before and after heat but I dont feel that this is helping as the screw heads are sitting on firm teak.

I have a fast car waiting if things dont improve !!!

 

[Mike.S]

I have no directly relevant experience here, but with that caveat out the way, I'd consider:

Teak plugs

It may be worth attempting to use a 'dent puller' - the sliding hammer tool that car body repairers use to pull dents and scroats use to extract car locks! They're not expensive and you can just screw it into the plug (pilot hole may be needed) and slide the 'hammer' upwards and voila!

Alternatively, drill a hole centrally, insert a small screwdriver or old chisel and just lever the plug out.

I noticed a while ago that a local chandlery stocked teak plugs and a quick internet search confirms many do - so you could buy them ready made. However, they seem expensive (as you need 1,000). May be better (cheaper and custom made for hole size) to buy a plug cutter e.g. these at Axminster and make your own, especially if you're going to have some waste teak planks that are being replaced.

Screw removal

Soldering iron as heat source? One trick with rusted screws (I know they're not rusted but same problem) is to tighten the screws first - so as to break the bond and then unscrew. May be worth a try.

Good luck - and keep the fast car ready for a quick getaway

 

[Graham Orm]

Do the screws need to be removed? You don't state why. If not, drill the heads off and re-plug the hole above, then drill a new hole close by and insert a new screw with a new plug. Sounds like a nightmare job getting all those screws out. There's always something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Broken-Damage ... 2ecb714073

 

[ColeyS1]

When I've accidently chiseled off a plug and its gone below the surface ive drilled a hole slightly smaller than the pellet hole then worked the rest away from the edges with a small slotted screwdriver.
As you've so many to do id go with your own reccomendation of forstner drilling a bigger hole (12mm would be perfect ) you should be able to feel the bit get harder to push as the tip touches the screw head. One of the best tools I bought was a snap on impact screwdriver- one you clout with a hammer. It makes moving stubborn screws easy peasy and seems to be more successful than the cordless impact driver

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

 

[zak99]

Thanks for all the input, oh boy do I need it !! Looks like I'll carry on with heating the screws to break the epoxy bond, wish I could get a bit more heat in them, On Monday I think I may put a tube heater below each beam before I start removing the screws, so they are at least off of cold before I apply the hot knife blade.

Where I have tried force or rocking the screws gently back and forth they have snapped.

Re the plugs, the customer is not keen on going from 10 to 12mm and I have to agree with him, it would look a bit big. Shame there isn't anything in between.

the fast getaway car is warmed up and ready to go !!

 

[twothumbs]

Try http://www.plugitdowel.co.uk. for new plugs. If it is 1000 that is a googly number . Speak with them. As I recall he was nice chap at a trade show a few years ago. Best Wishes.

the fast getaway car is warmed up and ready to go !! Just add the tail light guarantee and you are safe...! I like it.

 

[Rhossydd]

My most successful method so far is using a 60w electric rope cutter with a modified blade to transfer heat into the screw.

If you think the heat approach is worth persisting with, try using a seriously big soldering iron. They have copper tips that could easily be filed down to fit snuggly around the screw and drilled to recess it. With that you could get a lot of heat into the screw relatively easily.