Nailing leather to the boom

[BOATDOC]

I am thinking about nailing a piece of leather to the underside of the boom where it rests in the gallows. Any thoughts about how to do it to minimize water damage to the wood?

[Uncle Duke]

Out of curiousity - why on the boom and not on the gallows?

[John Turpin]

I think I'd sooner add leather to the gallows than to the boom. But, here's a photo of a mast with a leather guard laced onto it. If you lace, there's no need to drill/nail into the boom at all. It would also let you remove the leather from time to time for cleaning and varnishing.

http://marina.fortunecity.com/breakwater/274/2001/0115/index_files/kjames2.jpg

Photo credit (http://marina.fortunecity.com/breakwater/274/2001/0115/index.htm#)

[Thorne]

You can use a cobbler's glue over the varnish/paint to attach the leather.

Purists will recommend soaking the leather, stretching it over the wood, and stitching it in place. Others say to just bevel the edges like a plywood scarf and trust the glue. Use proper leather cement on both boom and leather, and let it dry per instructions before putting the leather in place. Consider using an old bicycle innertube stretched over the leather as a 'clamp' to hold the leather while it dries.

To avoid damaging the wood, avoid poking holes in it with tacks.

[ 03-01-2006, 10:19 AM: Message edited by: Thorne ]

[J. Dillon]

I used contact cement with great success.

JD

[almeyer]

I'd recommend wrapping leather around the boom and sewing it on, rather than tacking or nailing the leather on. My own preference, I don't care for gluing the leather on. I see the leather as something sacrificial which will eventually have to be replaced, but it's a lot easier to replace a worn leather than build a new boom. By the same token, it's a lot easier to replace the leather if it's sewn on rather than tacked or glued on.
Al

[Bob Cleek]

Most certainly, put the leather on the gallows, not on the boom. Even gluing to the boom can hide problems with the wood beneath, particularly in a spot where it is likely to get some bruising. It will be easier to varnish the boom without the leather there, as well. It is much easier to replace the gallows if the tack holes cause problems than it would be the boom! Also, a relatively small piece of teak can serve as the gallows, avoiding the tack/rot issue entirely. Also, the less you hang on the rig, the better, even if it's a bit of leather.

[Steve Lansdowne]

There was an article in WB a while back on leathering oars which you'd find handy. It demonstrates use of a baseball stitch to sew the leathers on.

[seo]

About ten years ago I glued some leathers onto a pair of oars using 5200. They haven't come off yet, even along the edges. At least with oaks, the neat little row of copper tacks is like a "snap along dotted line" graphic for the oak god. He isn't terribly bright, and needs instructions...
seo

[ahp]

I like J Dillon's answer. I am very suspicious of driving nails into spars. Also, Contact cement makes a good weather proof sealer for those odd little seam cracks that may let in rainwater.