Fasteners for planking

[David L]

I am about to attach the 3/8" side lapstrake planking on the 20 ft Simmons Sea Skiff I'm building. I'm wondering if I should use #8 silicon bronze boat screws or #14 annular ring silicon bronze nails? The screws (5/8" Mcfeeley's) seem to just spin in the pre-drilled, countersinked hole. I guess self tapping machine screws would be better but I can't find any in #8 5/8" silicon bronze square head drive. I'm not sure if the nails would be better. I'm also using Sikaflex 292 adhesive caulk on the overlap. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Nicholas Carey]

Originally posted by David L:
I am about to attach the 3/8" side lapstrake planking on the 20 ft Simmons Sea Skiff I'm building. I'm wondering if I should use #8 silicon bronze boat screws or #14 annular ring silicon bronze nails? The screws (5/8" Mcfeeley's) seem to just spin in the pre-drilled, countersinked hole. I guess self tapping machine screws would be better but I can't find any in #8 5/8" silicon bronze square head drive. I'm not sure if the nails would be better. I'm also using Sikaflex 292 adhesive caulk on the overlap. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.If your screw are 'spinning in their holes', you've probably drilled the pilot holes the wrong size. That, or the 5/8in screws don't have enough bury to grab.

You might want to try checking the size of your pilot hole and/or going to a longer screw.

Having just reframed and refastened a nailed boat, all I can say is: don't use nails. Someone down the line will thank you for that. It might be you.

Have you considered rivets?

[reddog]

David;
For lapstrake planking of this thickness you should be riviting with copper.
Earl

[Bayboat]

Right: copper rivets/roves. You could use bronze screws where the planking fastens to the frames. The old style was to use no bedding in the laps. Or, occasionally, white lead paste. If well constructed, the planking should "take up" to be watertight without bedding. If you use bedding (not adhesive), spread it sparingly and evenly in the laps.

[ 05-01-2002, 01:50 PM: Message edited by: Bayboat ]

[Mr. Know It All]

I have a 1961 Lyman lapstrake,3/8" plywood planks, and it's fastened with both copper nails and bronze screws. screw,nail, nail,screw. Glue in the laps. I'm not sure if this was an economic or structural decision since this boat was mass produced but, after 41 years the hull is still amazingly tight and needs little reclinching. Jamestown Distributors carries screws and nails and so does Hamilton Marine and they have web sites. One of those cordless drills with the different torque settings might keep your screws from over-tightening and spinning out. Hang in there.
peace----> Kevin in Ohio

[Todd Bradshaw]

I rebuilt an original Simmons Sea Skiff once and can't remember exactly what was used to fasten the planks together between the frames, but it was not rivets and I believe it was clench-nailed. The planks were in good shape, so we didn't need to mess with them much. We replaced the motor well, bow deck, floorboards and console, refastened the transom boards and replaced the MDO panels on the bottom. After some stripping, we found that just about everything except the planks and bottom was mahogany which had been painted seafoam green so we took out all the frames and other pieces, one by one, refinished them and stuck them back in. There also was little ,if any, calking between planks. Maybe a little bedding compound, but that's about it. Great boat. They get a lot of bang out of a fairly small outboard and light, easy to trailer hull.

[ 05-02-2002, 12:54 AM: Message edited by: Todd Bradshaw ]

[rodcross]

As for the screws spinning in the pilot holes, you may want to compare the profiles of the screws and the drill bit.

I hope you're not using those square-drive screws. I wouldn't want to take those out a few years down the road