Swelling dried out oak

[outofthenorm]

With the boat out of the water so long, the rudder planks are shrinking more than normal and gaps and cracks are appearing. It does a bit of that every year, but always closes right up after a few days in the water. I've stripped off the old bottom paint and red lead and I want to re-paint with a couple of layers of new red lead, but it would be good if it was swelled up when I did that so nothing gets in the cracks.

I don't have access to running water, so, I'm wondering if I were to saturate the really dry white oak with boiled linseed oil, would it take up and swell the same way it would if it was soaked in water?

The rudder is made from 1.5x 4-6 in white oak with bronze drifts. It tapers to about .75 in at the back.

Thanks - Norm

[ 07-09-2005, 07:16 PM: Message edited by: outofthenorm ]

[Paul Girouard]

I'm out of my league here but why would it hurt for the red lead to get into the cracks ?? I'd think it would be a good thing to seal then up and the water would get in and do it's thing ,"swelling " just due to the boat being back in the water ?? It's , wood , is going to swell if it's in water , period. To simple ??? HTBH ;) PEG

[WFK]

If it's a real concern, I'd pump those cracks will Dolphinite. As your rudder swells up the Dolphinite will simply ooze out......

[pipefitter]

No, it wont swell up the same if you put oil on it. If anything,the oil will maybe even retard the swelling when you do put it back in the water.
Why not just take one of those pump up sprayers and soak the rudder to see what happens? I bet it swells back to normal or close to it.

[ 07-09-2005, 09:36 PM: Message edited by: pipefitter ]

[Bob Cleek]

Just paint it, making sure that the bottom paint gets into the cracks. Then launch. It will swell back up and squeeze out the bottom paint, if you launch within a day or so of painting. As said, you can also fill with dolphinite and paint over. The problem there is that when the Dolphinite squeezes out, you will have a place without bottom paint where the crack was, which isn't all that big a deal, but... Anyway, it isn't a problem.

[outofthenorm]

I appreciate the input so far, but the boat won't be launched again for at least 10 months. If I put anything in the cracks, and it swells after launch (like it usually does) that's likely to put undue pressure on the cracks, and make them worse, no? I just don't want to leave the wood uncovered for that long.

Is the recco to just paint it and don't worry about the cracks?

- Norm

[Bob Cleek]

That's why painting is the best option. The "wedging" effect of paint in the crack is negligible.

[outofthenorm]

Great! Thanks all.