Daggerboard refurb.

[scottswierenga]

I am refurbing a daggerboard that is in the raw right now and I need to replace the handle/blocks at the top, along with come up with a replacement (or fabricate) for the retention spring. The handles are no problem but I am wondering how to handle the spring issue. Any ideas or input would be highly useful.

Also, will 3 coats of varnish be enough?

 

[edboat]

I don't know about the retention clip but I can tell you that it will probably take at least 5 coats of varnish to get a really smooth finish,

 

[Fred P]

Got this info from an expert:

Blades are supplied sanded to 100 grit. This
may seem a little rough, but fear not. To avoid
blotchiness, do not sand any finer before the
following steps.
 Use good marine varnish. I have had
excellent results with Interlux products, which are
available from most marine supply stores. Epifanes is
also excellent, maybe even better if you use it right,
but it’s more expensive, harder to find, and harder to
work with. Do not use the goop sold at hardware
stores, even if it says ‘marine’ something on the can.
The real cost of the job is the time you put into it.
My time is worth quality materials; yours should be
too.
 Use either a good quality badger hair brush
made specifically for varnishing, if you are willing
to take the time to take care of it, or disposable
foam brushes if you aren’t. The only kind of foam
brush worth using is called the ‘Poly-Brush’ – it has
a wood handle and a very small-cell gray foam head.
Most Sears hardware stores, marine supply places, and
good paint stores stock these. The same manufacturer
makes another item called a ‘Foam-Brush’ which has
coarser foam and doesn’t work very well. The foam
brushes with plastic handles sold in packages at
discount places are WORTHLESS. I can buy a whole case
of foam brushes for the price of one good hair brush,
so that’s what I use.
 Hang the parts from a ceiling, closet pole,
etc., at a comfortable level for you to work at. Try
to do this indoors if at all possible. Dust can be a
pain, but even worse is stuff like wind-blown dirt,
cottonwood fuzzies, and bugs. Wet varnish seems to
have a magnetic attraction for the deerflies and
mosquitoes where I live.
 Thin the first coat by at least 50%, using
the manufacturer’s recommended thinner. Put it on
with the grain, brush it across the grain to work it
into the wood, and then go over it very lightly with
the grain to get rid of brush marks and bubbles.
 After first coat is dry, hand sand using 150
grit paper until surface is smooth and all raised
fibers have been removed.
 Thin the second and third coats 25%, fourth
coat 10%, subsequent coats only if necessary to brush.
On unfinished wood, eight coats will give you a
pretty decent base, which if not abused will last an
entire season. Use progressively finer sandpaper
after each couple of coats, ending with 320 grit.
 Before each season, or if the finish is
damaged, lightly sand and recoat with full-strength
varnish. If cared for, this finish should last for
several years before it will need to be stripped and
redone.

 

[DanB]

I am wondering how to handle the spring issue. Any ideas or input would be highly useful.

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