Cap Rails are Finished.

When I bought Annie her cap rails were a mess. I wasn't sure how I was going to attack this project but I knew it eventually had to be dealt with.

Wood Rot...

Cracked & Broken Spots...

Old Varnish...

Useless Seams and Sealant...

I thought about taking all the teak cap rails off and fiberglassing the hull to deck like John and Dianne Clark did on Konami, (click here to check out that job). But after some honest reflection I decided that would probably be a little over my novice head and with time constraints, it was ruled out via logic and honesty.

I also thought about spicing in teak but at $18-$22 per board foot, my budget immediately over-ruled that ridiculously expensive idea.

Then, I heard of a local guy who had a lumber mill and specialized in "Deadhead Cypress." Now, if you don't know what Deadhead Cypress is, here's a link explaining its origin and properties. Briefly, "Deadhead Cypress" are logs that were harvested for lumber back in the late 1800's and early 1900's but sank in the rivers before reaching the saw mills. Many of the logs have lay at the bottom of rivers and swamps for 100 plus years. They are therefore resistant to rot, (as well as many other valued attributes).

I decided I would purchase rough Deadhead Cypress boards and splice them into the damaged areas of my cap rails and then, paint the cap rails. The Deadhead Cypress was resistant to rot and relatively hard and any differences in grain or other cosmetic issues would be hidden from view by the cap rail paint.

I got the pieces I needed for $24 bucks. (After messing up those pieces, I went back and got three more pieces for $20 bucks)! The total project cost with wood, 3M Green Putty, epoxy, primer, paint, paint brushes, and replacement lumber for cutting mistakes... less than $100 bucks. Plus, it actually turned out very nice.

"A picture is worth a thousand words" so here's the pics...

First, the splicing...

Had to do some small splices and then sand and shape the uphill curves.

I used countersunk SS screws and 4200 to attach the spliced pieces...
I also used epoxy... (they are not going anywhere!)

Lots of sanding and shaping...

Then, the epoxy...

Then, the 3M Green Putty...

Then, the taping...

Then, the priming...

Then, the painting...

 Fair seas and God bless!