Clench Nails

[stevemansfield]

I am replacing a few cedar planks on a 12' Old Town dingy - the previous were held in place by clench nails that resemble a standard copper tack, but with a smaller head. Are these available and if not, are the larger headed copper tacks suitable for this task?

 

[Mark Adams]

Hello,

Unless you have a VERY early dinghy, the planking was held in place with brass clench nails. If the boat has been exposed to salt water, they can look like copper due to electrolysis (sp?) The proper nails should be 7/8 long, and are available from Rollin Thurlow at Northwoods canoe. I have worked on both a 9'er, and an 11'6". I have a 14'er, and they all have the brass nails. The large copper nails would NOT be the way to go! They will split both planking and the ribs, as well as not clench.

HTh,

Mark

 

[stevemansfield]

Thank you, order has been placed. FYI, here is my project (after a restoration I did 8 years ago. In the interim, some rot had developed in the stem - I scarfed in a new piece, but had to remove some of the planking near the bow to get to it properly. I have some cedar (Western Red) in the shop, is that ok for planking or should I get some of the White cedar?

 

[Mark Adams]

Hi Steve,

It should be red cedar for the planking. if you'll post the serial #, I can look it up on the build record CD's and post the record. The dinghy's have a magic all their own. I'd love to find a 7'er. My 14'er is a bit large. It is rigged for sailing though.

Mark

 

[stevemansfield]

Thanks - You may have done the research before, I have the documentation (attached) - does not specify planking stock though. Every question brings up another, I was a boatbuilder in Stonington, CT for about 5 years and find it hard to believe that the time stamps on the attached are accurate; how can you complete, canvas, filll and varnish a boat on the same day?

 

[Benson Gray]

I was a boatbuilder in Stonington, CT for about 5 years and find it hard to believe that the time stamps on the attached are accurate; how can you complete, canvas, filll and varnish a boat on the same day?

You can search through the other build records posted here and find many examples with a similarly quick sequence of time stamps so the pattern is not unusual. It may also help to understand that Half Built simply means that the boat was taken off the form and had the serial numbers stamped on the stem. It was completed when the deck and transom braces were installed. Putting the first coat of varnish on the inside and then immediately adding canvas as well as the first coat of filler to the outside is not ideal but all of this could have been done in a single day with enough people available.

Build records from this period only had an entry on the planking line if white Maine cedar was used as shown below in the build record before yours. It is highly likely that your dinghy was originally planked with red western cedar as Mark mentioned previously.

Benson