Cover screw in side of cap rail

[dmksails]

My cap rail has a joint that is held together by two bolts running horizontally thru the rail. Each end had a bung covering at one time. Time and repeated sanding has worn the rail down to where it is very close to the top of the nut as you can see in the pics.

How can I cover this again? If I used a bung, it would have to be carved out to provide space for the nut and that would leave just a sliver of wood over the top of the nut.

I'm wondering if I could use wood filler instead, making it from epoxy and teak sawdust. Any ideas?

[slug]

Originally Posted by dmksails

My cap rail has a joint that is held together by two bolts running horizontally thru the rail. Each end had a bung covering at one time. Time and repeated sanding has worn the rail down to where it is very close to the top of the nut as you can see in the pics.

How can I cover this again? If I used a bung, it would have to be carved out to provide space for the nut and that would leave just a sliver of wood over the top of the nut.

I'm wondering if I could use wood filler instead, making it from epoxy and teak sawdust. Any ideas?

You should be able to remove the SS fastener....clean up the hole , refasten with a fluted hardwood dowel set in epoxy , then teak plug

A stainless bolt is a goofy way to set a scarf

[SVHarmonie]

If you have lost that much wood, it is time to replace the rail. If not now, when?

Now imagine you HAVE to replace the rail, and all the bolts have been sealed in place with wood flour and epoxy. Imagine the naughty words you would have for the person who did that...

[LakeSuperior]

Remove bolt and shorten with a hacksaw so there is no excess beyond the nut. This may give you room to re-plug.

[TrentePieds]

What more do you know about the scarf? Have the faying surfaces been glued so the bolts are only there to have applied pressure while the glue set?

Can you refasten with more appropriate fasteners away from where the bolts are, then remove the bolts, drive a dowel in where the bolts were, and bung over the dowels?

Dowels used in such applications were quite common in the days of wooden ships and yachts. They were called "tree nails", pronounced "trunnels". In these days of factory built boats and hobbyists doing work in marinas for sundry boatowners, a great many "marine service providers" and boat owners don't know about such techniques, so you might like to look into using trunnels here.

Is the cap rail "clamped" around the upper edge of the fibreglass hull? If so, and if the scarf is getting dodgy, would it make more sense to remove, say, a six foot length and splice in a new piece of rail using new, clean scarfs and appropriate fastenings?

TrentePieds

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by dmksails

My cap rail has a joint that is held together by two bolts running horizontally thru the rail. Each end had a bung covering at one time. Time and repeated sanding has worn the rail down to where it is very close to the top of the nut as you can see in the pics.

How can I cover this again? If I used a bung, it would have to be carved out to provide space for the nut and that would leave just a sliver of wood over the top of the nut.

I'm wondering if I could use wood filler instead, making it from epoxy and teak sawdust. Any ideas?

If possible, remove the bolts you need, and replace with socket head,Allen head, if you need more room, slice half of the Allen head with a dremmel or cut off tool.
Or even try to shorten the bolt thread area as mentioned.
SV Cloud Duster

[Cheechako]

As mentioned you can shorten the bolt. You should be able to take a big plug though and drill a center hole for the bolt to go into, (use a Forstner bit not a standard drill) then cut the end at an angle, epoxy or dark 5200 it in filling any minor voids. After hardened up sand it flush. Ouila! good for another 10 years.

[dmksails]

Thanks for the great suggestions. I was able to grind down the top of the nut a bit, then cut a long plug and craved out space for the bolt end. Fit like a charm!