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So I'm trying to remove the mahogany interior of the 1972 13 Sport I bought to refinish and I'm finding that the screws are driven very deep and when I back them out the wood around the top of the hole cracks and pulls out along the grain lines, like the screw head is larger than the hole. Is there a method to remove these screws without destroying the wood?
I winter in Ft. Myers and summer in St. Joseph, Michigan. It’s now about 12 years since I’ve joined this group. I gave my 1972 whaler to my daughter and sold the 17’. Bought an O’Day 28 sailboat and sailed on Lake Michigan. Yesterday I bought a 2005 130 Sport.
Sounds like the screws were set while the varnish was fairly fresh and it stuck to the finish. Try an exacto knife carefully around the screw heads before you back them out.
The screws and hardware that Whaler used were designed to make it very easy to remove the woodwork from the boat for refinishing.
All the screws used on a 1972 Sport 13 would have had a finish washer under them so there was no chance of the screw head being driven below the surface of the wood. By your description, we know you do not have the original hardware in place and it sounds as if somebody simply over-drove the screws below the surface.
If you drive a flat head or oval head screw below the surface of a piece of wood like the mahogany used in the Sport 13, the wood grain will part to allow the screws head to sink but then partially come back together over leaving a hole in the surface of the wood smaller than the screw head.
If you then try to back the screw out again, it will typically splinter the surface of the wood. This can be very frustrating.
You really do not have much choice, you have to back of the screws. HOWEVER, you can minimize the damage to the surface of the wood by carefully trimming the wood around the edge of each screw hole.
You will have to devise your own system based on the tools and skills yo9u have and how deep the screws are.
In the pats I have done this by using a utility knife to cut the wood on the two sides of the screw head where the grain intersects it.
You can also cut a very clean and precise hole equal to the diameter of the screw head in something hard and thin, metal, thin piece of tempered hardboard , etc. Place that tool over the screw and then stick the screwdriver through the hole to engage the screw head.
By holding down very firmly, or even clamping it, you pin the wood fibers down flat while the screw is backed out. Sometimes works, sometimes not.
When reassembling the wood on the boat, use finish washers with the screws and this will make it easier next time and also may cover some or all of the damage done to the surface of the wood by the removal of the screws now.
Thank you Tom and Aeriksen. Yes, these screws are driven below the surface of the wood, varnished over and there are no washers present. I guess what I'm going to have to do is use some kind of razor type knife and cut around the head of the screw then drill a piece of wood and clamp it over the hole when I remove the screw. I'll then drill out the old holes, cut and install some plugs and then redrill the holes for screws and finishing washers.
I winter in Ft. Myers and summer in St. Joseph, Michigan. It’s now about 12 years since I’ve joined this group. I gave my 1972 whaler to my daughter and sold the 17’. Bought an O’Day 28 sailboat and sailed on Lake Michigan. Yesterday I bought a 2005 130 Sport.
No need to use a blade to re define the topside of your holes.
Just use a slightly larger diameter drill bit to remove all weathered wood around the edges of the screw hole and use a premium manual screw driver to unseat the screws.
If varnish has dried over the slotted heads,A small light should guide you to gently tap the driver with a small ball peen hammer to redress the slot.
Patience will be an asset in order to remove each and everyone of the old fasteners.
