I just finished removing my centerboard from my Herreshoff Scout ( same hull ). It was easy. Take about 16 hours and a very long sawsall blade. Mostly by hand. Start chipping away from underneath. You have the advantage of attacking from the top too. The last few hours I used a 18" rebar to pound on the small piece of centerboard steal that was left. It eventually started to move. The hinge pin had to be cut off on both sides. I put all the bigger pieces of CB on a table and measured the CB well to lay out a new CB shape. I could not find a drawing of one for a Scout. I called everyone. I did find out all the centerboards are 1/2" thick steel. Mine ended up weighing 175lbs. What was left of my old one weighed 40lbs. I'm sure your job will go much faster sense you can get to it from the top. God bless!
On the centerboard, I would try drilling a few holes all the way with a 3/8 x 16" long metal drill bit. On the rusty bits, it should cut though fairly easy. Make swiss cheese out of it and then tap on it from above until something moves. The other idea was to add a few pounds of rock salt and let nature disolve the rest of the rusty keel out of trunk.
I know you said you tried some commercial rest removal products but if you have not used Evaporust, it is worth a try. I use it to restore old tools that I purchase as well as bigger jobs with iron fasteners in wet environments. It's always worked for me and is biodegradable. Hope to see you and more videos soon!
When I bought my America the centerboard was stuck. I used thin aluminum bar stock and slid it up in between the trunk and board. Then just slid in ir around, tapped on the board with a long pryer and hammer, and a generous spraying of just about everything from WD-40, Kroil, and PBlaster. Eventually I worked it loose.
My center board was jammed as well but not that bad. It was because someone painted it. You may want to try a air chisel with a long pointed bit. The vibration should be enough to break it loose. Good luck! Love the videos!
So I bought a H18 for restoration. 1st chore centerboard. I used hack saw blade to remove rust along either side of board till I was able to move it. Since top of trunk is off, should be easy to get to top and bottom. Also PO had left a very stout machine bolt 1" X 18" about that fit nicely down cockpit drain which ends above aft end of CB. Vey helpful in driving the board down. Sand blasted board, epoxy paint then bottom paint. Hope this helps
had the same problem with my America. The centerboard was stuck - totally rusted. After several hours of banging on it using rebar and a sledge it finally worked its way loose. The board was still intact - less than 1/8 inch thick with a number of holes through it but enough to get the exact original shape for the new board. Since I live in Florida (very warm salt water ) I decided to build my new centerboard out of solid fiberglass and epoxy. After a bit of experimentation it turns out 18 layers of 1708 fiberglass cloth, vacuum bagged with West System epoxy, comes out to exactly 1/2 inch thick. I won't have to worry about the board rusting and getting stuck in the slot again. I am just about done shaping the board and should have it back in the boat in another week or so.
Nice catch up Matt., she's looking good. On the centreboard, have you tried going in from underneath the boat? Seeing how the rust has fallen down and wedged up, maybe the box tightens up at the bottom. Keep well, looking forward to an up date on the F. W. Cat.
Another great video, Matt. Lots of well researched/thought out info. I like the quick pace. I wonder if you could built a jig/guide on your center board trunk, and then start drilling a series of holes, say 12 inches apart, then more holes between them. Might weaken the walls of your expanded centerboard enough to get a pry bar down and collapse the wall into the hole and not crack or pry out the fiberglass centerboard well. I assume you’ve saturated with PB blaster followed up with a long sawzall hack saw blade.
Matt, here is an idea you may wish to pursue. Since the top of the centerboard trunk is already open you may want to build up a fiberglass lip around the top of the trunk, flatten it, and install a teak top plate that can be removed if needed. That way you can remove and replace the centerboard from the top instead of lifting the boat high enough to drop it out of the bottom of the boat. Also it will be easier to change the pendent should that be necessary. Then seal and screw the teak top plate down so it does not leak when sailing.
Re: CB. You may need to go from underneath with a sawzall and run it along the gap between the CB and the slot side. Even if you gouge the FG, you can just grind the corner back and then reshape it with laminations of FG tape.
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with for the folding mast. My Herreshoff America has a one piece mast, its not easy to raise.
I just finished removing my centerboard from my Herreshoff Scout ( same hull ). It was easy. Take about 16 hours and a very long sawsall blade. Mostly by hand. Start chipping away from underneath. You have the advantage of attacking from the top too. The last few hours I used a 18" rebar to pound on the small piece of centerboard steal that was left. It eventually started to move. The hinge pin had to be cut off on both sides. I put all the bigger pieces of CB on a table and measured the CB well to lay out a new CB shape. I could not find a drawing of one for a Scout. I called everyone. I did find out all the centerboards are 1/2" thick steel. Mine ended up weighing 175lbs. What was left of my old one weighed 40lbs. I'm sure your job will go much faster sense you can get to it from the top. God bless!
"It was easy. Take about 16 hours and...." Whew.
On the centerboard, I would try drilling a few holes all the way with a 3/8 x 16" long metal drill bit. On the rusty bits, it should cut though fairly easy. Make swiss cheese out of it and then tap on it from above until something moves. The other idea was to add a few pounds of rock salt and let nature disolve the rest of the rusty keel out of trunk.
I know you said you tried some commercial rest removal products but if you have not used Evaporust, it is worth a try. I use it to restore old tools that I purchase as well as bigger jobs with iron fasteners in wet environments. It's always worked for me and is biodegradable.
Hope to see you and more videos soon!
Feeling burnt out with my América Catboat. Have even put it up for sale, pending a “fresh wind”..
Where do you have it listed? I can post it on some HA-19 sites and help you sell it. You on FB?
if room for a rented electric jackhammer, surprisingly bust up stuff with little effect or effort....at least on concrete.
When I bought my America the centerboard was stuck. I used thin aluminum bar stock and slid it up in between the trunk and board. Then just slid in ir around, tapped on the board with a long pryer and hammer, and a generous spraying of just about everything from WD-40, Kroil, and PBlaster. Eventually I worked it loose.
My center board was jammed as well but not that bad. It was because someone painted it. You may want to try a air chisel with a long pointed bit. The vibration should be enough to break it loose. Good luck! Love the videos!
So I bought a H18 for restoration. 1st chore centerboard. I used hack saw blade to remove rust along either side of board till I was able to move it. Since top of trunk is off, should be easy to get to top and bottom. Also PO had left a very stout machine bolt 1" X 18" about that fit nicely down cockpit drain which ends above aft end of CB. Vey helpful in driving the board down. Sand blasted board, epoxy paint then bottom paint. Hope this helps
had the same problem with my America. The centerboard was stuck - totally rusted. After several hours of banging on it using rebar and a sledge it finally worked its way loose. The board was still intact - less than 1/8 inch thick with a number of holes through it but enough to get the exact original shape for the new board. Since I live in Florida (very warm salt water ) I decided to build my new centerboard out of solid fiberglass and epoxy. After a bit of experimentation it turns out 18 layers of 1708 fiberglass cloth, vacuum bagged with West System epoxy, comes out to exactly 1/2 inch thick. I won't have to worry about the board rusting and getting stuck in the slot again. I am just about done shaping the board and should have it back in the boat in another week or so.
Nice catch up Matt., she's looking good. On the centreboard, have you tried going in from underneath the boat? Seeing how the rust has fallen down and wedged up, maybe the box tightens up at the bottom. Keep well, looking forward to an up date on the F. W. Cat.
Another great video, Matt. Lots of well researched/thought out info. I like the quick pace. I wonder if you could built a jig/guide on your center board trunk, and then start drilling a series of holes, say 12 inches apart, then more holes between them. Might weaken the walls of your expanded centerboard enough to get a pry bar down and collapse the wall into the hole and not crack or pry out the fiberglass centerboard well. I assume you’ve saturated with PB blaster followed up with a long sawzall hack saw blade.
Matt, here is an idea you may wish to pursue. Since the top of the centerboard trunk is already open you may want to build up a fiberglass lip around the top of the trunk, flatten it, and install a teak top plate that can be removed if needed. That way you can remove and replace the centerboard from the top instead of lifting the boat high enough to drop it out of the bottom of the boat. Also it will be easier to change the pendent should that be necessary. Then seal and screw the teak top plate down so it does not leak when sailing.
Get yourself a paint shaker, you know the old type we used to see in hardware shops. two clamps and an off set motor.
Re: CB. You may need to go from underneath with a sawzall and run it along the gap between the CB and the slot side. Even if you gouge the FG, you can just grind the corner back and then reshape it with laminations of FG tape.