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E33RH teak and holly sole

CSMcKillip

Moderator
Moderator
What is the thickness of the existing sole on our boats,
1/4. 1/2. 3/4. Is the sole the standard 2-1/4 teak and 1/4 holly? It there a supplier that you would recommend?

Thanks in advance
 

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
Several years ago when I did the cabin sole on my '87 E-34 the standard was 2 3/8" x 1/4" (it still is). That's the good news; the bad news is that the plywood Ericson used was slightly different than what I bought.

I had planned on replacing all of it so other than while laying out the pieces it didn't matter. It sure would have made the alignment easier if they had matched.

I did see some teak & maple that was 2" x 1/4".

ML Condon in White Plains NY is the best place in this part of the country. They supply the local lumber yards.

http://www.condonlumber.net/index.htm
 

brianb00

O - 34
My Olson 34, Ericson Build, has 2 3/8 and 1/4 inch stripe of holly for a pitch of 2 5/8" , good thing too as that was all I could find locally. Thickness was 1/2 inch, but all I could find was 1/4". I just finished bonding it to baltic birch 1/4 inch ply with West 105/205 epoxy.

I have put down non skid, sand + epoxy, over the holly stripe and am about to put on 3 coats of West 105/207 for the finish. No varnish.

Someone please tell me why I should put varnish over an epoxy sealed sole ? Is it just looks ? UV protection (the 207 hardner deals with that) ?


r
What is the thickness of the existing sole on our boats,
1/4. 1/2. 3/4. Is the sole the standard 2-1/4 teak and 1/4 holly? It there a supplier that you would recommend?

Thanks in advance
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
The light-ness of being

As bored readers of my prior threads know, we have been bleaching out the factory stain and varnishing portions of our interior teak over a period of years - more than a decade, actually.
Not a high priority, and we are about half done at this point.

The difference is difficult to show in pictures on line, but the natural "golden" teak appearance in the refinished sections seems attractive to all visitors in person, and they make favorable comments even without being prompted to do so. ;)

Of course the gloss varnish also reflects more light and brightens up the interior. Being lazy, we have stopped at four coats for most of this work, and do realize that more sanding and another 3 or 4 coats would really make it look really great. Someday... :rolleyes:

We have visited a lot of other boats (some Ericsons) and really do not like the dark "living inside a teak tree" ambience in many.

Sidebar: Anyone else here remember the 80's Hans Christians, some with dark green velour upholstery and black marble counter tops? It was like descending into a mine! :p

As to Brian's system of applying clear non-skid to the holly strips on his sole, we saw that while visiting a SC-53C a few years ago at Sail Expo. Very nice/safe, yet subtle. Hours and hours of time, and rolls and rolls of blue tape!

Cheers,
Loren
:egrin:
 
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P Abele

Member II
We own an '82 E33 which I finished up replacing the sole on a couple of winters back. I ended up dong the project over 2 seasons, first the forward and then then aft half, so went one sailing season with the new and old ply butting at the middle seam. I don't think the holly strips lines up perfectly along that seam, but it was pretty close. I learned a lot in taking on this project, so let em know if you might want to talk about specifics r might be interested in some of the ply or solid teak scraps I still have in my basement.
 

CSMcKillip

Moderator
Moderator
Yes, very interested in everything you know.... Please tell more. I am looking for a small replacment teak and holly ply if you have extra.

How much did you order?
 

P Abele

Member II
Overall it ended up being two complete 4x8' sheets, but after all of the scrap was figured I probably have what adds up to about 3/4 of a sheet left over in various shapes and sizes. I also have a pretty good sized teak board which I was cutting and planing to size for trim and have most of that still intact. It was a big project overall but looks nice not that it is complete.
 

CSMcKillip

Moderator
Moderator
So.......... Two sheets will do the whole floor?
Making paterns tomorrow, ordering wood right after Xmas
 

P Abele

Member II
Yes. (2) sheets will do it. I am home now and just measured the wood and it definitely is 3/4" thick. When I was doing the project the first thing I did was to tear up the old sole and make a template out of cardboard to check the fit. Make sure your mast is pulled before starting this project. There are a ton of other details I can pass along but typing them may take too long. PM me and maybe we can get in touch by phone. Good luck!
 

brianb00

O - 34
Olson 34 Cabin Sole

Hello Loren,

The screws that attach your sole to the stringers, are they brass and flush with the sole ? Or recessed with the small wood fillers ? I have heard of both in these boats. Now that I am nearing completion on a re finished sole I am wondering about the install and function vs charm (exposed screw heads being more functional).

Thanks,

BRian


As bored readers of my prior threads know, we have been bleaching out the factory stain and varnishing portions of our interior teak over a period of years - more than a decade, actually.
Not a high priority, and we are about half done at this point.

The difference is difficult to show in pictures on line, but the natural "golden" teak appearance in the refinished sections seems attractive to all visitors in person, and they make favorable comments even without being prompted to do so. ;)

Of course the gloss varnish also reflects more light and brightens up the interior. Being lazy, we have stopped at four coats for most of this work, and do realize that more sanding and another 3 or 4 coats would really make it look really great. Someday... :rolleyes:

We have visited a lot of other boats (some Ericsons) and really do not like the dark "living inside a teak tree" ambience in many.

Sidebar: Anyone else here remember the 80's Hans Christians, some with dark green velour upholstery and black marble counter tops? It was like descending into a mine! :p

As to Brian's system of applying clear non-skid to the holly strips on his sole, we saw that while visiting a SC-53C a few years ago at Sail Expo. Very nice/safe, yet subtle. Hours and hours of time, and rolls and rolls of blue tape!

Cheers,
Loren
:egrin:
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Soles and Tables

Hello Loren,

The screws that attach your sole to the stringers, are they brass and flush with the sole ? Or recessed with the small wood fillers ? I have heard of both in these boats. Now that I am nearing completion on a re finished sole I am wondering about the install and function vs charm (exposed screw heads being more functional).

Thanks,
BRian

Bronze, square drive, sourced from http://www.mcfeelys.com/
Countersunk enough so that they are flush or a gnat's eye lash below flush. The square drive head has an advantage over phillips, IMHO, because if you are trying to pack a chute while tacking there is less chance of ripping the cloth when it gets caught under your foot as it twists when you catapult over to the low side.... :rolleyes:
I have done (unplanned) research on this procedure... ;)

BTW, my table is nowadays held down by 5/16" ss bolts threaded into some aluminum flat bar under the sole, rather than the teak pieces the factory screwed it down into. Our table is also secured into the slot on the mast (out of sight in the front) with a piece of 1/4" aluminum L, which is invisibly mounted on the front of the table center box. Nothing to see at a casual glance, but if you fall on that table, it does not move. Hitting it by accident does not spill coffee, either. :cool:

Cheers,
Loren

ps: More sole pictures, mine and other nicer ones, in this thread:
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?t=1526&referrerid=28
 
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P Abele

Member II
I tried using bronze screws from Jamestown Distributors and of the 3 I tried putting in, all of them sheared off and had to be dug out of the new cabin sole. Probably the pilot hole I was using was too small, particularly into the fiberglass where these things broke, but once I switched to stainless screws every one if them went right in. Of course I would prefer the look of bronze but after being 0 for 3 and ripping the sheared screws out of the beautiful wood I had labored for months to put together, whatever screws worked were going to get the nod.
Also, I installed these screws flush with the deck and did not countersink / plug them for a number of reasons, including the difficulty of matching the plug finish with the epoxy & varnished wood, and ease of removing at a later date. In the end the entire area looks so much better than before, even with the screw heads showing.
 
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Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
No problem with stainless

No one having come aboard to drink my booze has ever complained about the stainless screw heads I left exposed. ;)

They do make lubricants for driving screws. Akempucky fastener lubricant comes to mind. Probably bees wax or any other lubricant will help.
 

bigd14

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Common bar soap also works as a screw lube, at least in wood. Not sure about the FG, though!
 
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