Cap Rails

  • February 01, 2013 5:12 PM
    Reply # 1196100 on 1194732
    Deleted user
    Steve's fiberglass cap rail rocks. 
    Love the color and craftsmanship.
    Might a darker color risk looking fake or plastic?
  • February 01, 2013 6:25 PM
    Reply # 1196137 on 1194732
    Deleted user
    Sorry I was referring to the steps Steve took to glass in his caprails, as my boat is new there is nothing to repair, therefore this may be the perfect time to avoid the never ending problem.  Nick
  • February 02, 2013 6:02 AM
    Reply # 1196421 on 1194732
    Deleted user
    Ed and Tate - I did not make patterns so the machine shop is using the old caprail to determine the curve needed. This is a going to be a trial and error fitting process. I did not glass the hull deck joint because I did not know if that would create other problems due to hull/deck flexing. In addition, if I am not satisfied with the aluminum caprail, I can always go back to the original configuration. Ennis
  • February 02, 2013 2:16 PM
    Reply # 1196705 on 1194732
    Deleted user
    Got it. Thanks.
  • February 02, 2013 2:46 PM
    Reply # 1196715 on 1194732
    Deleted user
    Ed and Tate - I did not make patterns so the machine shop is using the old caprail to determine the curve needed. This is a going to be a trial and error fitting process. I did not glass the hull deck joint because I did not know if that would create other problems due to hull/deck flexing. In addition, if I am not satisfied with the aluminum caprail, I can always go back to the original configuration. Ennis
  • February 03, 2013 11:25 AM
    Reply # 1197311 on 1196137
    Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Claus Vogel wrote:Sorry I was referring to the steps Steve took to glass in his caprails, as my boat is new there is nothing to repair, therefore this may be the perfect time to avoid the never ending problem.  Nick
    ahh will only Steve and Dave King could answer that - quite a project I'm sure.

  • February 03, 2013 12:45 PM
    Reply # 1197339 on 1194732
    Deleted user
    Thats a lot of good information but I guess it didnt answer my origonal question of is there a company that sells manufactured replacement cap rails.  I think its a safe assumption that there isnt.  What about the paterns for the rails? is there any leads on where I can get the patterns for the four top cap rails on either side so I can get the propper curve and dimensions?
  • February 04, 2013 8:52 AM
    Reply # 1198068 on 1194732
    Deleted user
    Michael:

    You are correct that no one makes the cap rail parts. A point you should take to hart MOST of the parts for our boats are no longer made!!!!!!!!!!!! 

    Let me repeat "MOST of the parts for our and other boats are no longer made!!!!!!!!!!!!"  this includeds boats more than one year old.

    (Less that wonderful Bud Taplin and the Lefiell mast co. and the rig rite guys for the nico fico tracks).  The marine industry has 6 month runs of product +/-  so get use to it! next boat show, you won't find matching parts for what they sold last boat show.

    You asked about pattern,  I tried to help there but here goes again in detail.
                                            ______
    1.)  Pick your seam pattern           \           and remove all hardware and old stuff.
                                                        \______
    2.) Get the boards up on deck cut the ends to fit the rolled sections normally square on the ends or what ever you have.

    3.) Set your boards that are 8"+ wide and 8' long +/- on the cap rail so they cover it and the seams are 1" inside the top of the caprail. (They are all straight boards at this point)
    Please check that they all overhang a min of 1" inside and outside the bulworks before cutting. see manual Page #198

    4.) use a Router to cut and match the boards at the seams " watch that they are at the angles that covered the cap rail (step#3)" (cut them with the pattern from step 1 and they need to fit together one after another from the roll over on one end all the way to the other.

    5.) OK, temp screw them down 2 screws / board (wood screws) all fit together.

    6.) get out that router and prepare to become a beaver (get a fence guide for the router so that sitting on top of the new rail made up of joined straight boards, you can rout off the inside edges of the boards. The guide fence will need to be set so that you can get no closer to the bullworks than 1") "set the fence to guide off the bulworks under the boards.   cut away until you have a nice inside curve.

    7.) check the inside edge to see that it looks fair and has a nice curve to it.  Fix it if not, sand less than 1/2" more away to make it look good.  may or may not be need.

    8.) Next set the fence so that you guide off the new inside edge and start at 8" out and work your way down by 1/2" slices to 4"+from the inside of the boards for the new outside curve (be careful doing this step as the guide holds you to the work, but not from digging into the work, so you have to hold pressure out on the router so that the router does not dig in (very Very Very important).
              Option 2 (safer option) is to mark the boards 4" from the inside curve and then cut them back at the shop.

    9.) Put a guided rollover bit in and rout both sides

    10.) Pull them all up and follow Jays example of re-bedding and re-varnishing them.

    Else: Find a wood worker and have them do it for you!

    Cutting from a drawing will not work as well, as in the 1970's boats were not cnc precision cut.

     
    Last modified: February 04, 2013 1:54 PM | Deleted user
  • February 04, 2013 9:55 AM
    Reply # 1198409 on 1194732
    Anonymous
    Michael, the closest thing to what you are asking that I'm aware of is the original W32 construction manual. It show the cap rail install starting on drawing number 198 ..you might be able to glean how to fabricate the rails from these drawings...

    Last modified: February 04, 2013 8:57 PM | Anonymous
  • March 24, 2013 8:13 AM
    Reply # 1250521 on 1194732
    Deleted user
    Norm

    I got to say that your post is fantastic I never considered using a router for cutting new caprail pieces. Thanks for the advice ill begin this project very soon so I a psyching myself up for the task. 

    Can Anyone recommend a good router for a liveaboard?