Crack in er hatch beam

[paulga]

Greetings,
I have used a "drill stop" (home made) to prevent a drill bit from running in too far. A piece of dowel with your selected bit run through the center of it and cut so one end of the dowel sits against the chuck teeth with the appropriate length of drill protruding from the other (dowel is cut to length to allow desired depth of hole to protrude).

That I don't worry too much.
I always mark the pilot hole depth on the bit and go slow

 

[paulga]

Yep. If you do this with a sharp new bit just be cautious about not letting it drill too deep. Sometimes a sharp bit will cut really well and your intended 1/4" recess becomes a 1/2" recess in about a half of a second.

Are these the brad point bits that you mentioned?

 

[Larry M]

I’ve been following this thread and went through the same thing a couple of boats ago. I talked to a wood worker and a shipwright in the past week just in passing but asked about the fix. Both said with today’s glues and epoxies, clamp and screw will be as strong as the original wood if not stronger. They both said to open the crack slightly so that you get the glue or epoxy is into the crack. YMMV

 

[RedRascal]

Are these the brad point bits that you mentioned?
View attachment 154202

Yep, you can see how they will cut a nice flat recess. Easier than shaping with a chisel but if you do go the normal drill bit and chisel route just use the corner of the chisel to whittle out the tapered wood to create a flat recess.

 

[paulga]

I’ve been following this thread and went through the same thing a couple of boats ago. I talked to a wood worker and a shipwright in the past week just in passing but asked about the fix. Both said with today’s glues and epoxies, clamp and screw will be as strong as the original wood if not stronger. They both said to open the crack slightly so that you get the glue or epoxy is into the crack. YMMV

yup, this work is tricky and can use some prudence

 

[paulga]

Yep, you can see how they will cut a nice flat recess. Easier than shaping with a chisel but if you do go the normal drill bit and chisel route just use the corner of the chisel to whittle out the tapered wood to create a flat recess.

Thanks.
but a normal drill bit leaves a straight hole instead of a tapered hole. do you mean using a normal bit plus a countersink bit, then using chisel to cut into the beveled edge?

 

[Bacchus]

Greetings,
Ms. p. Just fine. Use an acorn nut with a washer. If you use a regular nut you're more apt to snag something on it or cut yourself on the open threads.

I would use a SS T nut so that nothing/little projection to catch you or something else on... besides it will look cleaner & more professional. Most good hardware stores have a drawer section that has all kinds of specialty hardware... T nuts are rather common...SS slightly less so but should be available.
You could either put the T nut on top or bottom depending on space to drill. They will require a short larger hole to accommodate the barrel of the T.

 

[Bmarler]

I’ve been following this thread and went through the same thing a couple of boats ago. I talked to a wood worker and a shipwright in the past week just in passing but asked about the fix. Both said with today’s glues and epoxies, clamp and screw will be as strong as the original wood if not stronger. They both said to open the crack slightly so that you get the glue or epoxy is into the crack. YMMV

Agree. I would have widened the crack, inject epoxy, clamp overnight. No fastener.