Chip,
Yes, a waterproof glue would be a good idea to bond the wood but also the
seal up any gaps between the wood pieces so that moisture cannot collect.
The whole glue business is an art by itself. Again, the Lee Valley site has
some good information. As to brass screws, provided the hole is drilled
properly and a lubricant is added (I prefer wax to soap), the screw heads
should survive the assault by the screwdriver. Maybe stainless steel screws
would be as good or better than brass ones. Not to flog Lee Valley on
unsuspecting buyers, but this company also sells Spax screws. They claim
that these screws can be screwed into undrilled maple. The threads on these
screws are serrated and are wider than the shank and the screws are coated
with a Teflon-type coating. I've never used them myself, but I'm curious to
see if they are as good as the supplier claims.
Chuck
----------
From: Ernest(Chip) Brown[SMTP:Chip.Brown@msdw.com]
Sent: Friday March 17, 2000 12:17 PM
To: Vandergraaf, Chuck
Cc: 'Scott Seidler'; Morgans@Autox.Team.Net (E-mail)
Subject: Re: Wood Frame Assembly
The only thing I would add to what Chuck wrote is that you might
want to
consider using a good waterproof wood glue on the tight joints, with
clamps. The only wood work I've done on my Morgan was in making up
an
ash frame for the gas tank. I used carriage bolts to fasten it to
the
frame and NO glue, so it could flex a bit. It had an oak frame when
I
bought it that was held to the frame with dry wall screws, which
sheared
away dramatically one fine Fall day cruising the pot holes of
northern
Connecticut, costing me a nice Cuban cigar. On furniture work, I've
never been able to use brass screws without shearing them or
boogering
up the heads. Always used mild steel. Maybe the soft soap is the
answer.
Ash is very hard wood.
Chip Brown
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