The
Bosun’s Mate
26
Setting and removing
plugs.
Mike Field of Wooden Boat Fittings shows us how to fit and remove plugs properly. This is an important skill in building
and maintaining boats, it helps reain the value of the boat but also comes in very important to ensure fastners are protected
from water, corrosion, wear and tear and is very important on spars etc to ensure the surface is smooth and that lines and
sheets don;t get snagged and damaged.
Plugs are used to cover the heads of the bolts or screws used in attaching most fittings to a vessel. Often
chandlers will supply suitable plugs with the fittings; all our fittings come with plugs. They are cut form
the same wood as the fitting itself to ensure mechanical and colour homogeneity.
Once the fitting has been fastened permanently in place, proceed to insert the plugs to cover the heads
of the fasteners as follows:
1/ Coat the bottom and side of each plug with varnish, oil or paint that will match the final surface
colour of the fitting. Do not use glue on the plug, in particular, DO NOT USE EPOXY, as any later
required removal of the plug will almost certainly result in damage to the fitting.
2/ By looking down on it, make sure the plug is turned so that its grain aligns with the surface grain of
the fitting. Then tap the plug gently home into the hole over the head of the fastening. This should not
ne a force fit and some minor sanding of the plug might be necessary before insertion. The plug needs
to be inserted at least 1/8th” into the hole. But it should NOT be forced home against the head of the
fastener.
3/ Once the varnish has had a chance to set, use a sharp chisel to remove th
at part of the plug standing proud of the surface. The chisel should be wider than the width of the plug.
Look sideways at the plug to determine which way the grain runs, then, using the chisel bevel down tap
the plug smartly about half way up the exposed part, in the apparent ‘up-grain’ direction. The top of
the plug will shear off in such a way as to show the true grain direction (either up from the chisel edge
or down towards the hole). Once this has been established, use the chisel in the true up-grain direction
until the plug has been taken down almost to the surface of the fitting. (Two or three more cuts will
probably be sufficient.)
4/ Finish with a final sanding to bring the plug’s surface flush with the fitting prior to finishing the plug
to match the fitting’s surface finish.
Left: plugs should be of
the same wood as the
fitting and the grain
should run across the
plug.
right: plugs from dowel
or plugs where the grain
runs vertically are not
suitable for this type of
application