“Your cover photo last issue shows Keith, an employee and friend of many years, engaged in a what appears to be a very traditional process of replacing the stem on an 80 year old yawl.  This is a nontraditional solution involving lamination to create a strong and stable structure.  Normally, such a layup of white oak, an acidic wood, would be best done with resourcinol glue which has 60 years of proven history with oak framing in boats.  Our batch of resourcinol failed in a test block.... first time in the 40 years that I have been using it.  We couldn't get replacement product and so turned to Epoxy.

The acid in the oak can react with the acids in the Epoxy and inhibit the cure. Epoxy also requires a heavily profiled gluing surface, in this case done with a toothed scraper blade.  Planer glaze is almost impervious to penetration by the glue.  Acid in the oak was neutralized with a saturate solution of bicarbonate of soda and water, allowed to dry overnight.  The surfaces were then coated with clear penetrating resin and then followed with a thickened resin to hold volume in the joints.  Low clamping pressure.  Test blocks proved almost indestructible.  Once cured, there is no further worry about acids.... the cured product is very stable and waterproof.

This stem replacement, like the man doing it, is more complex than would first appear...... and yes, he is using a Japanese pull saw, the ryoba pattern.”