Hi all. I am about to epoxy the deck onto my Guider build. Plans call for using temporary drywall screws every 6 inches to provide clamping force while epoxy cures. Question: Should I drill a pilot hole for each screw through the deck (has been fiberglassed already)? I think the screws will self tap into the in-wale which is soft wood. Just not sure about the deck itself. Any particular guage or length of screw folks like for this? The in-wale/sheer clamp is 1-1/4” thick. Deck is 1/4” roughly. Thanks!
-Peter
A pilot hole will certainly not hurt and will help the screws go in straight, especially if they need to be in an area where the weave is filled (or overfilled).
As far as size, I’ve usually used 3/4" in the past for this. The last time I did this, though, I used 1" and had rectangles of 1/4" wood (scrap okoume from the rest of the build) on top of the deck. The screws went through the scrap, through the deck and into the inwale. I did this for 2 reasons. First, this let me really tighten down on the screws and get a good clamping pressure without putting a dimple into the deck. Second, if the screw got glued in by the epoxy that held the deck on, I could chip away the scrap and grab the protruding part of the screw with vise grips to remove it. It also let me do that if the screw head broke off, something that happens not so occasionally with drywall screws. I have a picture somewhere and when I get my hands on it I’ll attach it to this post.
Have fun,
Laszlo
I would wax the threads of the screws as well.
I’ve just finished attaching a deck to my Expedition Wherry using to-be-removed drywall screws even though building instructions called for affixing the deck by wrapping with packing tap. Even though the sheer clamp matched the deck crown very well, the suggested taping method just didn’t look like it would allow a solo builder to easily apply the deck or achieve a good out outcome.
I’m very pleased with the outcome and the process was very easy.
I did predrill the deck, not so much to allow easy penetration through a layer of fiberglass on the deck’s underside, but more as a pre-measured guide for spacing and proper angle orientation of the screws. The sheer clamp on the Expedition Wherry is only 3/4” wide and could be easy to miss.
A scribed line on the deck showing the sheer’s outside edge and a drilling template showing the middle of the clamp and 6” spacing made really easy work of this first-time endeavor.
I didn’t have any problem backing out the screws and then filling with wood flour. I had always planned on a painted finish, but even if finishing bright, I think the outcome would be attractive and simply look like wooden bungs.