Warped wood

[noname87]

I have a sailboat wooden dagger board that is warped (curved side to side) on the end. Is there any way to fix this?

[Norminn]

Don't know what a dagger board is, but, yes....I've unwarped oak table tops. Place wet newspaper or damp towel on the concave side....stay with it, because it doesn't take long. Took about 15 min. for my table top, IRRC. If too wet, or left too long, it will expand beyond flat and be warped on the opposite side. When it is close to flat, remove the paper or towel and clamp some strips of wood across it and leave it to dry before unclamping.

[Papa Pat]

Yes.... Buy a new boat.

There is NO way of fixing a warped dagger board....

[aemeijers]

I'd make careful drawings before you start, in case you (or local cabinet shop) need to recreate it for you. If this is just a little day-sailer, probably not real complex- a laminated glue-up with a couple boards and maybe a gasket up top, to keep it from falling through the hole. ISTR teak was the traditional wood of choice. But I am no sailboat geek, so I could be wrong- my experience is from around 40 years ago, when my family had a lake lot, and toy sailboats were consider less annoying and cheaper than ski boats. I got pretty good at dropping the belayed-off mast from an upside-down boat, righting the boat, getting the mast on board, and dog-paddling the whole thing in disgust to the nearest dock. (When kids are doing the sailing, you tie off everything.)

[aemeijers]

'Dagger board' implies removable. When fixed, it is usually called a keel. The term 'dagger' coming from how you poke it through the boat when launching.

[harryagain]

Make a new one out of marine ply. It won't fix. As the moisture content change, wood warps depending on how it was cut. You can use a piece of wood cut radially too. (ie from centre to perimeter of the log.) It's usual to use teak or similar rot proof wood.

[noname87]

This is for a small sailboat. The dagger board is roughly 36" X 11" X

3/4" and is made from mahogany wood. When putting a straight edge accross the width at the top (part of board that is in the boat when fully inserted), it is flat. Placing a flat edge accross the width at the bottom shows a 3/16" gap at the center. This bow prevent the daggerboard from geing able to slide into the slot.

One thought I had was to plan the outer 1/3 of the width until the bow is removed. This would require removing at least 1/8".

[dadiOH]

You could do that, no reason for the board to be the same thickness (or width) at top and bottom. You could also rip a slot up the bow, fill with thickened epoxy and clamp flat.

IMO, solid planks aren't good for things that are immersed. They warp. Glass and resin covered ply works better.

[noname87]

Okay, a friend ran in through his planer and I now have a flat daggerboard that needs to ne refinished.

Any recommendations for a varnish for this application?