Handrail plugs

How can I remove the screw cover plugs in my topside handrails? Are they salvageable when removed, or do I throw them away and replace them with new plugs? If I replace them, where do I procure replacements? Thanks much, Matt Cal 27 Mark III

Gentle dig them out.These really are a throw away item as they crumble when you mess with them...You can get all sorts of different sized ones at West marine or most other places. Good Luck Greg Pearson P36-2 Cal 34 III (For Sale) ----- Original Message ----- From: mwrohde To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 7:24 AM Subject: [Cal_Boats] Handrail plugs How can I remove the screw cover plugs in my topside handrails? Are they salvageable when removed, or do I throw them away and replace them with new plugs? If I replace them, where do I procure replacements? Thanks much, Matt Cal 27 Mark III

mwrohde wrote: > > How can I remove the screw cover plugs in my topside handrails? Are > they salvageable when removed, or do I throw them away and replace > them with new plugs? If I replace them, where do I procure replacements? > Plugs are rarely salvageable because in boat work they are usually glued in, with glue or with varnish. One method is to drill a little hole in the middle of the plug, then run a wood screw in until it bottoms on the screw head underneath. Keep turning, and the screw threads will pull the plug out. Or, you can drill a bigger hole, and chip away at the old plug with a small chisel or knife. In either case, you may want to trace around the plug outline with a sharp knife point so the glue joint is broken and you don't lift off fibers from the had rail itself. You can buy plugs from marine suppliers, or buy a plug cutter to use on a drill press. The plug cutter lets you make as many as you want. All you need is a matching wood (mahogany, teak, whatever). When you go to replace them, use glue or varnish to stick 'em in. I would be inclined to use varnish or some less tenacious glue, for future reversibility. Chris Campbell

Chris has got it right. I would only add to make sure the grain is aligned when you insert the plug. One inserted, I use a chisel to fair to plug and finish with sandpaper. I don't know if a chisel is the best tool but it worked for me Dave Cal 35 Runnin Late Coyote Point, SF Bay P.S. Were any bay sailors out Thankgiving and last Saturday? What great conditions!!! Chris Campbell <cl… [at] charterinternet.com> wrote: mwrohde wrote: How can I remove the screw cover plugs in my topside handrails? Are they salvageable when removed, or do I throw them away and replace them with new plugs? If I replace them, where do I procure replacements? Plugs are rarely salvageable because in boat work they are usually glued in, with glue or with varnish. One method is to drill a little hole in the middle of the plug, then run a wood screw in until it bottoms on the screw head underneath. Keep turning, and the screw threads will pull the plug out. Or, you can drill a bigger hole, and chip away at the old plug with a small chisel or knife. In either case, you may want to trace around the plug outline with a sharp knife point so the glue joint is broken and you don't lift off fibers from the had rail itself. You can buy plugs from marine suppliers, or buy a plug cutter to use on a drill press. The plug cutter lets you make as many as you want. All you need is a matching wood (mahogany, teak, whatever). When you go to replace them, use glue or varnish to stick 'em in. I would be inclined to use varnish or some less tenacious glue, for future reversibility. Chris Campbell --------------------------------- Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.

biggs dave wrote: > Chris has got it right. I would only add to make sure the grain is > aligned when you insert the plug. One inserted, I use a chisel to > fair to plug and finish with sandpaper. I don't know if a chisel is > the best tool but it worked for me > Dave has got it right too, and we should add that when you use your (sharp) chisel to cut the excess, you have to figure which direction the grain runs down (from the horizontal) so when you trim the excess, it doesn't split out below the surrounding surface. Does this make sense? It will the first time you split the excess off and find there's a little divot in the plug's surface. You want to chisel in the direction the grain runs uphill. Sometimes it's OK either way but be careful. Chris Campbell

I use the plugs in modular furniture/book cases to hide the trim molding screws. When I cant get a plug out I simply tap a finishing nail into the center and try to wiggle it out if not now I have a perfect center to start a screw and pull it out with vice grips. I believe that the plugs can be found at a wood workers supply like Rocklers. Or the tool that makes them! Mark Cal 2-29 Pelican San Pedro ----- Original Message ----- From: Chris Campbell To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 9:22 AM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Handrail plugs mwrohde wrote: How can I remove the screw cover plugs in my topside handrails? Are they salvageable when removed, or do I throw them away and replace them with new plugs? If I replace them, where do I procure replacements? Plugs are rarely salvageable because in boat work they are usually glued in, with glue or with varnish. One method is to drill a little hole in the middle of the plug, then run a wood screw in until it bottoms on the screw head underneath. Keep turning, and the screw threads will pull the plug out. Or, you can drill a bigger hole, and chip away at the old plug with a small chisel or knife. In either case, you may want to trace around the plug outline with a sharp knife point so the glue joint is broken and you don't lift off fibers from the had rail itself. You can buy plugs from marine suppliers, or buy a plug cutter to use on a drill press. The plug cutter lets you make as many as you want. All you need is a matching wood (mahogany, teak, whatever). When you go to replace them, use glue or varnish to stick 'em in. I would be inclined to use varnish or some less tenacious glue, for future reversibility. Chris Campbell

I've removed the handrails, and in the process I broke one. Crap!! Any help on where to get a new one, or do I need to buy a hunk of teak and fire up my bandsaw? Thanks, Matt Cal 3-27 --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "mwrohde" <yahoo@...> wrote: > > How can I remove the screw cover plugs in my topside handrails? Are > they salvageable when removed, or do I throw them away and replace > them with new plugs? If I replace them, where do I procure replacements? > > Thanks much, > > Matt > Cal 27 Mark III >

Teak, Hole saw, Sabre Saw and Router is all you need. You make two at a time by splitting the wood down the middle after drilling and routing. Pretty easy project except on the wallet........but still cheaper than buying them! Try it! You'll be proud you did! Rob "Bandit" Cal 40, #32 Oysre Bay, NY At 09:25 PM 12/2/2006, you wrote: >I've removed the handrails, and in the process I broke one. Crap!! >Any help on where to get a new one, or do I need to buy a hunk of teak >and fire up my bandsaw? > >Thanks, > >Matt >Cal 3-27 > >--- In ><mailto:Cal_Boats%40yahoogroups.com>Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, >"mwrohde" <yahoo@...> wrote: > > > > How can I remove the screw cover plugs in my topside handrails? Are > > they salvageable when removed, or do I throw them away and replace > > them with new plugs? If I replace them, where do I procure >replacements? > > > > Thanks much, > > > > Matt > > Cal 27 Mark III > > > >

I believe most boat stores, including West, have a variety of teak plugs in different sizes. Cheers Charlie From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mark Alan Stahnke (MAS Consulting) Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 2:18 PM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Handrail plugs I use the plugs in modular furniture/book cases to hide the trim molding screws. When I cant get a plug out I simply tap a finishing nail into the center and try to wiggle it out if not now I have a perfect center to start a screw and pull it out with vice grips. I believe that the plugs can be found at a wood workers supply like Rocklers. Or the tool that makes them! Mark Cal 2-29 Pelican San Pedro ----- Original Message ----- From: Chris Campbell <mailto:cl… [at] charterinternet.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 9:22 AM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Handrail plugs mwrohde wrote: How can I remove the screw cover plugs in my topside handrails? Are they salvageable when removed, or do I throw them away and replace them with new plugs? If I replace them, where do I procure replacements? Plugs are rarely salvageable because in boat work they are usually glued in, with glue or with varnish. One method is to drill a little hole in the middle of the plug, then run a wood screw in until it bottoms on the screw head underneath. Keep turning, and the screw threads will pull the plug out. Or, you can drill a bigger hole, and chip away at the old plug with a small chisel or knife. In either case, you may want to trace around the plug outline with a sharp knife point so the glue joint is broken and you don't lift off fibers from the had rail itself. You can buy plugs from marine suppliers, or buy a plug cutter to use on a drill press. The plug cutter lets you make as many as you want. All you need is a matching wood (mahogany, teak, whatever). When you go to replace them, use glue or varnish to stick 'em in. I would be inclined to use varnish or some less tenacious glue, for future reversibility. Chris Campbell