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Removing Stitches

PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2021 10:34 pm
by Brent65
PS builders,
I’ve read in the build manual that all the stitches should be removed on PS. I’ve never removed stitches before when building boats, but instead simply filleted right over them. I can’t come up with a good reason to remove them. Has anyone left stitches in? Why remove them? So much faster to fillet over them and file hull side flush when finishing the hull. Am I missing something?

Brent

Re: Removing Stitches

PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2021 5:31 am
You really need to use steel wire. I would worry about it rusting.

Doug

Re: Removing Stitches

PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2021 9:15 am
by SMHolmans
Yep, they all need to come out. You need to use strong steel wire to pull the panels together. If stitches are imbedded in epoxy just warm them with a heat gun and they come out easily.

Re: Removing Stitches

PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2021 10:56 pm
by JonLee
If left in, the wire stitches will expand and contract with changes in temperature and will eventually poke their way out.

Smaller boats like kayaks can get stitched with copper wire, and I've heard that it is ok to leave copper wire stitches in. The copper is much softer than steel wire, so I guess the theory is that it'll have a hard time pushing through the epoxy it is entombed in. Not wanting to test that, I've always diligently pulled all the wires, even in boats I've stitched with copper.

Re: Removing Stitches

PostPosted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 9:39 pm
by Brent65
Thanks for the posts.

I'm left with two questions:
1-If the issue is corrosion, why not use stainless or heavy gauge copper?
2-If the issue is the stitches working through the glass, why don't they work through the glass on other sailboats. I don't think Scamp builders are removing stitches, at least I know I didn't and never had an issue of stitches coming through the glass over time. Has anyone ever actually seen this happen? Or is this a theoretical concern?

Best,
Brent

Re: Removing Stitches

PostPosted: Tue Nov 09, 2021 6:50 pm
by Brent65
Just an FYI for other builders:

I emailed CLC inquiring as to why the manual calls for all the stitches to be removed. Their response is found below:
Brent,

As long as they won't rust, you can leave stitches in. What you describe is a lot more work as you'll have to sand the areas over the stitches flush.... The stitches are not structural; they just hold the wood parts together while the epoxy sets up.

I recommend building the boat as designed, but if you want to leave the stitches in that's your call.

Cheers,

Terry.

Terry Otis
Chesapeake Light Craft
"The Best Boats You Can Build"
Tel 410 267 0137