Small Boat Restoration: Cutting Wood Plugs

Monday, February 16, 2026

Cutting Wood Plugs

16 Feb 26:

It's interesting to look back at the skiff restoration and see where we learned new techniques and tools and which areas we used previously learned knowledge. Als which pieces we thought we could salvage. Surprisingly were able to use over 90% of what we brought with us from Mississippi, and we estimate that the skiff was well over over 50% Pre Katrina.

Skipper had cut wood plugs before but it was new to me, so she showed me how to get good plugs cut out for repairing the multitude of holes. We used the plug cutter that came with the Fuller Pilot and Countersink bit kit.

16 Feb 16:

Skipper cut out the 3/8 inch cypress plugs. The little awls was good to pop the plug loose at the bottom after the sides were cut. A roll of blue tape makes a good plug collector.

The plug cutter did a good job at cutting about a 1/2 inch plug. So the system that we found worked for us was to put 1/2 a glued plug in from below, drop some glue in the hole and push the other 1/2 in from the top. We could probably find 1 inch cypress plugs somewhere but we like the local cypress. Titebond III waterproof glue was chosen for this task.

Filed off the top of the plug and sanded flush with 100 grit. Stole the Skipper's tiny dustpan.

Trimming out the rotted crossmember at frame 16.

Epoxy and screws to attach the new piece to the 19th Century crossmember. It can now share the load with the forward crossmember that was sistered sometime in the 20th Century. Note the large and small limber holes, whoever built this skiff knew what they were doing.