repairing red wooding plank

mnulty

I have 60 red wood planks most are 20 foot lengths and most of them are in pretty good shape with the exception of the holes every 8 feet that were used to secure them to the joists. I removed them from the deck that I am in the process of rebuild due to dry rot in the post and joists. It was a big deck and I am on a limited budget. I am trying to figure out away of reusing the red wood planks. I need the planks to last about two years. I was planning to scrub the planks and plane the planks. I tested it on few and it appears to work. The problem is how to fill the old screw holes. I could fill it with a silicon but it might not look good when I a go back and treat the red wood with a preservative. One other though would be to drill out the old screw holes and insert a wooden dowel. It would not look great but it would look better that a silicon plug. Anyone have any other suggestion. BTY, The cost of replacing old decking with new wood is about 5K.

Termite

Your idea of dowels is a good start.

You can get a plug cutter from woodworking supply stores such as woodcraft. Box stores won't have them, or at least good ones. It is a bit that you use in a drill (ideally a drill press) to drill tapered plugs from a scrap board. You pop the plugs out of the board with a screwdriver.


You then drill a corresponding hole in the deck board with a Forstner bit.

The plugs are glued into the hole and tapped down with a hammer (lightly). Once the glue is dry, you use a sharp chisel, flush cut saw, block plane, or sander to make the top of the plug flush with the deck board.

Total investment in the two bits would be under $40.

I would strongly suggest using someone's drill press to mount the plug cutter. Cut the smallest diameter plugs you can get away with. The Forstner bit will work in a hand drill just fine.

Ron6519

Cut the plugs out of the scrap redwood.
Ron

mnulty

Gee wiz, I actually came up with an idea that might actual work. thanks guys. and thanks for the suggestion as to where to get the cutter and bit. I have already placed the order. As to using someone drill press, there has been an open spot in my work area for some time and I can not think of a better tool to add to my assortment of the right tools for the right job.

Termite

Like a true DIY professional, you've mastered the procurement of new tools. Well done.

Post some pics of your work when it is all done.

yesitsconcrete

1/3rd's the tools, 1/3rd'd the desire, 1/3rd's the ability, & 1/3rd's the will to finish

Termite

Its that last 1/3 that makes the projects so hard! Always hard to stay motivated after a project goes on and on and on.