CAMBRIA Restoration Diary: Full Story
Perpetuating the old skills.
Early on in the restoration it was decided that the deck seams would be filled and sealed in the traditional manner. This is achieved by slightly chamfering the 3" deck timbers to half depth leaving a quarter inch gap at the top. This void is then filled with rolled oakum which is driven hard down using the old caulking irons and mallet as seen in the picture. Finally hot pitch is poured into the seam to create a watertight joint.
As Matt has reported in the Volunteers Views, oakum can often bring back unpleasant memories. The word is thought to derive from Old English and translates as 'off-combings'
Tarred hemp fibres were made by unpicking condemned ropes and was the principle activity in the old workhouses. It was also an old naval punishment and was a tedious and slow process which was very hard on fingers and thumbs.
