Plugs in brite work

[fstued1]

I need to redo a bunch of brite work and remount a bunch of it. At one time it was beautiful before I owned the boat. I now need to pull the wooden plugs covering the screws so that the grab rails and other bite work canbe remounted.
Any suggestions on the best way to remove those pesky little plugs I realize they will all have to be replaced and the new ones sanded and finished but that is latter first things first.
Even if any one could recommend a good book on redoing all of this brite work.
The boat is a 1976 Newport 30 in relatively good shape except for the TLC I am working on. Thanks

[CharlieCobra]

The trick with bungs is getting them out cleanly. If they've been set with epoxy or glue, it's tough. Most old pros know to set them in with varnish. I use a screwdriver that's smaller than the bung, tap it in and twist. Some use a cut off screw to screw in and pop them out without damaging the screw beneath. Sometimes they just don't come out right so you drill the bung hole out a touch and go with the next size up. Rebeca Whitman's Brightwork and Brightwork Companion are good books, even if she's a varnish Nazi to some.

Oh, when setting new bungs, use a very sharp chisel to cut off the excess....

[SJ34]

I use a forstner bit the same diameter as the plug. Be careful not to go deep enough with the bit to hit the screw, wont hurt the screw but the bit won't be happy. The forstner bit will also clean out the hole so the screw doesn't chip the wood surface as it's coming out. Once you've cut the plug down below the level of the surrounding wood you can get the rest of the plug out with the screwdriver or pick.
It's also important to start the bit in reverse to get a perfectly clean cut. You will very likely chip the wood if you start drilling in forward right away.

[WanderingStar]

I use a drill smaller than the bung, but not much smaller. Then the remaining hollow bung is easily broken out.

[remetau]

We used a smaller brad point drill bit. The point wouldn't strip the screw. Once the screw was exposed, we backed it out slowly. This would pull the rest of the bung out with it. If the bungs were epoxied in place, then there is a good chance of chipping the wood around the bung hole which will have to be repaired.

We used a Dremel to cut the new bungs down once they were in place.

Agree on Whitman's Brightwork book.

[RichH]

I use either a forstner (1st choice), or brad-point (2nd choice) drill bit (and a cheapy portable drill press whenever possible to hold the drill/bit perfectly perpendicular to the wood/old bung).
I use a compass-scribe to find the EXACT center of the installed plug before drilling, etc. (Sailnet doenst have a 'good' means to upload pics/sketch of what Im talking about... so you have to use your imagination).
Reversing the drill first to 'start' the cut is very good advice to reduce 'tear-outs' of the surrounding wood.
A Fein Tool with very fine toothed (semi-circular) saw blade is probably the best way to cut off any proud bung (no 'tear outs').
The use of 'chamfered' and 'very very slightly oversized' (custom) bungs will insure a tighter 'fit' ... but can split thin sectioned wood.
Of course, the grain of the new plug/bung should match the orientation of the grain of the base wood.

[VallelyJ]

Here's what I find works well and I've done a bunch of them:
1. Drill into the center of the plug with a small bit---maybe 6/64 or 3/32. The bit will hit the phililps head under the plug, so drill carefully and you won't hurt anything. Sooner or later, you'll snap off the bit--the price of doing business.
2. Put a phillips head bit in your dril and screw a drywall screw slowly into the hole you just drilled. The drywall screw will bottom on the hidden screw head, and its continuing turns will draw the plug out.
3. Dig any remaining pieces out with an awl or other narrow, sharp tool, being careful not to gouge the edges of the plug-hole.
Sounds involved, but once you've done a half dozen or so, you can pop them right out. Half of them come out in pieces, but they were originally held in with a drop of varnish, so the chunks pop out easily.
I've taken up & remounted the teak and holly floor on my 33 footer, and done lots of work on interior and exterior teak and this is the method that works for me.
John V.

[SailingWebGuy]

I use a sabre bit in a dremel tool. First I drill a hole in the dead center of the bung. If you go slow you can feel when the bit goes through the last bit of wood and into the glue or epoxy between the bung and the screw head. Then I start cutting towards the top of the bung. Once I get to the edge I start back at the center and cut towards the opposite direction. You'll be left with two halves of the bung remaining. Stick a flat head screw driver in the cut you've made and give a little twist. The bungs should pop right out.

Had a ton of them to remove. Here's my nav station...opted not to put new bungs back in.