Quite frankly I'm not sure whether I invented this particular method or not (probably not) but it seems to be workin'. Let's say you own a classic (old boat) like the Betty Jane and you're seeing some dark staining around the bungs that cover the screws securing the planks to the deck. Yikes! Right? The staining means water is getting past the bungs more than likely and the darn things need replacing.
Well yeah, but what if there's not enough clearance over the head of the screw to make replacement with a reasonably thick bung possible? Whataya do then?
Here's my nifty little modus operandi. I remove the old bung with a screw driver, pocket knife or some other groovy tool. Then I back the screw out and (this is the inventive part in my humble, yet excited opinion) cut a smidgen off using the tool shown above.
The next step entails using a 3/8" countersink (or some other countersink that fits your situation) to deepen the bung hole by the same smidgen you just cut off the screw. The point here, of course, is to keep your planks secure but not turn the screw over-far into the cored laminate underneath and set up a deplorable deal wherein water leaks around the screw and invades the coring. Double yikes!
The rest is straightforward. You dip the cut-off screw in marine silicone, insert it back into its hole, tighten the dang thing down squeezing silicone out, slather a new bung with epoxy (I use West System's wondrous stuff), and set the bung in the hole with a hammer--Whop! Once the epoxy sets and the new bung's solid, you simply whack it flat with a chisel and sand down with 220 grit sandpaper.
Sound complicated? Heck, I've replaced as many as 15 plugs in a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon!
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