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Old 13th Jun 2016, 12:07 am   #1
starone
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Default Hacker Gondolier damp case/infestation

Hello

The other day I started on my next project, a Hacker Gondolier. I thought it was in pretty good condition and expected just a few electrical problems, but on closer inspection and after opening it up, I discovered that it was very damp on one side, the left side as you look at it face on. It also had some damp soil inside and soil marks to the rexine, which was peeling off at the corners. The joints had also suffered and the corners could be pulled apart without much effort. I could also see a number of tiny black mite type insects crawling around and on peeling some of the rexine back also some tiny orange specs that I first thought was the glue. But on second glance I saw that these things were moving. There's no evidence of any woodworm flight holes. I now don't know what to with this thing. The wood, although damp, seems solid. My first thought was to bag it up and scrap it, but it seems a shame. Hoping someone may have some ideas? I've attached a few images of the area, which looks better on camera than it actually is, and one of the crawling things between the rexine and the wood.

Martin
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Old 13th Jun 2016, 8:06 am   #2
Ti Pwun
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Default Re: Hacker Gondolier damp case/infestation

I know when I did one, the more I peeled back the Rexine in search of good wood, the more rot I found. What an absolute nightmare that was. Trouble is, if it's near the hinges or corners, the bad stuff has to go if you want it to be stable.

I hope yours isn't as rotten but I would test the wood with something pointed to make sure. The one I worked on seemed OK apart from a small area near the hinge but when I started digging that away so I could fit a new piece of wood in there, it literally disintegrated until the entire corner in both directions had to be removed. The other corner seemed OK apart from one tiny area but again, when I started looking for something solid, that corner was completely rotten as well.

Not sure what your infestation is but isopropyl alcohol would be a good place to start, at least until you know what you are dealing with.

When you squeeze the wood beneath the Rexine, does it feel slightly spongy? I hope not because investigating that led to a mountain of hard work that took many hours of work to sort out.

Hopefully you can sort it out. It would indeed be a shame to scrap it.
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Old 13th Jun 2016, 9:51 am   #3
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Default Re: Hacker Gondolier damp case/infestation

Thanks for that, it's reassuring to know others out there have faced similar problems.

l've given it a good probing with a pointed object and it does't seem too bad. It seems good around the hinges so I suppose I'm lucky. Some areas do feel a bit spongy, but when the rexine's peeled back it seems OK, just damp. it's the orange things between the wood and rexine that I'm more concerned about though. I think to do a proper job on this I'm going to have to remove all the rexine and treat the case with something, just to be on the safe side. I'm wondering if this could be removed carefully and reused? Did you do this with yours or recover it with new? I think the pattern on these is unique and not obtainable any more, and the rexine itself is OK, just a bit dirty. Do you know what the best way is to get it off without causing too much damage?

Regards
Martin
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Old 13th Jun 2016, 10:26 am   #4
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Default Re: Hacker Gondolier damp case/infestation

Some warm water and a paint brush will help soften the glue so you can carefully peel back the Rexine. Don't tug at it, though, when you get to an area where it seems like it's coming off OK. When it's partially rotten like that it will rip when you're least expecting it.

I know that means adding more water to an already damp area but it won't make it worse as long as you follow up with a rag as you peel it off.

You could use alcohol as that will evaporate quickly and probably help kill the beasties as well, but just warm water works well.
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Old 13th Jun 2016, 11:08 am   #5
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Default Re: Hacker Gondolier damp case/infestation

Woodworm killer should kill the insects, though they will probably die off anyway as the wood dries out. A quick shot of ordinary fly spray should kill them too.
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Old 13th Jun 2016, 11:19 pm   #6
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Default Re: Hacker Gondolier damp case/infestation

Thanks for that. I've used the warm water method and removed all the rexine from the main case; I've left the lid for now as it's not as bad and didn't want to take on too much. The rexine's come off OK, there's a few small tears but nothing major, and I should be able to use some from the underside of the deck for patching. It's gone a bit stiff though, and will need cleaning, but I don't know how easy it's going to be to get it back on and looking good.

The rear panel is the worst affected area. The layers of ply have started to separate and it's really damp. Not sure yet whether to reinforce it or make a complete new section. The rest of the case is solid. My plan now is to sand and smooth the case, apply a few coats if woodworm killer as a precaution and leave it to thoroughly dry out. I'm not too sure though where to leave it to dry and for how long, before I start to reassemble? It also has a bit of a nasty smell, wonder how I'm going to get rid of that?

Martin
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Old 13th Jun 2016, 11:38 pm   #7
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Default Re: Hacker Gondolier damp case/infestation

The smell should fade as it dries out.
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Old 14th Jun 2016, 7:37 am   #8
Nickthedentist
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Default Re: Hacker Gondolier damp case/infestation

Quote:
Originally Posted by starone View Post
I'm not too sure though where to leave it to dry and for how long, before I start to reassemble?
I'd certainly give it a week or two, placing it outside to bask on hot, sunny days. This will no doubt help with the smell too.
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Old 14th Jun 2016, 2:31 pm   #9
starone
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Default Re: Hacker Gondolier damp case/infestation

Ok, great. I've got it out in the sun now! I'll probably go a bit quiet on this for a while, as I think it's going to be a long job. Will report back once the case is ready for it's rexine back. Thanks to everyone who's helped me so far.

Martin
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