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Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tubing
By:Shawn Baker
Date: 12/17/2002, 12:00 am

Okay, so I've run into a small problem. Nothing insurmountable, but it might add an unwanted 5 or 10 pounds to my folding Greenland kayak.

Got 40 lbs. of scrap aluminum tubing from the local recycler's. It used to be a Ham radio antenna. Big ol' cast aluminum mounting blocks in the center of each tube. Got rid of the aluminum blocks, but there were wooden dowels inside the tubing to keep the set screws from crushing the tubing...

No idea how to get the wood out of the center. There's 3' chunk in the middle of every 5' stick o' tubing. I tried driving it out with a piece of steel rod. No move.

Tried heating the tube with a propane torch. Maybe expand it. Drove it again with the hammer and rod. No move.

I don't think any sort of steam treatment will help--the wood would swell and the steam would harm more than help.

Or should I get used to the idea of a heavier kayak? Not keen on that. So, I figured I'd ask the sharpest bunch around. Any thoughts?

Shawn

Messages In This Thread

Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tubing
Shawn Baker -- 12/17/2002, 12:00 am
Look up impossible in the dictionary...
Rick Allnutt -- 12/17/2002, 6:23 pm
Re: Waittaminute!!!
Shawn Baker -- 12/17/2002, 7:00 pm
Re: Waittaminute!!!
Rick Allnutt -- 12/17/2002, 10:19 pm
Re: Look up impossible in the dictionary...
Shawn Baker -- 12/17/2002, 6:59 pm
Fahrenheit 452 -- It just might do -- for you :)
Paul G. Jacobson -- 12/17/2002, 8:25 pm
Oak!!
Shawn Baker -- 12/17/2002, 10:07 pm
Pass the salt, I will eat my words...
Rick Allnutt -- 12/17/2002, 10:20 pm
Re: not just yet!
Shawn Baker -- 12/18/2002, 12:20 pm
Putting wood plugs in aluminum tubes
Bill Price -- 12/17/2002, 2:47 pm
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Reg Lake -- 12/17/2002, 12:27 pm
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Tom Yost -- 12/17/2002, 10:11 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu *LINK*
Pete Rudie -- 12/17/2002, 11:10 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Tom Yost -- 12/17/2002, 1:34 pm
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Shawn Baker -- 12/17/2002, 10:21 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
don flowers -- 12/17/2002, 11:00 pm
chemical warfare
Don Flowers -- 12/17/2002, 11:01 am
lignin destroyers, wood eaters
mike allen -- 12/17/2002, 1:21 pm
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Timothy -- 12/17/2002, 8:54 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Jim Elbrecht -- 12/17/2002, 8:16 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Kurt Loup, Baton Rouge -- 12/17/2002, 9:22 am
Re: termites? :) *NM*
Ross Leidy -- 12/17/2002, 6:50 am
I love this! Ross. No damage to metal. *NM*
Tony -- 12/18/2002, 7:41 pm
Re: ...but I'll have problems stopping them! *NM*
Shawn Baker -- 12/17/2002, 10:17 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Richard Kohlström -- 12/17/2002, 2:34 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Tony -- 12/18/2002, 7:40 pm
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Mike Hanks -- 12/17/2002, 1:51 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Shawn Baker -- 12/17/2002, 10:16 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Eric -- 12/17/2002, 11:50 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Jeff The Tall -- 12/17/2002, 1:32 am
Re: Denatured alcohol?
Shawn Baker -- 12/17/2002, 10:13 am
Re: Denatured alcohol?
Tony -- 12/18/2002, 7:35 pm
Re: Denatured alcohol?
Jeff The Tall -- 12/17/2002, 2:01 pm
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Chip Sandresky -- 12/17/2002, 12:48 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Greg Bridges -- 12/17/2002, 12:03 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Shawn Baker -- 12/17/2002, 12:06 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Scott Fitzgerrell -- 12/17/2002, 12:50 am
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
John K -- 12/17/2002, 9:52 pm
Re: extra long bits
Tony -- 12/18/2002, 7:13 pm
Re: Material: Removing wood plugs from aluminum tu
Greg Bridges -- 12/17/2002, 12:22 am