Epoxy seal project

Brazo,

Thanks for the great reference site. I've learned a lot just by reading for a few minutes. I guess Butyl is next on my boat supplies list. :wink
 
The butyn tape worked great on the Anchor Rode Hawser install. The hawser is installed on the 'non-skid' portion of the deck, so the surface is not smooth. The butyn tape then fills in those groves when you tighten down the screws. Gives a nice clean finish and you don't have to worry about getting every last drop of 5200 off the deck before it dries.
 
Installed the bow cleat and the two mid cleats this morning. No doubt that potting the holes is the way to go. When you install the hardware you are just drilling out the same size hole as the original - looks exactly the same as before. Great feeling knowing that those holes are now forever protected.

The cleat installs went great with the butyl tape.

Now on to the bow rail...
 
Good news on the bow rail - i was able to install the rail by myself without any problems. Any spring was not a factor as all the screws lined up with the original holes. Using the butyl tape keeps the screws in place while you set the bow rail on the deck.

Now just need to wait for one of the kids to get home from school so that they can hold the screw driver while I tighten all the nuts - I'm sure they'll be excited about that...
 
I bought ours from a local Camper World. Not sure how many feet, but it was only $9. Way more than we'll need but from what I've read it'll last for years.
 
Took a bit of doing, but I finally got the bow hatch loose from all the 5200 - a bit of a job - mainly just trying not o scratch the boat. Now time to clean off all the 5200 and get it ready to dill out the holes.
 
I noticed on the cutout for the bow hatch that it was not done very well. I would have thought that the factory would have used a template of the opening to cutout and then screwed it on and then just rotozipped the opening. Instead the opening is rough with a few of the screws right in the edge of the opening. I don't think it is a problem but I'm considering making an insert and epoxying around that insert just to do it right - but we'll see.
 
On all 3 of my boats I have had to redo the bow hatch--and this included putting a couple of layers of glass (in epoxy) to fill the void and make the hatch/screws fit well.

As for the question about thickening epoxy. If you leave pure resin it will be more brittle and tend to split. I saw a repair recently where just epoxy resin was used, and there were cracks in it after a peroid of time. You want some body. Depending on how large a void--you can use milled fibers (glass) or small sections of cloth, or one of the fillers. I used Fumed Silica as a binder in almost all of the projects for thickening.
 
After deciding that making the cutout for the bow hatch smaller was not necessary, today I filled in the core with epoxy after routing out about 3/8" all around.

It is quite warm today (85), so either later today or tomorrow I'll drill out the screw holes and fill with epoxy. Two of the screws are right on the lip of the cutout, so I'll fill those carefully in order to gain some more "meat" to screw back into.

Hopefully I can get the bow hatch sealed up in the next day or so - then onto the fuel inlet(2) and water inlet.
 
Drilled out the screw holes and routed out the backs of the holes. Looks like the two holes that were on the edge of the cutout will end up working - we'll see tomorrow.

Not a bad project but I'm ready to put the boat back together...
 
The bow hatch went back on without problems. I was concerned with two of the screws being so close to the edge, but I was able to solve that problem. All the screws "dug" hard into the epoxy and were very tight.

I used the butyl tape again and that works awesome. As long as it holds up like they state, it is so much easier to work with than 4200/5200. No mess and easy clean up. I laid down a 1" by 1/8 thick strip of the butyl tape all along the frame for the hatch, then as I tightened down each screw I could see the tape squeeze out the edge.

Now onto the fuel/water inlets...
 
A bit busy lately, so now back onto the project. The goal (need) is to get all holes into the core epoxied this year - otherwise I'll forget which ones. So, just in case someone needs this info in the future - here are the hardware items that I needed to remove and fix:

- Anchor Roller (ended up buying a BRM-4 and putting that back on)

- Bow rail

- Anchor rode hatch

- Port mid-cleat

- Starboard mid-cleat

- Bow cleat

- Bow hatch

- Port aft-cleat

- Starboard aft-cleat

- Port aft cabin handhold bar - attached to outside of cabin

- Starboard aft cabin handhold bar

- Lazarette covers

- Bilge Pump - not balsa core there, looked like green foam

- gas tank strap holders

- Port gas tank filler cap

- Starboard gas tank filler cap

- Water filler cap


I checked the rails on the top of the cabin roof and they were not into core - 100% fiberglass.

This REALLY should be done at the factory. Yesterday I did the new anchor roller and it took me 10 minutes (plus drying time) more to fill the hole with epoxy and redrill. If you use the dremel tool, then you just drill out the top fiberglass, drill thru the balsa core, but not thru the bottom layer of fiberglass. Then all you need to do is fill the hole with epoxy, let dry for a hour, and then re-drill the same exact hole all the way thru. Very fast and when you look at the re-drilled hole - you KNOW you did it right.
 
matt_unique":1xt37tp5 said:
BRAZO":1xt37tp5 said:
....

This REALLY should be done at the factory. ....
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Agreed - at every factory for every boat brand that uses a core!
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They don't, of course, because of the time/labor/$$$ factor!

Someone needs to invent/develop a self-sealing sleeve, which would be used by drilling out a hole large enough, inserting the sleeve, then screwing in the threaded screw or machine screw.

The sleeve should have epoxy (both halves) encapsulated in micro balloons which would burst and mix upon compression. A fiberglass filler, perhaps in the form of a rolled woven material would also be desirable.

This could be made as a continuous coil, to be cut off and used in the lengths needed.

Different diameters would be needed, of course.

It should be stiff enough to resist compression reasonably, but flexible enough to break the balloons open, and seal the balsa off.

The center should be stiff, and the outer layers closer to fluid upon compression.

Would take some research and development time, but would be well worth it, and profitable if made to work right!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
They don't, of course, because of the time/labor/$$$ factor!
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Based on my little experience - I think that is a weak argument on the boat builders side. When you use the "potting" method - it is fast and easy. Should be done in the factory and also at the dealers (might be done by some??).
 
You are absolutely correct--it should be done. It is done on high end custom yachts. Not sure how many do it at the consumer mass production level, of all holes in the boat. I have done it on several boats, includng up to 46 feet LOA--but the time in the labor in retrofit is removal of hardware.

It does boil down to cost--every minute, every bit of material costs more. Every boat has to compete with other boats. People just don't understand, care or want to pay for the better quality.

Same for survey--We have developed instruments which will give a very good profile of a cored structure (used all of the tiime in military applications), which is reasonable in cost. Yet Marine surveyors are not willing to pay $2,000 for the instrument, and take the time to learn to use it--or pay a bit more for FLIR equiptment (and some are even less costly).
 
Officially have sealed all cored holes in our 2008. Really not that bad - probably could be done in 1 day with the right planning.

I had planned on doing this the first year but that didn't happen. Usually if I wait past the 'newness' wearing off, then it never gets done.
 
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