Mounting instruments into cabin: screws, and boatlife or epoxy? - Page 2

fendertweed · #11 02-23-2007

if you coat the fastener well with carnauba wax and then put it in the epoxy to set up, it should be easy(er) to remove when the epoxy sets up, and you will have molded the threads into the epoxy... that's the idea of that method, though I have not yet used it.

camaraderie · #12 02-23-2007

Geary... Will the speaker be exposed and get rained on etc.?? If not, then you can get away with the boatlife IMHO. I would also put a bead of it around the entire grill where the grill meets the fiberglass.
If it will be exposed, then you need to follow the drill and fill advice.

geary126 · #13 02-23-2007

Okay, okay. I give in. So, on every hole...stanchions, etc., you guys do this?

Also, I don't quite explain the need to dig out with the allen bit, if I'm drilling oversize? Or digging out, over and above my initial dig out?

Just thinking, the more wood you take out [and replace], the better, if it's near a hole?

eherlihy · #14 02-23-2007

The allen wrench is to dig out the core BETWEEN the two peices of fiberglass.
Because it has a 90 degree bend, it can be used to chisel out the core.

Freesail99 · #15 02-23-2007

Would silacone make a better seal on the bolts in the newly epoxied holes ? It does flex.

1970Columbia34 · #16 02-23-2007

I overside all the holes in me deck for the Genoa tracks, cleats, stantions, windlass holes. I have mixed feelings on the 2 day process of bedding and tightening of bolts. I see the side of making a gasket between the 2 surfaces but with a gasket you have now created flex between to parts and flexing will lead to leaks. I think in my opinion the better way is to counter sink the deck and the hardware hole just a bit to give a place for the sealant to pool. making a o-ring at the bolt, and tighted the bolt 100%. Because having sealant under a plate is not really doing anything, its at the bolt where it need to be sealed. Plus with the holes oversized epoxyed and re-drilled if it leaks its just into the cabin and not the core.

geary126 · #17 02-23-2007

That's an interesting point. It's true. You don't want the water stopped 3/8" inside the boat. You want it on the surface. I think that's my point. it's almost as if people dismiss the BoatLife.

This almost reminds me of the Soldering vs. Crimping debate. Now, on that one, science provided that Crimping is indeed better.

has Practical Sailor studied this issue?

PBzeer · #18 02-23-2007

The purpose of backfilling the hole isn't to stop water intrusion, it's to keep it from getting in the core. No matter what you use, eventual, you will get some leakage over time. By backfilling, the water does not get into the core and cause much more serious, and expensive, problems. Caulk the screws, since you don't want them leaking, but do the backfill as well.
That's why all the newer boats have solid glass at bedding points, to keep water from the core.

sailingdog · #19 02-23-2007

By saying that you should be potting the holes in epoxy, doesn't mean that you shouldn't be using a good sealant for the installation. The use of the epoxy isn't to provide a water-tight seal for the installation, but to protect the core from water intrusion and prevent a much more problematic repair later on. Boatlife or 3M 4200 are probably good choices, but it really depends on what the speaker and grill are made of. Some sealants and plastics don't play nice with each other.

Valiente · #20 02-23-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailingdog

By saying that you should be potting the holes in epoxy, doesn't mean that you shouldn't be using a good sealant for the installation. The use of the epoxy isn't to provide a water-tight seal for the installation, but to protect the core from water intrusion and prevent a much more problematic repair later on. Boatlife or 3M 4200 are probably good choices, but it really depends on what the speaker and grill are made of. Some sealants and plastics don't play nice with each other.

It's a long shot, but you have to consider that speakers vibrate. It's probably best to do the job thoroughly with epoxy "donuts". If water is going to rain on it , or smack it via a wave, it's just good insurance. If the deck hardware takes a load, like a winch, turning block or a cleat, it's essential.