Removing Deck Hardware / What To Do With the Holes???

[rheaton]

A good place to get this would be a RV / camper store. They use it to seal their windows.

[Freesail99]

A good place to get this would be a RV / camper store. They use it to seal their windows.

Yep it is and I said that in post number 4.

[xort]

Speaking of windows, any thoughts on using this on plexi or lexan windows as a sealant?

[Freesail99]

There is another thread on using butyl tape on ports. I did it a few weekends ago myself, on my boat. I'll see if I can find the thread.

[Freesail99]

Xort, here is the thread.

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-m...ortlights.html

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by xort

Speaking of windows, any thoughts on using this on plexi or lexan windows as a sealant?

Xort,

Unless the ports are also screwed or through bolted I personally would not use butyl. Butyl has very little to no adhesion but it is very sticky and flexes and stretches LOTS to accommodate any movement well. If your ports are of the acrylic type that are non opening, and with no frame, similar to what Catalina uses for their non opening ports, you should use Dow 795. It's what Catalina, and I have heard Hunter, use at the factory for installing the acrylic non screwed in ports. It's an adhesive silicone made specifically for structural window glazing and works well for the application.

[Rockter]

Neat work. Good finish.

[JohnRPollard]

Halekai,

I noticed that you did not seal the end grain of the core with epoxy prior to bedding with the butyl tape. Is this because you are confident enough in the bedding properties of butyl tape?

If you were installing something like a genoa track (in the manner you described above), would you also forego the epoxy and just use the butyl tape even if it was in a cored area? Thanks very much for your suggestions.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by JohnRPollard

Halekai,

I noticed that you did not seal the end grain of the core with epoxy prior to bedding with the butyl tape. Is this because you are confident enough in the bedding properties of butyl tape?

If you were installing something like a genoa track (in the manner you described above), would you also forego the epoxy and just use the butyl tape even if it was in a cored area? Thanks very much for your suggestions.

John,

I'm very confident in butyl but if doing a genny track in a cored section I would "pot" the holes! My entire boat was bedded with butyl at the factory 29 years ago. The cleats I removed were BONE dry and subject to some high loads. I did not pot the hole because:

#1 I countersunk them to create an o-ring something that was NOT there for 29 years and they still did not leak!

#2 These machine screws will see NO movement or load and are merely decorative to hide the existing holes

#3 It's summer and I'd rather be sailing than potting holes unnecessarily.




My genny track goes through a solid UNCORED section of the deck, as they all should, and even after 29 years with NO countersinking & butyl tape they still don't leak ONE drop of water.

The countersinking or slight beveling of the fastener holes only further guarantees dry non leaking decks. Still any high load item, through a core, should be potted & countersunk slightly..... My screws are no load, no movement...

[SVCarolena]

"#7 Countersink each hole very slightly using a countersink and REVERSE on your drill. Using forward will make the hole way to big if you are not careful. Contrary to popular belief countersinks work wonderfully, for detail work in fiberglass, in reverse and you won't chew through the deck in.002 seconds while having an ADHD moment.."

Another option that I use when countersinking in glass is to use a handheld countersink. They are very inexpensive and eliminate the "oops" potential.