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

[JohnRPollard]

Thanks again. In case there was any doubt, I wasn't questioning the approach you took. Since your note on the genoa tracks didn't mention dealing with coring, I thought I'd ask. I guess I was hoping you'd tell me I could get away without potting if I used butyl tape in a cored area, because...

Originally Posted by halekai36

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

... and those are my sentiments as well.

P.S. Our genoa tracks are not installed in a cored area either, but I have some new staysail lead tracks that mount to the coachroof, where there MIGHT be coring -- will find out soon enough.

[xort]

I have 2 fixed sidelights that appear to be glued in with 5200. Solid, no leaks.

But I also have 4 overhead hatches that have no lockdown mechanism. The acrylic just sits in a lip in the top of the hatch. I'll need adhesive properties for them. Thinking of using lifeseal.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by xort

I have 2 fixed sidelights that appear to be glued in with 5200. Solid, no leaks.

But I also have 4 overhead hatches that have no lockdown mechanism. The acrylic just sits in a lip in the top of the hatch. I'll need adhesive properties for them. Thinking of using lifeseal.

Dow 795 Structural Glazing Compound is what most manufacturer's use.. Both Catalina and Hunter use it to hold in their acrylic non mechanically fastened port lights. I'd use 795..

[deryk]

Im really impressed... do you think this will work
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

thanks

deryk

[sailingdog]

With tools, you often get what you pay for... and cheap tools tend to be more expensive to own than decent ones—which you end up buying after the cheap ones screw you over. Skipping the step of buying and breaking the cheap tools saves you a lot of time, frustration and money.

Originally Posted by deryk

Im really impressed... do you think this will work
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

thanks

deryk

[Wayne25]

HVAC (Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning) supply houses also carry butyl tape. Its used to seal the flanges on large, high pressure duct work. Very nice job on the topic.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by deryk

Im really impressed... do you think this will work
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

thanks

deryk

Over the years I have purchased a number of tools from Harbor Freight and it is more MISS than HIT.. The Ryobi stuff is a great value and surprisingly reliable. Here is an example of just ONE tool from Harbor Freight where there is certainly a difference.

I ordered the Harbor Freight Tools double ratcheting crimper and compared it's construction, specifically the crimp dies, which are the important part, to the Ancor Double Crimp Ratchet Crimper.

It was stated by some here that the HFT crimper was identical to the Ancor model. I'll let you decide..

Ancor and HFT Crimpers: Note the non-removable dies on the HFT crimper. You'd literally have to pound out those drift pins to replace those dies.
All Photos ©1998-2008 Hale Kai Inc.


Crimp Dies: The Ancor crimper on the left has the proper spacing to execute a double crimp and nicely machined heads from a solid ingot. The HFT crimper has incorrect spacing to properly execute a double crimp and uses cheap plates of steel to make up the crimp dies.


Crimp Jaw Surface: Note the sharp edges and the improper spacing on the HFT crimper vs. the well machined and properly spaced jaws of the Ancor crimper.


Ancor Crimp Head: the fit and finish is very good and the crimp jaws are in the correct location top and bottom.


HFT Crimp Head: These dies do not even have the proper profile and are located incorrectly. The jaw on the bottom should be on the top!


Proper Die/Jaw Orientation: This is the proper jaw orientation for a double crimp ratchet tool. The spit in the barrel of the connector always faces the top. On the HFT tool your would need to crimp backwards!


Close Up Of Sloppy Machining: This crimper JUST came out of the shipping envelope an hour ago and already it's showing signs of RUST!! Also look at the rough surface where the steel was cut. See picture number two for a side by side look at the sloppy machining.


I paid $14.99 plus 6.99 S&H (which took 20 DAYS!) for the HFT crimper and $55.00 for the Ancor crimpers. The Ancor crimpers came with detailed instructions and the HFT crimpers came with NOTHING. The crimp dies on the HFT tool makes and improperly spaced crimp and the heads are not replaceable. The Ancor crimper makes beautiful and repeatable crimps every time and the dies can be replaced if they wear out!

Here are two identical crimps, same terminals, same wire just different crimpers.

Front Close Up: HFT on left Ancor on Right
All Photos ©1998-2008 Hale Kai Inc.


Crimp Locations: This is IMPORTANT a double crimper is supposed to crimp the strain relief. The HFT crimper (bottom crimp) crimps the slot between the strain relief barrel and the crimp barrel. Look closely through the nylon and you'll see that the crimp barrel was not even touched and it's still round! Look at the Ancor crimp (top) and you can see a very slight black line depicting the crimp jaw outline. Also notice the almost invisible crimp in the nylon. The proper spacing of the Ancor dies makes a properly spaced crimp and actually achieves the "double crimp"!


Anatomy of a crimp connector: I took apart an insulated terminal to show why the crimper is referred to as double crimper. The spade gets one crimp (left side of photo) and the strain relief barrel (middle of the photo) gets a second crimp where I have scuffed the metal. The "colored dot" side of the jaws, of the Ancor "double" crimper, are the appropriate size for crimping this strain relief barrel and the non dot side is sized for the crimp barrel. On the Ancor crimper these dies are sized for both the strain relief and the crimp barrel specifically and on the HFT crimper both sides of the jaw are identical as in there is no specific side for a strain relief crimp or a wire crimp! Truly a one size fits all approach! Using the appropriate crimper such as the Ancor will create both crimps in one single motion properly.

If I were to disassemble a heat shrink connector all you'd see is the heat shrink and the terminal. You'd only have two pieces, not three, hence the term "single crimp" as it only crimps the crimp barrel because there is no strain relief barrel on a heat shrink terminal. This photo shows the valley that the HFT tool crimped in the strain relief barrel!