>> The epoxy cartridges are nice and easy to use, but to do the job right one >> should wet out the hole with un-thickened epoxy before filling with >> thickened epoxy. Also, don't just fill an existing bolt hole. Over dill >> the hole and ream back any coring. That said, I prefer to mix the epoxy >> myself. First un-thickened for wetting out, then adding some colloidal >> silica to thicken for the filling via a syringe. For epoxy, I use either >> West System 105/205 or East System 1032/833. They are near identical except >> East costs 1/3 less. <<
Add to that what Dennis C (Touché C&C 35-1) so clearly detailed in his great response pretty much captures what we used / are using on Calypso’s deck repair and restoration project now underway. We have drilled/filled over 250 holes in Calypso’s deck. Some were from the boat’s early years as a SORC level pure race boat with deck hardware being moved about in search of competitive advantage. The next two owners also moved, added, subtracted deck hardware, stanchion, and dodger mounting fasteners. All the past holes (mid 70’s to mid 80’s) were filled, some with softer materials, some with good quality polyester or epoxy based filler. All the soft or polyester based filler filled holes failed (some lasted 20 years); the epoxy filled holes are still in good shape. Many of the hole fillers lasted a little longer owing to the deck paint protecting the filler. Few if any of the failed hole repairs included the chamfering of the top and bottom of the hole or any balsa core removal. We are using West System’s 105/205 (206 in summer), the Six10 cartridges, G/Flex, and 5 minute epoxy. For fillers, we have onboard: Cabosil, ground glass powder, chopped glass strands, and several types of micro-balloon based powders for fairing filler. We have been very aggressive with wet/compromised balsa core removal and drying. Often an area we thought had dried was found to be still wet just ½” further back from the leak. In the 70’s era C&Cs there are a few “channels” that allow water to travel some distance from a leak. We found “channels” where the original 12V “zip” cords were laminated into the deck allowing water to move/wick up to 3’. Another area that allowed water to flow was where the deck transitions from horizontal to vertical. The bend/radius was not filled correctly or the filler (orange colored polyester “bog”) cracked/failed allowing water to migrate. Tapping around with a light hammer has been one of our least invasive methods of defining where the core/deck laminate bond has failed. When we needed to define the outer edges of a very wet area we drilled 3/8” holes and tested the balsa for damp, color and smell. The Baltek’s web site has some very good information on how wet balsa core can be before it fails or loses significant strength. IIRC it is around 30% moisture before the risk of failure is significant. We are not making major repairs if we find slightly damp but good color/smelling balsa. We are removing soaked, rotten, or failed bond balsa core and replacing with new + lotsa epoxy. Using heated air (or Seattle summer weather) and fans it can take a week or so to dry an area through small holes. At the risk of overstating the obvious, wet balsa core will not dry thoroughly though 3/8” holes except around the immediate hole core interface. We have not started the re-bedding portion of the project and have yet to make the decisions of what bedding compound to use where. If I had to decide today the 3M 4200UV would be used under most deck hardware, butyl tape possibly under a spot or two, and a yet to be chosen sealant with a low adhesive component for those fittings we expect to remove often. Kevin, if you use Git Rot or similar very low viscosity resins to penetrate back into compromised balsa or plywood core, following up with a filled epoxy (after the Git Rot has cured) will provide a longer lasting repair. Martin Calypso 1971 C&C 43 Seattle [Description: Description: Description: cid:D1BF9853-22F7-47FB-86F2-4115CE0BAF2F] From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Kevin Driscoll via CnC-List Sent: Friday, August 08, 2014 8:42 AM To: C&C List Subject: Stus-List Re-Bedding / Filling & Drilling w_Epoxy Happy weekend all, I am going to start re-bedding some hardware on our boat. I’m going with butyl tape, but wanted to see what folks were using for “filling and drilling” holes in the deck/core with epoxy, etc. Is Git Rot appropriate for this job? I am looking for something easy to work with for when I have a spare hour or two, i.e. less mixing/disposing cleanup the better. Send suggestions and / or links to YouTube videos or other “How To” sites. Thanks, Kevin 30-2 PDX Kevin Driscoll Portland, Oregon 503 // 875 // 3493
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