I am a new owner of a Catalina 22. This winter I am going to paint the deck of the boat. I am planning on removing all the hardware going through the process of painting and then re-installing the hardware. The question involves reinstalling the hardware. In some information I found it seems that people say to fill the hole where the hardware is going with an epoxy first and then drill out the epoxy before installing the hardware. What are your thoughts on that?
Painting the deck of a Catalina 22
- Thread starter Erbardy
- Start date
Here's the definitive guide to bedding hardware
Bedding Deck Hardware With Bed-IT Tape - Marine How To
Originally published December 2003 *Moved & Edited September 2017 Bedding With Bed-It Tape 5/20/2022 IMPORTANT UPDATE BED-IT TAPE IS BACK PURCHASE BED-IT TAPE Countersunk/Beveled Hole Over the years,
marinehowto.com
Thank you for the reply. I guess my question is specifically putting HEBERT back in a spot where the hole is already previously drilled. I am removing all the hardware and then planning on putting the same hardware back to the same hole as it was originally placed. Also, the other question I had is in relation to the type of way it was fastened. There are some pieces of hardware, such as the chain plates, that are bolted. And there are also some pieces of hardware that seem to be fastened with screws, such as the rear railing and the front railing.So, do the instructions that you posted on the link involve new building that has been drilled or does it also apply to putting hardware back in locations that have already been previously filled for hardware
In a new build, the areas where there are deck penetrations for the various fittings would be solid fiberglass. However, this is a labor intensive way of building a boat and most production boats do not have this.
The purpose of over drilling and filling with thickened epoxy is to protect the wood core from water intrusion. Once water gets into the core, it causes the core to rot and delaminate, which weakens the deck structure. Generally most fittings are through bolted as this is a stronger method than self-tapping screws into wood and fiberglass. In some areas screws may be the only option due to access or in some low load situations, like attaching a dodger.
While it is a little more expensive than creating your own thickened epoxy, I've been using West System Six10 or Jamestown Distributors Total Boat Thixo. These thickened epoxies come in a cartridge that fits into a caulking gun (Hint: If you go this way, get a heavy duty caulking gun, not the cheap $2 ones.). The big advantage is easy of use, much neater and cleaner. No mixing and filling syringes.
Thanks. Does this also go for putting hardware back in places where they were originally located? Meaning I will be putting the hardware back where it was originally placed with the holes are already there. I am just removing it in order to paint. If I understand correctly, even though I am putting hardware back where it was originally placed in using the original holes, I should still fill the hole with Epoxy and then re-drill it when putting the hardware back. Could you confirm this for me? Thanks
Yes, drill them with an oversize bit, say ⅜" for a ¼" fastener. Fill with thickened epoxy, let it cure and then drill the proper sized hole. Thickened epoxy is necessary because plain epoxy is brittle and will crack. The thickener keeps it from cracking. Same idea as with concrete and putting stone and sand in to concrete.
Yes. As dlochner said.
That is unless your penetrations are through solid fiberglass.
Of course, you could use the product designed specifically to bed things like hardware and handrails on a boat, ie; bedding compound. Very, very easy to work with and clean up is a breeze.
On a different note, if your boat has non-skid laid into the mold, don't forget that if you don't get each and every 'hole' clean and prepped for painting, those that do not have the paint stick could possibly cause areas of your nice newly painted deck to peel.
On a different note, if your boat has non-skid laid into the mold, don't forget that if you don't get each and every 'hole' clean and prepped for painting, those that do not have the paint stick could possibly cause areas of your nice newly painted deck to peel.
Slightly off topic but dont go overboard on the anti-slip additive. It makes it harder to keep your boat clean