Bedding wood britework with butyl tape

[ericrlarson]

I have read your posts on Butyl tape and like the idea VERY much, but I have a couple of questions.

1. Could I also use it to bed the wood britework too? Will I be able to get enough pressure to seal properly?

2. The chainplates on a Mariner have no topside hardware. They are bolted to the hull and come up through a hole in the deck. How would I use Butyl tape to bed these? Especially given that it does not cure and remains soft and sticky. It seems like I need to cover it with something, and possibly create some kind of pressurized joint for this method to work.

Also how can I tell if a product I find locally is the "real deal". I just do not have very much hardware, and cannot think that I would use even 50' of tape, never mind 100' which seems to be your minimum order amount.

Thanks,
Eric

 

[Maine Sail]

I have read your posts on Butyl tape and like the idea VERY much, but I have a couple of questions.

1. Could I also use it to bed the wood britework too? Will I be able to get enough pressure to seal properly?

2. The chainplates on a Mariner have no topside hardware. They are bolted to the hull and come up through a hole in the deck. How would I use Butyl tape to bed these? Especially given that it does not cure and remains soft and sticky. It seems like I need to cover it with something, and possibly create some kind of pressurized joint for this method to work.

Also how can I tell if a product I find locally is the "real deal". I just do not have very much hardware, and cannot think that I would use even 50' of tape, never mind 100' which seems to be your minimum order amount.

Thanks,
Eric

Sent you a PM..

 

[sailmakered]

Awwwwwwwww.....I wanted to see the answer.

 

[howard]

me too

me too.

 

[MJWarner]

Me three, I have the same chainplate setup and will be rebedding them shortly.

 

[Maine Sail]

Here's what I sent...

There are vast differences in the quality, consistency, solvent content and durometer ratings of butyl. Much of what you order on the internet is not even butyl tape so you need to be careful and definitely stay away from any RV or roofing butyl.


It works well for bedding wood work but you'll want to use your body weight to compress it, then tighten screws. As for chain plates it does work best in compression and if you don't have cover plates than this could be tough....

 

[SailingHarry]

Here's what I sent...

There are vast differences in the quality, consistency, solvent content and durometer ratings of butyl. Much of what you order on the internet is not even butyl tape so you need to be careful and definitely stay away from any RV or roofing butyl.


It works well for bedding wood work but you'll want to use your body weight to compress it, then tighten screws. As for chain plates it does work best in compression and if you don't have cover plates than this could be tough....

Main,

You've answered me on this question before, but I'm back to ask it again, after your comments above about RV stuff, and about chainplates. After reading all your great stuff on butyl, but before you sold it, I went out and bought rolls of light gray RV butyl. I've used a lot on my boat, but the real troubling part is my chainplates. My chainplates have a reasonably large cavity around the plate, and a cover plate that screws down on it. I rebeded them all within the last year. I have noticed that they don't just "leak," they "pour." During the huricane, I had a wide wet spot across my cabin sole, from one chain plate, and a large puddle on a shelf from another.

Should I scrap the stuff I have, order a roll from you, and redo it all? Or have I done something horribly wrong in my workmanship? I really think I worked it in, squeezed it down, and got a good bead squirted out.

Thanks,

Harry
'79 Sabre 34

 

[woodster]

Main,

You've answered me on this question before, but I'm back to ask it again, after your comments above about RV stuff, and about chainplates. After reading all your great stuff on butyl, but before you sold it, I went out and bought rolls of light gray RV butyl. I've used a lot on my boat, but the real troubling part is my chainplates. My chainplates have a reasonably large cavity around the plate, and a cover plate that screws down on it. I rebeded them all within the last year. I have noticed that they don't just "leak," they "pour." During the huricane, I had a wide wet spot across my cabin sole, from one chain plate, and a large puddle on a shelf from another.

Should I scrap the stuff I have, order a roll from you, and redo it all? Or have I done something horribly wrong in my workmanship? I really think I worked it in, squeezed it down, and got a good bead squirted out.

Thanks,

Harry
'79 Sabre 34

i am not mainsail but i will try to answer your question...based on what you have stated about your openings......if you have more than 1/8 to 3/16 of and inch gap on any side of the chaine plates (parimiter) it is best that you use a backing of some kind to back up the packing of butel in the holes as the type of calk you are useing (butel) is designed to seal but not desigined to bridge a gap structually ......also if you dont have enough over lap on the surface to create a good seal between the cover plate and the deck surface...you still have the problem of the area around the chain plate where the cover goes over the chain plate the wide gap between the deck surface and the chain plate has no structual supporting properties..... just a bottem less hole for the butal to sag and not seal so just back up the wide hole with something on the under side then fill the cavity with butal untill you can have some squeeze out when fastening down the cover plate....hope this helps .... and by all means use the tape tha Mainsail has it is prolly the best that can be found ......

regards

woody

 

[Maine Sail]

Main,

You've answered me on this question before, but I'm back to ask it again, after your comments above about RV stuff, and about chainplates. After reading all your great stuff on butyl, but before you sold it, I went out and bought rolls of light gray RV butyl. I've used a lot on my boat, but the real troubling part is my chainplates. My chainplates have a reasonably large cavity around the plate, and a cover plate that screws down on it. I rebeded them all within the last year. I have noticed that they don't just "leak," they "pour." During the huricane, I had a wide wet spot across my cabin sole, from one chain plate, and a large puddle on a shelf from another.

Should I scrap the stuff I have, order a roll from you, and redo it all? Or have I done something horribly wrong in my workmanship? I really think I worked it in, squeezed it down, and got a good bead squirted out.

Thanks,

Harry
'79 Sabre 34

Harry,

Butyl works best when it is in compression. This can likely be done but all the surfaces must be 150% clean for it to work. Often times PO's re-bed chain plates with silicone and it contaminates the area going though the deck. If the butyl is not STUFFED in there and in some sort of compression it can pull away from the deck and leak. Our chain plates on the CS lasted 31 years with butyl, and would have gone longer, but it was really, really, really packed in there and done well from the factory...