Fastening Down Teak Slats on Wing Seats

[sailcapt340]

On my Hunter 340 I have 2 Wing Seats that have 1 1/2 inch wide x 3/8 inch thick Teak Wood Slats. They are screw down through the White Starboard and up into the slats to hold them in place.
A few of the screw holes in the teak slats have widen over the years and do not hold the screws in tight.
The teak itself is in great condition but some of the screw holes need to be filled and retapped for the wood screws to hold them tight.
Will 2 Part Total Boat Flex Epox work for this? Can that be drilled and tapped to accept wood screws after it hardens?
Thank you for your help.

 

[jssailem]

For my wooden seats, I used threaded nut inserts. Then I used SS bolts to attach the seat to the pulpit. No stripping. 4 bolts per seat. Quickly installed for the cruising season. I can remove them for the winter. No more screws stripping out of the wood.

 

[dlochner]

On my Hunter 340 I have 2 Wing Seats that have 1 1/2 inch wide x 3/8 inch thick Teak Wood Slats. They are screw down through the White Starboard and up into the slats to hold them in place.
A few of the screw holes in the teak slats have widen over the years and do not hold the screws in tight.
The teak itself is in great condition but some of the screw holes need to be filled and retapped for the wood screws to hold them tight.
Will 2 Part Total Boat Flex Epox work for this? Can that be drilled and tapped to accept wood screws after it hardens?
Thank you for your help.

TotalBoat Flex or West System G Flex 655 would be good options. They can be drilled and tapped or just use a self-tapping screw. When over drilling for the epoxy use a drill bit several sizes larger than required for the screw. There has to be enough "meat" in the epoxy for the threads.

 

[rgranger]

It is not the most elegant repair, but it is effective, takes only about five minutes to complete, and should provide a solid hold. Cut a zip tie into several pieces, each about the depth of the screw holes. Insert the zip tie pieces into the holes, add a drop of water, and then a drop of Gorilla Glue (the water activates the glue). Reinstall the screws and allow everything to cure for 24 hours before using the seats again.

 

[sailcapt340]

I took home the weather worn slats to refinish each one and fill in the screw holes the just don’t hold anymore. This is what they look like on my boat. They are covered with a cushion as well but they really need some care this year.
I will try the Total Boat Flex and enlarge the holes as well.
With the new material to grab, rather than plain wood, the screws should hold well.

 

[Rich Stidger]

I have been trying for several years to find a non-wood look-a-like product to replace the wooden slats on my seats for my h40.5. No luck.Everything I have found looks bad on the end and edge cuts. The top surface is fine, but the overall look doesn't cut it.

I am sick of refinishing the slats every couple of years. Does anyone have a suggestion?

 

[danooxnard]

Hard bottom cushion held in place with straps and snaps..

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Through bolting far outlasts wood screws in applications like this. You also may not have to mess around with filling in the holes if you through bolt

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I am sick of refinishing the slats every couple of years. Does anyone have a suggestion?

Do one hell of a load of prep work and finishing now and never touch your slats again :

These were done some 20 years ago and never touched again.

Five coats of System Three Epoxy and two coats of outdoor varnish for UV protection. Slats must be 100% hermetically sealed to keep out water. Sunbrella cover in place when the boat is not in use for long periods.

Send me a PM if you want the details.

 

[sailcapt340]

I drilled out and widened the screw holes in my slats. All of them. Fine sanded each one to accept a new finish.
And filled them with Total Boat 2 Part Flex Epoxy.
There’s not a lot of wood to play with in a 3/8 inch thick piece but this should bond well with the widened and scored holes for the epoxy to harden onto.
They have plenty of time to set up before I even try to drill into them and reseat the screws. I’ll take the time to clean the base of both seats as well.

I like the finish Ralph achieved using “System Three Epoxy and two coats of outdoor varnish”, so I will give that a try for myself after all have dried and hardened up. Thank you.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

so I will give that a try for myself after all have dried and hardened up.

An extreme warning here. Clear coating epoxy can be both an excellent preservative and your worst nightmare. It does an excellent job of keeping water out so of course it also does an excellent job of keeping water in should it happen to leak in through a hidden hole.

The slats should have five coats (at least) of epoxy both on the top and the underside of the slats. The slats are then screwed from the underside only, through the Starboard and 3/4 the way into the slats for the pilot hole. The pilot holes in the teak slats must be filled with silicone and reinforced with additional silicone around the entry point for the screws. Silicone is perfect for this application as it will never see the light of day. Same as indoor application.

It also helps to ensure extra epoxy is piled on to anywhere the teak comes to a point on the slats. Actually, it's better to round off any points to be sure that a slight knock on the points won't break the epoxy and allow water to enter.

Lots of other tips in the attached manual