I know rubrail replacement has been discussed on this forum in the past, but I have a very specific question: What is the best way to bend the PVC molding around the two stern corners and the bow point? I'm replacing the molding and rubrail on my 1983 Oday 23, and I'm finding that the molding is quite stiff. I've already laid it out in the sun for several days to straighten it (it came in a coil), but it's not very pliable. I've seen some advice on the web about using a blowtorch to bend PVC pipes, but I worry that that would discolor the white molding. Any ideas? Thanks. Bob
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Don't touch thast blowtorch!!!!
Bob, I've had a little experience in restoring boats and the best way that I've found to bend PVC is to use a heat gun (not a hair dryer). It will make the PVC pliable without damaging it, as long as you don't leave it on too long. Place your rubrail against the hull where you want to install it and just heat it enough to make the bend. Spred the heat out evenly to a little more then the area that your bending to ensure enough pliabillity. Once bent to the desired amount, remove the heat and hold the rubrail in place until it cools, it should only take a few minutes to firm-up. Install screws and move on to the next project "and we all know there is always a next project!" Have Fun Bill
Bob, I've had a little experience in restoring boats and the best way that I've found to bend PVC is to use a heat gun (not a hair dryer). It will make the PVC pliable without damaging it, as long as you don't leave it on too long. Place your rubrail against the hull where you want to install it and just heat it enough to make the bend. Spred the heat out evenly to a little more then the area that your bending to ensure enough pliabillity. Once bent to the desired amount, remove the heat and hold the rubrail in place until it cools, it should only take a few minutes to firm-up. Install screws and move on to the next project "and we all know there is always a next project!" Have Fun Bill
You can do it. Here is what I did.
Bob. When I bought "GETAWAY", 1986 222 O'Day she had a broken rub rail Port forward quarter and the owner had purchased all material to do the whole boat. Not having done this before and not knowing of this great forum I tackled it by trial and error... I used a heat gun that has about 3-4 settings for heat. Squared off the end, and started in the middle of the transom. Oh BTW I removed all the nuts and bolts that fasten the top and bottom fiberglass mold together and re-bedded all those screws. Pulled off any loose caulk at that same seam and re-caulked (boatlife caulk). I screwed and made flush with the deck the new rub rail backing securing to where it starts to bend. Slowing heating the PVC where it needs to bend. I had a second person holding the coil stock up and parallel so as to get a nice bend. Take your time and bend slowly while applying heat. When it's bent and fitted nice put in a couple of screws and start heading towards the bow. If I were to do this again I would have left a slight reveal between the deck edge and the top of the rub rail backing for looks. On a 222 the coil of backing ended maybe 3-4 foot before the bow. I made matching cuts to both ends for a nice fit and continued around the bow. Again on the 222 going around the bow there is actually two turns to bend. I would change my procedure here as I made the turn all at once. The second time I would have made one turn let the PVC cool and then reheat and make the second turn. ( this bend on my boat is not as good as the two transom turns because I would have made a seam 3-4 foot off the bow on the Starboard side in the same place as the Port side,,, and that would have made the difficult bow turn easier by not having all that bulk coil of PVC to handle while making the turn at the bow.) It would have been nice had I been able to get some hands on advise from a forum like this one.. You can do it and PM me if you have questions. Tip On the black insert,, get a good size bucket "garbage can" fill with hot soapy water and put your coil in to warm and make slippery. Start where the seam at the transom is and secure with your screw and washer. Insert the slippery insert and whack it with a rubber mallet pulling and stretching at the same time, this is the fun part as you are covering all those screws and the finished result is great.Good Luck and fair winds. Chuck R
Bob. When I bought "GETAWAY", 1986 222 O'Day she had a broken rub rail Port forward quarter and the owner had purchased all material to do the whole boat. Not having done this before and not knowing of this great forum I tackled it by trial and error... I used a heat gun that has about 3-4 settings for heat. Squared off the end, and started in the middle of the transom. Oh BTW I removed all the nuts and bolts that fasten the top and bottom fiberglass mold together and re-bedded all those screws. Pulled off any loose caulk at that same seam and re-caulked (boatlife caulk). I screwed and made flush with the deck the new rub rail backing securing to where it starts to bend. Slowing heating the PVC where it needs to bend. I had a second person holding the coil stock up and parallel so as to get a nice bend. Take your time and bend slowly while applying heat. When it's bent and fitted nice put in a couple of screws and start heading towards the bow. If I were to do this again I would have left a slight reveal between the deck edge and the top of the rub rail backing for looks. On a 222 the coil of backing ended maybe 3-4 foot before the bow. I made matching cuts to both ends for a nice fit and continued around the bow. Again on the 222 going around the bow there is actually two turns to bend. I would change my procedure here as I made the turn all at once. The second time I would have made one turn let the PVC cool and then reheat and make the second turn. ( this bend on my boat is not as good as the two transom turns because I would have made a seam 3-4 foot off the bow on the Starboard side in the same place as the Port side,,, and that would have made the difficult bow turn easier by not having all that bulk coil of PVC to handle while making the turn at the bow.) It would have been nice had I been able to get some hands on advise from a forum like this one.. You can do it and PM me if you have questions. Tip On the black insert,, get a good size bucket "garbage can" fill with hot soapy water and put your coil in to warm and make slippery. Start where the seam at the transom is and secure with your screw and washer. Insert the slippery insert and whack it with a rubber mallet pulling and stretching at the same time, this is the fun part as you are covering all those screws and the finished result is great.Good Luck and fair winds. Chuck R
Thanks
Bill and Chuck, Thanks for this advice. A heat gun sounds like the ticket. Chuck, as you suggest, I have been planning to have a seam in the molding on either side of the bow, a few feet from the point, to make the piece of molding that will wrap around the bow a little shorter and easier to handle--maybe a 6-foot piece or so. When I pulled off the old molding, I found that the previous owner had done some repairs to the molding on the starboard side and had a seam about three feet from the point of the bow and another about two feet from the point on the port side. When I pulled off the molding, I also noticed that there were big gaps in the hull-to-deck joint where there was no caulking. So I removed all the screws around the entire gunwale, about a dozen at a time, cleaned out any old caulking, and then recaulked before replacing the screws. I'm pretty sure water was getting into my V-berth through a leak in the gunwale near the bow point on the starboard side, so I'm happy to have had the chance to recaulk the entire joint and reset the screws. I'm hoping that leak is no more. (Now I can deal with all the others: chainplates, mast step, stanchion bases!) You're right, Bill: there's always another project! Thanks very much for the tip for handling the black rubber rubrail, Chuck. I'm not ready for that step, but when I am, I will try your technique. Thanks for the quick responses. Bob
Bill and Chuck, Thanks for this advice. A heat gun sounds like the ticket. Chuck, as you suggest, I have been planning to have a seam in the molding on either side of the bow, a few feet from the point, to make the piece of molding that will wrap around the bow a little shorter and easier to handle--maybe a 6-foot piece or so. When I pulled off the old molding, I found that the previous owner had done some repairs to the molding on the starboard side and had a seam about three feet from the point of the bow and another about two feet from the point on the port side. When I pulled off the molding, I also noticed that there were big gaps in the hull-to-deck joint where there was no caulking. So I removed all the screws around the entire gunwale, about a dozen at a time, cleaned out any old caulking, and then recaulked before replacing the screws. I'm pretty sure water was getting into my V-berth through a leak in the gunwale near the bow point on the starboard side, so I'm happy to have had the chance to recaulk the entire joint and reset the screws. I'm hoping that leak is no more. (Now I can deal with all the others: chainplates, mast step, stanchion bases!) You're right, Bill: there's always another project! Thanks very much for the tip for handling the black rubber rubrail, Chuck. I'm not ready for that step, but when I am, I will try your technique. Thanks for the quick responses. Bob
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