Installing new Rub Rail

[rajhnsn]

Graceful-lee is being painted and having a new rubrail installed compliments of Sandy and Progressive. The base comes in 27' sections and the black instert is all one piece. I'm planning to use a heat gun to help bend the base at the stern corners and around the bow. I don't want to take a chance that the heat gun will damage the new paint so I can either use a heat sheild or measure and heat away from the boat around a jig. Any opinions of other ideas would be welcome. Once i have the base installed, I plan to use a soap solution to lubricate the insert and pull it all the way around the boat using a hook at starting point. I've heard that heating the insert in a barrel of hot water will make it more pliable but wouldn't that also expand the material making it harder to fit in the insert? Again, any ideas would be welcome.

 

[TLW]

We have done this job several times, I don't think the expansion is of much concern as the material is meant to be compressible. You will probably need a rubber mallet anyway to tap it into the base and eliminate bumps. As far as the hot water goes, we had good luck with what seems like a "barnyard" approach. We tied the outstretched rub rail along the top of a fence in the sunlight. The black material warms up quickly and becomes pliable.

We used this more often to take the coiled "set" out of CDI furler extrusions that are shipped in a coil and act like a giant spring when you open them.

 

[BarryL]

Hey,

I will be going through the same thing soon (once the yard launched a bunch of boats and has room for me) also due to Sandy.

I am paying a guy to do it b/c I just don't want to deal with it.

Keep us all updated with progress and I will do the same.

Barry

 

[Ward H]

This past weekend I pulled the rub rail off of my 25' O'day. I filled the screw holes with West 610 Epoxy and used 3M 4200 on the joint screws.
Waiting for a warm couple of days to install the new rub rail. I left the front bow rub rail in place for about 18" to stern. I want to see how well I bend the stern corners before I tackle the tighter bow bend.
I like your idea of creating a jig. I kept the stern corner rub rails intact so I might try tracing the rear corners onto thick piece of wood, then cut it out to create a jib. I can then bend the corners at home. Then cut to length at the boat.

 

[Indysailor]

I experimented with a piece our friend Joe of "Yot" very generously sent to me.

The rigid vinyl itself is pretty sensitive and you have to be careful with a heat gun so as not to scorch it. For all I know it may be more sensitive to damage than the paint. If you have a splash of paint left, perhaps try heating it next to a piece of the rigid rubrail to see which one suffers most and fastest. I'd worry about trying to do it on a jig for fear of not getting the jig built to match perfectly.

What I learned from playing with a piece in my garage is to go slow and be patient. I turned it 90 degrees pretty easily.

 

[Pat]

We had to do this as we had leaks down below. One point of caution...the holes for
attachment of your new rub rail may not match the holes for attaching the initial rub-rail.
that is why we had leaks.....the holes in the new rub rail do not always match up so be sure and fill them w/ West 610 epoxy as mentioned above.

 

[rajhnsn]

Yes, we have already filled all of the holes. We bored them out first and used a countersink to enlarge the outer edge.

 

[Indysailor]

Did my rub rail job today. It was only a repair around the stern and a couple feet on each side. I did not realize that the old black insert is narrower than the new insert, so it looks a little wonky where the new piece meets old, but I'm tired of missing good sailing and in she goes. Next year I'll replace all the insert.

Bending around the corners is not difficult at all. Heat gun, patience, etc.

 

[rajhnsn]

Does the new insert slide easily inside the new base? Around corners?

 

[Indysailor]

Does the new insert slide easily inside the new base? Around corners?

The black insert is very pliable, inserts easily. It probably won't slide though, but you can push it into the rigid rail without too much difficulty. Easiest part of the job, really.

 

[Ward H]

Did you try bending the rigid rub rail around the bow? That looks a bit difficult.

 

[Indysailor]

Did you try bending the rigid rub rail around the bow? That looks a bit difficult.

I think that will actually be easier than the stern corners. once the molecules get excited enough, the vinyl is pretty easy to persuade. If I were doing the bow, I would consider doing that part with a separate piece so that it's easier to handle. The most difficult part about bending is controlling the rigid rail that's not attached to,the boat.

 

[Ward H]

Thanks Indy. I'll save the old piece of bow rub rail just in case I have trouble.

 

[rajhnsn]

No weather or time this weekend. Next weekend is the big installation day:dance:

 

[Bill Blanchard]

Purchasing rub rail for '86 35' O'Day

Interested in finding out where to purchase a piece of rub rail for my 1986 35' O'Day
Which type?
Can it be purchased by the foot?

 

[Ward H]

Try Rudy of D&R Marine. (508) 644-3001
He should have it. Not sure what the shortest length he sells. Normally it is 20ft lengths.

 

[rajhnsn]

D&R is the only place that I found for the right size rub rail for the Oday 35. I believe it sells in 17' sections but perhaps he will cut down a piece. There are other rubrails out there that are close but he was the only vendor that I found that had the exact match.