Best filler for holes

[MidLandOne]

Originally Posted by Stevens 47

Follow this link to SS Tee Nuts. McMaster-Carr ...

Interesting about the ss Tee Nuts. May be worthwhile to lightly glass over the bottom of them or set them in some epoxy so the bolts can be withdrawn in the future without any possibility of the Tee Nuts dropping if they are going to have permanent lining or trim over making them inaccessible.

[AnchorageGuy]

Generally the holes are drilled so that the nuts fit tightly into it and the pins are driven in to hold them in place. A bit of glassing might not hurt and prevent water leaks.

[bob_77903]

Thanks guys, i think the SS Tee nuts will be perfect. With the hatch frame bedded properly from above, i don't think there will be leak problems, but will use something like 3-M 4200 to seal them in...thanks again for the leg work.

[Oceansandmts]

You will probably need to drill small holes for the prongs on the T nuts, as they don't penetrate fiberglass very well. That said, I like them and am using a lot on my boat: low profile on the overhead, and totally leakproof if you glass them over on the bottom. If it weren't for the possibility of freezing weather you wouldn't even need to caulk the fitting (the hatch in your case would of course need some caulk). If you drill out the screw holes oversize and fill with epoxy, then re-drill to size, you will have a totally waterproof installation. I see only two drawbacks. The installation of the T nuts and epoxy filling the holes is time consuming and tedious, especially if you have a lot of them. You also need to be careful not to cross-thread the screws once the T nuts are installed; they seem to be a little easier to get a bad start than regular nuts, perhaps because the threads are rolled, not cut. I even tested one for pull out strength and it passed (the deck had some serious flex but the T nut was holding just fine).

[over40pirate]

I'm with Stevens 47 on this one. Drill oversize and fill hole with hi density, thickened epoxy, then drill and tap.

[Jmolan]

Interesting those fittings. So I would use just this Tee fitting as opposed to a washer and nut?

Also if anyone has one handy can you measure, for a 1/4" fitting, how deep are the spikes? I would be going into plywood underneath the deck. I do not see any depth of spikes on the drawings.

On the same 1/4" fitting, how much oversize do you need to get the barrel to fit?

By the way we have a handrail inside the house going up the stairs that was remounted using these fittings. The was 20 years ago, and now, after all these years, I see what it is. This is on a 125' fishing boat and the rail is in use 24/7 by a bunch of deck apes...:-)

Thanks Ahead

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by bob_77903

The PO took the screws out of the 24"x24" deck hatch and replaced them with bolts that now run thru the decks with nuts below. He had to remove the teak trim to do so. I would like to fill in the holes and go back to OEM type screws to rebed the hatch frame back to the deck. What is the consensus on the best filler to use so i'll be able to run screws back into it? The Hatch is a Atkins & Hoyle if it makes any difference.

Marine Tex claims that once cured their epoxy can be drilled and tapped.
I've used Marine Tex and have been happy with it, but I have not tried it in this particular application.

Marine Tex, epoxy resin, adhesives, silicone grease, engine treatment, cleaner, repair, bond, fill, seal, fiberglass, aluminum, plastics, Starboard, wood

John