Fixing a stripped screw hole

[Valmika]

I am guessing you have a Hunter. I hate to say it but I had the same problem with a hunter with undersized screws. I would use an epoxy but enlarge the hole (wider and deeper if you can) and epoxy a small teak dowel into it to screw into. Kinda like putting a matchstick in a stripped wood hole.

[finefurn]

I've always had good luck with PC-11 Epoxy paste for small repairs. It's a 1-1 mix the product is in paste form so it's easy to scoop out small amounts. It doesn't run or sag when applied to vertical or overhead surfaces. It's available at most general hardware stores

[wrwakefield]

We chose to fill the holes from loose screw snap fasteners and replace them with YKK SNAD stick on snap fasteners instead.



No more holes, and they hold very well...

In case this is of interest.

Cheers! Bill

[desodave]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

I would not re-drill. If you are not going to to need to remove the screws in the future simply clean thoroughly, dip the screws in thickened epoxy and lightly screw them back in. If you do want to remove them in the furture wipe the crew with Vaseline before diffing in the epoxy so that the joint will break.

I just had the same issue and used Marine Tex epoxy putty. Drill the hole out a bit then do as Roland suggests.

[mark0978]

Doesn't this count as commenting?

[Calif.Ted]

What is the easiest way (and good enough) to do it?

JB Weld

[SkipMark]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

This might help.

https://www.westsystem.com/wp-conten...anual-2015.pdf

Useful pdf to have on file!

[HopCar]

The easiest way to replace a male snap is to use a #6 Wellnut. No epoxy involved. It is strong and waterproof.

I replaced a bunch of snaps this way and they never pulled out again.
Drill the hole out to the OD of the Wellnut, probably 1/4”. Shove the small end through the hole. Use a #6 flat head machine screw to fasten the snap and expand the Wellnut. You’re done in about thirty seconds.

The photos are of a 1/4” Wellnut I had in my tool box.

The following link will tell you about Wellnuts.
https://www.albanycountyfasteners.co...are-they-used/

[hellosailor]

Finefurn, I think you're the only other guy besides me using PC11 (or was it PC7? It's been so long) although I haven't seen it on shelves in years. It came in two 35mm film cans in a cardboard tube back then. I have a tool with a bakelite(?) handle that got all busted up over 50 years ago. The "PC" repairs are STILL rock solid.

Today I would just grab some MarineTex, not need to mess around with applicators, mixers, fillers, just 50-50 and plug the hole, after solvent cleaning it with some alcohol to make sure there was no dirt in there. And put the screw right into it, letting it set in place, with a little "grease" on the screw if I ever intended it to come out again.

Besides, it comes in white, which usually matches hulls and decks, more or less.(G)

[geoff3nebel]

What is the diameter of the hole(s)?
I have used the plastic cord from a garden strimmer -it's tough, doesn't break down and it grips the screw like heck.

[CarlF]

I prefer West Gflex over their resin for this sort of repair. It's more flexible so less likely to crack where there's a small contact area. It also sticks very well to metal (including aluminum), PVC and hypalon so is useful in many applications without any special prep (I just wipe with acetone or alcohol. Aluminum should be sanded just before glueing)

You can get Gflex already thickened in two tubes which saves the step of thickening. The unused epoxy in the tube lasts a long time (a few years) as long as you put the cap on tightly. The only trick to GFlex is to let it dry overnight before testing the hold. It's not "fast dry".

Since West epoxy lets go if heated to just 200F, you can remove fasteners with a heat gun without damaging the gelcoat. For a lightly loaded, non-critical repair like a snap I'd just put a tiny bit of thickened Gflex epoxy on the screw threads and screw it in.

[Mike Banks]

Drill them out cleanly and fit larger screws dipped in Araldite 5 minutes epoxy.

A better way is to replace them using threaded anchor plugs set in place using Araldite or an equivalent epoxy adhesive. If you can get to the other side of the fibreglass, use the anchors that look like a disk having a threaded tube attached. These are the best option and should have been used at the outset--and use the threaded countersunk bolts supplied with them.

At a pinch you can have them made up yourself if you can not buy any. They are just a stainless steel circular punching with threaded tube welded to it.

If you can not get to the other side of the hull, then you are kinda stuck with putting a stainless threaded plug into the drilled out and roughened hole. That would be my approach. I do not like any anchor that imparts stress to the hull such as an expanding fitting designed for concrete. NEVER use them on fibreglass.

[Spot]

This type of repair is pretty simple if you have all the basics: epoxy, glass microspheres, fumed silica, white pigment, masking tape. Sometime I take the last little dregs of epoxy from a laminating project, dope it with pigment (less than 5%), a little silica to control slump and some balloons to adjust texture, and fill in stuff on the boat. I do not use the 5-minute type epoxies as I have seen them turn yellow over the course of a sunny day. If the gel coat around the repair is nice I will tape it off around the holes to prevent smears, peeling away the tape before the epoxy sets hard. This leaves a small 'outtie' to sand later.

[Breaking Waves]

Originally Posted by wrwakefield

We chose to fill the holes from loose screw snap fasteners and replace them with YKK SNAD stick on snap fasteners instead.



No more holes, and they hold very well...

yea +1

The adhesive solutions like this and click bond are really good solutions.

Completely respects the skin integrity. No drilling holes into the core. Dead easy, no tools, just surface prep and press in place. Well strong enough (and more than small self-tappers) 15mm dia base click bond has a 400lb shear strength, while 50mm has 4000lbs shear. These are just absolutely brilliant until you get to a load that needs to be thru bolted. They are ABS design approved. Used widely from aerospace to racing boats. They are dead simple and you can actually fabricate your own, but store bought seems like the solution for fixing a few snaps on a dodger.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by B_Hunter45

Hi All,

A few screws (small holes for dodger snaps) just got pulled out from the fiberglass.
I need to fill the holes and drill new holes.
What is the easiest way (and good enough) to do it?
Please suggest which products to use, there is a huge selection out there, and not all are good.

The holes are vertical, so I need something that will not run off.

Thanks

Hi, how bad are the holes, could the problem be overcome by going up a gauge in screw size?