Wetting out horizontal holes?

[George Da Porge]

So, we are replacing the rubber in our rub rail. Before inserting the new rubber I am going to remove the track and inspect all of the screw and bolt holes. If I need to repair any of those I would plan to drill out and fill with thickened epoxy. However, if the standard practice is to wet out the holes first w/unthickened epoxy, how does one keep the unthickened epoxy in the horizontal hole for a few minutes? And then what's the easiest way to get it out?


Happy sailing, everyone!!

[Blue Stocking]

Q-Tip to wet the walls, then thickened filler filled.

[Azul]

After drilling, I place white Duck tape over the inside and outside of the hole. Then I drill a tiny hole in the tape at the most vertical aspect of the drilled hole and inject thickened epoxy with a 5cc syringe (most pharmacies will give you a half dozen free.) Then place another piece of tape over the small hole to keep the epoxy from escaping.

It isn't a bad idea to wet any exposed wooden core with unthickened epoxy with a Q tip first to seal the core, but it's probably unnecessary and will likely be messy.

Read Mainesail's articles on drilling and filling. Note that you only drill as large a hole as you need for the hardware, then remove an extra ream of core with a dremel tool, keeping the outer fiberglass skin intact which provides extra strength. Also, when sealing use butyl tape as he directs (and sells) after chamfering the edge to get a good butyl seal.

[valhalla360]

Google west system epoxy. They have some nice guides to using epoxy for various projects. For the most part their guides will work with any brand.


But otherwise, yes, a q-tip or small paint brush (depending on the hole size).

[BriaF]

I tried using tape it works with some epoxy
Now use international everdure because it is a lot thinner
Like water & soaks in far deeper.
However tape will not work because
Everdure eats the adhesive.
The solution is modelling clay, build a small
dam with the top wall above the height of the hole
& drip or inject in the fluid.
The other side is covered with a blob of clay
to close off the hole.
Also works with vertical holes but only the
lower hole needs to be closed.

[sailortype]

Epoxy is tacky and Q tips disintegrate quickly. I use pipe cleaners, you can bend them back however many times and twist slightly to get the thickness and rigidity you require, also can put a 90 degree bend in bottom to get at underside of laminate if you need to.

[George Da Porge]

Thanks for the ideas all!! Much appreciated!


Happy sailing, everyone!!