CockPit floor

thataway · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2014 1:00 am Post subject:

Once you drill the holes, you need to seal these back up with epoxy, not some silicone or 5200, if you use the boat before you do the work. I suspected that you will not really know what you are into unlit you do some cuts. Be careful with the drill--and don't go too deep. However, if you use a drill, you have to have a large enough hole to get a good sample--1/8" is probably not large enough--1/4" is better. Have you sounded out the floor with a phenolic hammer, or a plastic handle of a screw driver yet? Has a moisture meter been used?

Tug · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 2:04 pm Post subject: CockPit Core Samples

I brought my boat home from the marina early this morning a drilled 9 core samples with a 3/8" drill about 3/8 of an inch deep.
I may add that these pictures are not the best.

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb355/Tug7/100_1932.jpg
http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb355/Tug7/100_1930.jpg
http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb355/Tug7/100_1928.jpg

I checked the wood shavings from every hole, all were dry and a yellowish white. They felt and looked good. Today was very hot and I wasn't wearing my hiking boots, I was in my bare feet and really couldn't feel the soft spots like I had felt them before. I did feel some flex in the hull when I shifted my weight up and down but I think that was the trailer bunks flexing on their own. All looks good and thanks everyone for the great responses and information . Tug

Sunbeam · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 2:16 pm Post subject:

Well that looks like good news! I have noticed that I oftentimes feel "false soft spots" if I walk on decks with something like tennis shoes on, as opposed to bare or stocking feet which don't cause that.

Well at least now you know for sure. Hard to beat a core sample.

I'm thinking about whether I would want to put a small piece of cloth over those holes or if just thickened epoxy would be enough. I guess that as I think about it, I normally end up covering those holes up - either with a fitting or a backing plate, or etc. Probably 3/8" is okay with just a plug of epoxy, but.... what does anyone else think?

The other factor I'm thinking of is that you don't have any undercut to "lock" the epoxy in place from cracking (around the perimeter of the hole). I guess I would have to consult my handy-dandy free WEST Systems guide to see what it said. Perhaps with a machined hole it is not a problem at all.

What I would do for sure would be to wet out the hole with neat (unfilled) epoxy first, then fill it the rest of the way with thickened epoxy.

Glad you have a nice, dry core!

Sunbeam

thataway · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 4:04 pm Post subject:

3/8 probably OK with just thickened epoxy--it sticks pretty well to wood! I would also sound the floor out with a phenolic hammer or the back of a screw driver handle. That is probably better than your subjective feel with hiking boots. However, if a place feels soft, it is certainly a good idea to investigate it.

Tug · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 4:17 pm Post subject:

I tried thickened epoxy on the first hole and it didn't work out.. I guess it was too thick and than ended up putting untreated epoxy in the holes. .Thanks Tug

Sunbeam · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 4:45 pm Post subject:

Just so you know, un-thickened epoxy alone is not the best choice. That's because it's rather weak and brittle without any reinforcing (cloth, thickener). Here is what I would do:

1) If it is not hard yet, scoop out as much of the neat epoxy as you can, then add thickened epoxy. If it's not hard it's in the "green" stage and you will get a chemical bond between the two.

2) If it has completely hardened, I would drill it back out. Any neat epoxy remaining will not be a problem. Then paint on some neat epoxy, and thicken the rest of it and then fill the hole.

When the whole thing is at the green stage (rubbery but not sticky/wet), then use a chisel to make it flush with the surrounding surface. If there is a low spot, you can fill it again at this stage with no prep (later you would need to wash off blush, then sand, then clean).

You may have had a problem because you have a "blind" hole. This means there is no place for the air to go, and it's hard to get the epoxy in. There are a few things you can do:

a) Use a syringe, and fill from the bottom of the hole, withdrawing the syringe as you go.

b) or poke at it with a paper clip or something as it is curing, so the air bubbles up and out and you can re-fill.

c) again, if it slumps too low as air is released, re-fill it to a hump, then slice off said hump with a chisel in the green stage (soft/rubbery but not sticky/wet).

Sunbeam