Bedding Fittings

Rick from Maine · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:09 am Post subject: Bedding Fittings

The latest Activecaptain e-mail newsletter discusses the use of Butyl tape to bed fittings, and included this link demonstrating an effective way to bed fittings:

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/63554-bedding-deck-hardware-butyl-tape.html

Based on this method, I’ve been doing it wrong for years. I’ll use this method in the future.

Rick from Maine

potter water · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:51 am Post subject:

Question is: Where the heck do you buy it. The guy with the article says he's out of it.

Dreamer · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 12:31 pm Post subject:

I found it here.
http://www.bestmaterials.com/default.aspx

They're in Phoenix and want $9.00 to ship a $ 3.50 roll!

ferret30 · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 12:59 pm Post subject:

Here's another excellent article (there are a few awesome ones on the site):

www.pbase.com/mainecruising/rebedding_hardware

Also see this one:

www.pbase.com/mainecruising/sealing_the_deck

colobear · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:21 pm Post subject:

Most RV places carry this tape. It is used to bed and seal trim, etc. on RV's. Should be less than $10/roll.

Sunbeam · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:39 pm Post subject:

Couple of notes on butyl, which I think makes a great bedding compound for many applications.

1) If you are buying the butyl tape, take a section and stretch it. The good stuff will stretch out to a number of feet without breaking (it just gets thinner, like pulling chewing gum). I've gotten some recently that didn't really elongate but just broke within a matter of inches (I didn't use it). There is also RV tape that looks the same that is called "putty tape" that may not even be butyl tape but will look like it is (although the inferior stuff I got "was" butyl tape).

2) Butyl also comes in a caulking tube, which may be preferable for some applications. It's often marketed as a roofing/flashing type compound. Synthetics seem to be taking over, but the real stuff can be found (I've found Red Devil brand and Ace brand recently).

3) Butyl is actually a bedding type compound and not really an adhesive (like, say, polyurethane is). I think that most bedding jobs on a boat should be just that....bedding.... but there are some jobs for which you want an adhesive, or other properties butyl doesn't have, so just something to keep in mind.

Sunbeam