Epoxy to re-bed handrails

[JPS27]

Yeah...I would have to drill through my liner inside the cabin and do it like each of the end rail fasteners. I going to go with tapping the machine bolts into the epoxied holes; I did over drill them, cleaned them out. there is sufficient epoxy in there now to be sure that water doesn't go anywhere, so long as I set the bolts in correctly with sealant. As I mentioned, with no access from below on the 5 middle fasteners, the original approach was nuts epoxied in place (not backing washers). Seems to me that the original way or tapping into epoxy are second to your suggestion. But don't want to drill holes in the cabin liner. On the bright side, I suppose, the ends are thru bolted. And the two middle bolts will be bolted into the original epoxied-in-place nuts.

Jay

 

[csoule13]

I went thru this exercise a few years ago on my last boat and used butyl tape to bed the rails ...BIG MISTAKE !!. While butyl does a good job of sealing its a pain and a mess to work with.
Whether you lay the tape on the deck or attach it to the contact points on the rails you pretty much have one shot at lining things up. If you're off a bit and have to repositon the rails you're going have a mess on your hands (and deck). The tape also bound up in the screws as we drove them in and it also has a tendency to ooze out from what ever its under.
If you seal with caulk be sure not to use 5200 if you ever want to get the rails off again.

Soooo, since I'm about to reinstall the hand rails on our boat, what would you use other than butyl? 4200?

 

[Loren Beach]

Soooo, since I'm about to reinstall the hand rails on our boat, what would you use other than butyl? 4200?

I settled on BoatLife "LifeSeal", over two decades ago.
Prefer the clear version for easier cleanup, for most bedding chores.

I have this product, in black, under my external fixed port Lexan lenses since 1995. They have never leaked a drop.

Good product.

I have tried some 4200, but did not like the viscosity. Purely Subjective call.

 

[JPS27]

I'm pondering how any of these methods avoid what JSM warned about butyl tape. Not that I'm arguing here . My handrails are 93" long and it would seem to me that given the awkwardness of a long handrail with 7 attach points that butyl, while sticky, might be better. I could see it's advantage in not even being concerned about bolt-to-thru-hole seal because you could be confident that the circumference of the handrail at where it attaches to deck would be sealed anyway. There's no way around turning the bolt for me as only two go through to the cabin. Goopy materials would seem to pose a lot more challenge to me. What am I missing?

 

[Loren Beach]

You probably do something like this already... but a long time ago a ship wright taught me to always use tape (like 3M-blue) to mask around the base of any hardware when dry fitting. This makes cleaning up the oozed-out sealant 100% easier.

 

[JSM]

The biggest problem I had with butyl was it wrapping around the screws and wadding up as we tried to drive them in. As the screws rotated they pulled the tape inward and away from the edges of the bases until you could no longer turn the screw.
Save yourself a lot of time and agrovation,stick with caulk and save the butyl for hardware bedding

 

[JPS27]

Ok fellas. I'm at my boat right now. I masked off around the rail where it connects. I gooped em up with life calk. I went with LC rather than seal. I have tighten down maybe 3/4 tight wher I could see goop fill all the edges and then I stopped. I pull the masking tape off now. Correct? Before it dries. And when to I tighten down fully? I'm doubting if musket.

 

[Frank Langer]

For sure, remove the masking tape before the caulk sets, carefully as removal can be messy. With a bit of soapy water or saliva on your finger you can smooth the caulk if needed, but not if it's started to dry.
There are differing views on when to tighten down, but at this stage I would wait until it cures and then snug it up. The risk is that as the screws turn, it could break the seal. Some say to tighten down immediately.
Frank

 

[JPS27]

Thanks, Frank. Very helpful. That's what I did. Next time I'll put tape on the hand tails too. Definitely messy. The cure rate isays several days. Seems that I would want to tighten down before it is fully cured. Maybe tomorrow afternoon?

 

[Frank Langer]

I guess the choice is whether to wait until it's fully cured and then the tightening will provide a mechanical pressure seal, but at the risk of tearing the hardened caulk, or tighten sooner while the caulk is more flexible. Others may have better advice on this.
Frank