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Re-bedding ports

Lawrence B. Lee

Member III
Been there... done that

Please don't EVER THINK about 5200. I used to use caulks like 3M 100, now out of production, but recently I have had better luck with butyl tape. RV shops sell it although some Vikings have expressed concerns about butyl. Anyway, It's fairly easy to use. I put one ribbon on the window and one on the fiberglass. Crank the window back on a but only to firm pressure. A day or two later scrape up the ooze and crank it down firmly.

Larry Lee
Ananabell Lee E 32-200
Savannah, GA
 

gabriel

Live free or die hard
I used amazon Butyl tape and it works excellent but I don't recommend it for very hot weather like our 100+ inland heat.
 

Kevin A Wright

Member III
When I redid the ports on my E27 years ago, I was able to get the rubber gasket material from Wefco Rubber on line. It's a royal pain to replace. There is a small piece of aluminum connecting the two ends of the frame together. You have to drill out the rivets then carefully bend the frame open just enough to get the glass out, clean it up, and somehow manage to get the new glass and gasket back in place and mated correctly. Lot's of heat and soapy water helps. Then clamp it all back together (band clamps help) and put new pop rivets back in the holes.

For mating to the hull I used 1/4" x 3/4" closed cell neoprene tape. Make sure it is the heavy duty black neoprene type. Its self adhesive on one side and fits well onto the lip of the frame. Once it is compressed into place you run a razor around the frame to trim any 'squeeze out'. Using the tape makes rebidding a snap if you ever have to do it in the future as opposed to using calking or adhesives and it easily takes up any imperfections in the flatness of the cabin top (and there's a lot).

That fix went 10 years without a drop of leakage before I sold the boat.

Kevin Wright
E35 Hydro Therapy
 

JPS27

Member III
I've used butyl tape from mainsail and I put on on the inside of the frame. Not on both surfaces, if that is what your asking. The stuff is sticky and that approach would be a headache in my opinion. I can't remember if I used two layers. You want to feel that it compresses when you press it again the cabin.
 

G Kiba

Sustaining Member
Butyl tape on the frames for me too.
Sailing causes so much movement over time and the port cutouts on my E27 look like it was done by a 5th grader. Must have been a done on a Friday!
The butyl tape is real forgiving and great if you ever want to remove the port later for some reason.
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Butyl tape is fine. Buy it from Compass Marine (Maine Sail), rather than WM or an RV shop. (I had to throw my WM butyl away as it became little more than goo.)

But I use butyl tape only for rebedding fittings. I find caulk much better for portlights, as it fills gaps, is easy to clean up (painter's tape on the exterior hull), and doesn't ooze over time. A simple polysulfide like Life-Calk is a weak adhesive and no trouble to get off the next year.

In general, one size doesn't fit all for our various boat jobs involving metals, fiberglass, acrylic and glass.
 

gabriel

Live free or die hard
Butyl tape is fine. Buy it from Compass Marine (Maine Sail), rather than WM or an RV shop. (I had to throw my WM butyl away as it became little more than goo.)

But I use butyl tape only for rebedding fittings. I find caulk much better for portlights, as it fills gaps, is easy to clean up (painter's tape on the exterior hull), and doesn't ooze over time. A simple polysulfide like Life-Calk is a weak adhesive and no trouble to get off the next year.

In general, one size doesn't fit all for our various boat jobs involving metals, fiberglass, acrylic and glass.


i wondered if the butyl tape from compass or sailrite was different than the regular type I bought on amazon. i did notice mine turned to sidewalk chewing gum as soon as it got warm.
 
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Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
i wondered if the butyl tape from compass or sailrite was different than the regular type I bought on amazon. i did notice mine turned to sidewalk chewing gum as soon as it got warm.

Mr. Collins explains how he chose the particular compound of 'butyl' that he sells. Sounds pretty convincing to me, anyway. I bought some from him, and it has worked great for bedding some deck fittings.
 

bigd14

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Yes definitely a different compound than you find at the RV store. Much stretchier but doesn't ever dry out or lose flexibility. Maybe you found some good stuff on Amazon, there are a bunch of different types. I have had great success with Bed-It from Maine Sail, including using it for portlight bedding.

Edit- It doesn't compress well when it is cold. Use it on a warm day or use a heat gun to warm it up when you tighten fittings. Check the fittings after a couple hours, they can loosen slightly as the material flows.
 
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