2 part marine epoxy to waterproof windlass holes?

[Cheapie408]

After drilling a 3" hole, can I use a 2 part epoxy like the one below to protect the exposed wood?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/LOCTITE-Marine-White-Epoxy-Adhesive/50436714

 

[Fischer Flyer]

For sealing exposed wood I recommend you use an epoxy that is less viscous. I am not familiar with this Loctite epoxy; I imagine it is a good product in general although it may behave more like a paste and not penetrate and seal the wood fibers as well as a liquid epoxy. Thanks!

 

[knotflying]

Perhaps use this. It is a bit expensive, but I think it will absorb into the wood better and withstands expansion and contraction. WEST SYSTEM G/flex 650-8 Liquid Epoxy, Resin and Hardener | West Marine

 

[Cheapie408]

Was hoping to find something in smaller qty. I mean it's a 3" hole.

 

[Fischer Flyer]

I understand your frustration; West System is not inexpensive to invest in. If you were located near me I would gladly dispense a pump each of the resin and hardener in two small containers so you could get your job done.

Some practitioners will thin epoxy, after mixing the resin and hardener first, with denatured alcohol to make it less viscous and promote better substrate penetration. This can sacrifice strength which may be less of an issue in your application since you are not using this for bonding laminates or hardware. It should be thinned no more than 20%. For example: to thin 1 oz of epoxy you would add no more than 1/5 oz of denatured alcohol.

If the Loctite epoxy is important to you because it is white you could try thinning it with denatured alcohol to meet your needs. If color is not important, you could purchase Gorilla Glue epoxy in a similar dispenser and try thinning it as well. Please let us know how it works out.

Another option to consider is System Three quick cure epoxy. It may not be as easy to procure locally and costs more, (about $20). I have some experience with their epoxy products and am impressed with the solutions they offer.

Thanks!

Quick Cure-15

 

[Cheapie408]

The hole will never be seen so the color isn't important. My main concern is just to make sure water never damage the wood. Had that happened to my old boat so I'm very anxious when drilling anything into the boat.

Loctite is available locally and for a few bucks, if I use a tiny bit and have to toss the rest it doesn't hurt as much as to spend $30 bucks and use .50 cents worth of it and toss $29 worth of good product.

Are you talking about this Gorilla glue here?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gorilla-Ep...squevFrEzsecwh7L36BoC0FoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
BTW: What can I use to thin this? I'm guessing the idea is to thin it so the wood can absorb the resin?

My friend also have some of this that he can give me, would work better?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bondo-32-f...NRF0t5lDpRt0Hctw1ghoCjPIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Fischer Flyer]

Yes, that is the gorilla glue epoxy that can work. If you have not worked with epoxy before bear in mind this has a five minute working time and it will become viscous and kick pretty quickly.

To thin it I suggested denatured alcohol at no more than 20% by volume. Again, you should plan to work quickly, mixing the resin and hardener first, and then thinning it. May I also suggest a trial run to let a working amount cure on scrap wood before putting it on the substrate in the boat.

The polyester products, such as your friend has, are not recommended solutions as they are not waterproof and will only contribute to the problem you want to avoid.

The marine epoxy systems noted earlier are not inexpensive and perform suberbly with a little effort and skill. For most boat owners who like to maintain and improve their boats these systems serve us well. With a shelf life of at least 2 years we can plan future projects too.

Thanks!

 

[Fischer Flyer]

The hole will never be seen so the color isn't important. My main concern is just to make sure water never damage the wood. Had that happened to my old boat so I'm very anxious when drilling anything into the boat.

Loctite is available locally and for a few bucks, if I use a tiny bit and have to toss the rest it doesn't hurt as much as to spend $30 bucks and use .50 cents worth of it and toss $29 worth of good product.

Are you talking about this Gorilla glue here?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gorilla-Ep...squevFrEzsecwh7L36BoC0FoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
BTW: What can I use to thin this? I'm guessing the idea is to thin it so the wood can absorb the resin?

My friend also have some of this that he can give me, would work better?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bondo-32-f...NRF0t5lDpRt0Hctw1ghoCjPIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I just read the specs on the Bondo fiberglass resin link you included from Lowe's. It's fascinating that it says it is 100% waterproof because.... it's not.

Sometimes you just gotta pick your guru and go with the advice for your project.

Thanks!

 

[pelagic2530]

West system epoxies are very easy to work with and are of high quality. They make a “repair kit” that consists of small packets of hardener and resin that you can mix in small batches as needed. A couple of those packets should serve your needs perfectly, and if you buy multiples you’ll have some on hand for the next project.

 

[Hammer79]

Isn't bondo just polyester resin? What's the difference between Bond resin and all othe poly Ester resin used in boats?

 

[Bluesthing]

When I installed my Lewmar Profish I drilled bolt holes and wire holes to 1/2, then filled them with West Systems ( thickened with silica ) and redrilled to 8.1mm - leaving a nice protective layer of epoxy in the holes.

The 3” rode hole was also coated with several layers of the same epoxy, leaving about an 1/8 of epoxy. I have kept an eye on the rode hole and so far the epoxy has remained intact. I’m sure over the years with regular use, I’ll need to reapply epoxy in the rode hole. I feel pretty comfortable with this type installation and feel that West Systems products ( or similar marine epoxy ) are a wise investment.

Side note, the camera angle in pic #2 is a bit off - so it looks like the top hole and bottom 2 holes are not centered, but the holes are correctly centered in the epoxy, so close that 5/16 bolts fit perfect in 8.1mm holes.

 

[sailmaster]

West system epoxies are very easy to work with and are of high quality. They make a “repair kit” that consists of small packets of hardener and resin that you can mix in small batches as needed. A couple of those packets should serve your needs perfectly, and if you buy multiples you’ll have some on hand for the next project.

store it somewhere where there is not a lot of temperature variation and hopefully under 90 degrees and it will be good for years. Meade used some that was over ten years old with no problems

 

[sailmaster]

When I installed my Lewmar Profish I drilled bolt holes and wire holes to 1/2, then filled them with West Systems ( thickened with silica ) and redrilled to 8.1mm - leaving a nice protective layer of epoxy in the holes.

The 3” rode hole was also coated with several layers of the same epoxy, leaving about an 1/8 of epoxy. I have kept an eye on the rode hole and so far the epoxy has remained intact. I’m sure over the years with regular use, I’ll need to reapply epoxy in the rode hole. I feel pretty comfortable with this type installation and feel that West Systems products ( or similar marine epoxy ) are a wise investment.

Side note, the camera angle in pic #2 is a bit off - so it looks like the top hole and bottom 2 holes are not centered, but the holes are correctly centered in the epoxy, so close that 5/16 bolts fit perfect in 8.1mm holes.

Gougeon sells a carbide filler that is used for slurry troughs that will make your rode outlast the boat

 

[Cheapie408]

Went ahead and picked up the west system 650 today.. I believe over size the hole then redrill is the recommended methods for under the waterline. Now that I have more resins than I know what to use it with might as well use it to do it like that.

I also have some color match gel coats and carbosil if I wanted to be anal about the looks. Lol

 

[Joemo650]

Definitely should go with the Pettit EZ-tex 2 part epoxy comes in different sizes and is Sandable when cured. Think 3M 5200 but you can sand it

 

[Fischer Flyer]

Went ahead and picked up the west system 650 today.. I believe over size the hole then redrill is the recommended methods for under the waterline. Now that I have more resins than I know what to use it with might as well use it to do it like that.

I also have some color match gel coats and carbosil if I wanted to be anal about the looks. Lol

Great choice with the West System 650 for this project and future projects.

As a gentle reminder, below is a link to West System's guidance for surface preparation. Please note that cured epoxy can result in an amine blush on the epoxy surface which must be removed to permit subsequent bonding of coatings and sealants.

Thanks!

Surface Preparation before applying WEST SYSTEM Epoxy