Re-bedding cockpit deck hatches

[TimC2520]

I'm so paranoid of "wet wood" and I'm bored from the winter, so I decided one of my winter projects under the winter cover (heated with a Mr. Heater) would be to pull up the two 6" and rear bilge access rectangular hatch and re-bed them on my 2520 (year 1999).
I was surprised to find minimal concern but a few screw holes were stripped out and had some possible dampness. I drilled out all of the screw holes to clean, dry wood and injected CPES (cold weather formula) with a syringe. It is a clear, penetrating epoxy with the consistency of water. I had taped off the bottom of the holes and just kept injecting the CPES until the wood would absorb no more.
I was pleased how much it took.

As the screw holes are now larger than the screws that hold those hatches, I was going to tape the bottom of the holes again and fill with Raka epoxy (weather permitting), let that kick and re-drill to the correct size for the screws.

Would this be ok or is there a better way?

 

[Bryan 2530]

Personally, if you are going that far I would oversize all the holes to like 3/8" and back fill them with a mixture of Epoxy and Cabosil.

Then there is no possible way water can enter the wood.

 

[TimC2520]

Thanks, I just wasn't sure if the epoxy, once set, would crack when I drilled a new hole in it and tightened up the screws in the new hole.

 

[DaleH]

I've done both methods. If non-load bearing, like a hatch, the 2-part application of thin penetrating epoxy followed by thicker stuff works fine. I bed all my hatches with BoatLife brand LifeCaulk or LifeSeal. I find their tubes of goop outlast 3M products by months. I still use 3M 5200 below the waterline though.

One tip if/when using the "plug" method, I take a smaller Forstner style bit and try to widen the bottom of the hole, or in a blind hole one can even take a 1/8" or so "L-shaped" allen wrench, grind the small leg to be like a 1-cutter lawn mower blade, and spin it in the hole. Intent is to remove wood at the bottom of the hole, so the epoxy plug cannot pull out. In that way you achieve a chemical and mechanical bond to the parent material.

 

[gw204]

When running screws into an epoxy plug, you just have to make your pilot holes a bit bigger than if going into wood.

But if you have access to the back of the hole, I would use machine screws and bolt those suckers in.

 

[sparky]

When running screws into an epoxy plug, you just have to make your pilot holes a bit bigger than if going into wood.

But if you have access to the back of the hole, I would use machine screws and bolt those suckers in.

Ding ding ding!
Thru-bolting is the way to do. You aren't relying on the epoxy/wood for any of the holding power, so its much less likely to crack and leak.