Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

[Boomyal]

I will be filling 10 3/16" screw holes in my transom. The glass is about a 1/4" thick and they are all below the waterline.<br /><br />Should I chamfer the holes before filling or should I just make sure that the threaded sides of the existing holes are clean and slap in the putty?

 

[mutron77]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

Boom,<br /><br />I would (and did) chamfer. I filled three large live well holes on my boat. I chamfered, sanded and cleaned the surfaces. I then slapped a piece of biaxial tape on the inside over the holes. When the tape started to gel, I filled the holes from the outside with high density thickened epoxy. On the ones that were deep through the transom I used a pastry bag setup to make sure the hole was filled all the way to the back with no air spaces. Then just use a putty knife to fair the holes and remove the excess and slap another piece of glass tape over that using a foam roller to smooth it out. If you want to make it look really nice you'll have to go over the tape again with more neat epoxy to fill in the weave and then fill fair and feather the edges of the tape before painting. Below waterline repairs are considered high risk, and I wouldn't just slap some marine tex in there and go. I would want to use epoxy, filler and tape.

 

[ThomWV]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

I use a syringe to fill the holes from the back side myself. It makes sure there is no air trapped inside the hole. I don't use MarineTex either, just epoxy stiffened up with West System's High Density filler.<br /><br />Thom

 

[crab bait]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

i'd bore the 3/16 holes out to 1/4 ..that way you'd have clean wood/hole..<br /><br />epoxy in 1/4 dowel rod.. cut JUST shy as so JUST recessed in of transom surface.. <br /><br />fill divet with marine tex..

 

[bluewater19]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

I thought marinetex is a high density 2 part epoxy paste. I think thats what the instructions that come with it say. I think crab bait has the most sound advise so far.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

thanks all, as my transom has no wood backing(OMC Stringer) I think I will make a glass tape patch over all of the holes on the inside, then use the Marine Tex from the outside.

 

[18rabbit]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

The way I do it is kind of an amalgamation of all of the above. <br /><br />Use a little caution when you drill out the hole. The heat from the drill may create a smooth enough surface inside the hole such that the epoxy can’t make a good bond to it. But definitely make the hole bigger to get a clean surface, as crab bait suggested. I use a Dremel with a tungsten bit at a slow speed to get a clean but knurly surface inside the hole.<br /><br />I place a piece of duct take over the hole, inside the boat. Fill with epoxy and filler as Thom suggested, rolling a piece of duct tape over the hole as it fills, from outside the boat. After that sets, you get to talk yourself into getting started on the sanding.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

Originally posted by ThomWV:<br /> I use a syringe to fill the holes from the back side myself. It makes sure there is no air trapped inside the hole. I don't use MarineTex either, just epoxy stiffened up with West System's High Density filler.<br /><br />Thom

Why not MarineTex Thom? Thought that was the hottest stuff since Jalepenos. Plus, being white, it will match my hull a little closer.

 

[bubbakat]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

I did mine like crab said and no seep yet and have left it in the water for several hours.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

Originally posted by bubbakat:<br /> I did mine like crab said and no seep yet and have left it in the water for several hours.

A great technique, Bubbakat, if you have a thick wood transom. Mine is just a 1/4" or so of fiberglass.

 

[bubbakat]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

Yea boom I see what you are saying now. I guess the best bet would be marine tex.

 

[play2win]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

Marine-Tex is great stuff, and easy to work with, especially is you want to re-drill holes. Just last week, I had to drill out holes in my new transom for motor mount, and drain. Because of the poor seal, the holes were eventually the downfall of the transom. All I did was drill out holes slightly larger than what they should be, filled it in with MT, tapped the new holes in, and thats it. Even if water somehow gets in, it will not seep through wood. Also, mixture is very forgiving

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

Boomyal, Marine-tex is much stronger than you'll ever need for the repair of such small holes. Mix up the marine-tex and force it into the holes with a putty knife. Scrape off the excess and sand it smooth when it is hard.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Filling screw holes with Marine Tex.

Thanks guys, MarineTex it will be.