Has any one ever used it, and if so did you get good results.
A few weeks ago I posted a question on how to repair the screw for my rudder bracket which is floating loosly in it’s hole.
I got a lot of good responses, but one of my problems would be keeping the epoxy from running out of the hole, short of standing the 18 foot yak on end and working off a ladder, so I am still trying to figure a way to do it.
I have had a stick of unopened AquaMend in my paddling tool box for a while now for some quick necessary repair and was wondering if this might be my solution.
The only problem is one of the things that it bonds to is metal. and I am wondering if I’ll be able to unscrew the bolt after the material sets.
Any one ever use it on a similar application?
JackL
IF
it is an epoxy stick it should not run like a liquid, it should be of a clay consistency. For the screw try filling the hole and then dip the screw in melted wax or coat it w/soap and thread it in before the epoxy cures. I would then thread it in and out gently every 5 minutes or so to be sure the threads you have created do not get distorted and prevent sticking.
Aqua Mend Expoxy Stick
Is the Aqua Mend Epoxy Stick the same thing as Plumber’s Epoxy Putty…the kind that hardens like steel and is totally water proof?
I repaired my canoe with the plumber’s epoxy putty where I bashed (and crunched) on a rock at the San Marcos River and created a small crack and soft spot. I cut away the damage and used the plumber’s epoxy. You roll it between your fingers to soften it, but then you only have about a 5 minute work time before it starts to set up. The repair has worked great for my application.
For your application, once you apply the epoxy putty and let it harden, you should be able to drill a new screw hole into it. Once it is hard, it won’t bond to anything new, so it won’t bond to a screw that is placed there afterwards. Just don’t bond it TO the screw if you want to remove it!
Good luck with your repair.
Do a test
Make a small ball of it, insert a screw and see if it will back outafter it hardens. If not try the wax, soap, oil etc.
Hi Jack, Check out my reply to the
other post again … you can always inject resin from original hole or pour in from aft hatch but boat hasta be on end.
If you really want to work from outside and simply going to a slightly larger sheet metal screw won’t work, better to lightly sand the stern area and put a couple plys of glass down, let harden then drill … will be better than ANYTING you can do with that stick stuff.
Once had the top half or our (plastic) honda radiator totally split in blazing hot ( 099 . 37 lat. ) southern Thailand … Unbelieveably, there was a marine store nearby and we were able to buy one of these 'sticks + a slice of 60 grit.
The reapair not only lasted for the entire trip, but held for another 10 thousand Bangkok commuter miles before letting go. If I had glass and epoxy would have lasted even longer.
Thanks all
it appears that it worked.
I drilled the hole out larger and used the Aqua-Mend. I also built up a blob of it around the edge.
I sprayed silicon lubricant on the bolt, and after about ten minutes screwed the bolt in about an eighth of an inch while the stuff was still pliable
After twenty minutes I gingerly screwed it all the way in and out several times and then left the bolt out overnight.
This morning I put everything back together and tightened the repaired bolt as tight as the one that was still good and it seems to be good.
I’ll need to put some torque on the rudder as soon as I can get it in the water, but it seems to have worked.
That stuff is easy to work with and not messy.
Cheers,
JackL