T&T: Repair snap screw hole in fiberglass

[Bruce Adornato via Trawlers-and-Trawlering]

Six months ago I let my guard down and allowed an unsupervised boat canvas
company install some sunbrella covers on my teak gunnel rails on my boat.

I was assured that the installer "knew what he was doing"...After some high
winds last week, two of the snap screws pulled out of the 1/8 inch
fiberglass, leaving slightly enlarged holes (stripped).

Best repair? I am thinking about using those drywall plastic tapered cone
shaped sheath things, trying to find one that just fits in and gooping it
with 4200 and screwing the snap back in?

I dont want a full fiberglass repair because i will never match the color,
etc..
Fortunately it is hollow behind the fiberglass and not cored.

Any ideas?

bruce adornato
M/V Mary Shaw
San Francisco

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[Dan Stone via Trawlers-and-Trawlering]

A repair technique for that problem, learned from a local boatyard worker: Use a short segment of fiberglass dowel epoxied into the hole. I don't know where that type dowel is available. I got a piece of it from the yard. Then just drill the pilot hole and screw into the dowel. The result is a strong, permanent fix.

[Rudy Sechez via Trawlers-and-Trawlering]

If you cannot find a fiberglass rod, drill the hole slightly oversized
to clean the edges, then fill with resin thickened with microfiber
(for reinforcement) and add a little silica (to keep the mix from
running). Once filled and hard, sand flush, re-drill for the fastener.
If these fasteners are in a high stress area, and access behind is
available, consider re-fastening with machine screws and nuts.
Another idea is to drill the hole out large enough to be able to stuff
fiberglass soaked in resin into the hole. The sand flush and refasten.
I don't see why you couldn't epoxy in a wood dowel, if a fiberglass
dowel wasn't available. You could make your own fiberglass dowel by
rolling up resin soaked fiberglass and when hard, sand to the
thickness needed.

--
Rudy and Jill Sechez
Panama City, FL
Briney Bug- A 34' Sail-Assisted Trawler
Now available- "ANCHORING- A Ground Tackler's Apprentice"
850-832-7748

[Frank Timpano via Trawlers-and-Trawlering]

McMaster Carr--fiberglass rod. Pick you size. mcmaster.com

On 5/21/2017 4:31 PM, Dan Stone via Trawlers-and-Trawlering wrote:
> A repair technique for that problem, learned from a local boatyard worker: Use a short segment of fiberglass dowel epoxied into the hole. I don't know where that type dowel is available. I got a piece of it from the yard. Then just drill the pilot hole and screw into the dowel. The result is a strong, permanent fix.
>
>

[Tom Raynor via Trawlers-and-Trawlering]

On 5/22/2017 12:00 PM, trawlers...@lists.trawlering.com wrote:
> ...two of the snap screws pulled out of the 1/8 inch

> fiberglass, leaving slightly enlarged holes (stripped).
>
> Best repair? I am thinking about using those drywall plastic tapered cone
> shaped sheath things, trying to find one that just fits in and gooping it
> with 4200 and screwing the snap back in?

How about rubber "blind nuts": https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51siOyY3%2BDL._SL1000_.jpg

A good hardware store will have them, you'll want to compare thread sizes and lengths to get the right one.

It's basically the same idea as a plastic sheetrock anchor, but made of rubber, leaving a water-tight seal. I've used these on rail stanchions where I couldn't reach the area underneath, and (knock wood) so far they've held well and no leaks.

[Randy Pickelmann via Trawlers-and-Trawlering]

Hi Bruce!
After Applying some blue painters tape to protect the fiberglass, drill the hole out so it's clean, not ragged and nothing loose. Use plenty of tape...the epoxy will run. Make a cylindrical plug out of some foam rubber, at least two times as large as the hole. Mix up some liquid epoxy and saturate your foam plug. Push the saturated plug into the hole using a toothpick or straightened wire paper clip. Push it in about half way. Walk away and let the epoxy kick. The plug will take an hourglass shape. After the epoxy cures you can trim the outside flush using a sharp chisel or razor knife or Japanese saw. Re drill the screw hole to the proper size and insert the screw as you normally would. The flared plug inside your work piece will prevent the screw from pulling out. I used this method the first time to mount a Bimini top on a Boston Whaler. Worked great!

Regards,
Randy Pickelmann
Morning Star
on the hard at River Forest Marina-Stuart, Fl
Cool Change
Hard aground at Thomaston, ME
www.CruisingMorningStar.com
Sent from my iPhone-expect typos

[Norm Miller via Trawlers-and-Trawlering]

Bruce;

For your pulled out fastener you might consider Marine Tex Epoxy. Fill the hole and re-drill and install the screw again. Many have found this material helpful on many applications on a Boat.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014419V0/ref=s9_acsd_hps_bw_c_x_1_w

Norm Miller
Quiet Company
Great Harbour GH47

Sent from my iPad. Please excuse typing errors...

[Bob McLeran via Trawlers-and-Trawlering]

That's what I've used on Sanderling to repair screw holes when the
screws pull out or loosen. Works very well.

I've also just used a bundle of two or three tooth picks, push them in
until they won't go any further, then break them off flush. Then simply
install the screw again without drilling a hole! Works well if the
fiberglass is a little thicker. Also great on wood when a hole gets
bored out from overtightening screws.

<><><><><><><><><><><><>Mozilla Thunderbird<><><><><><><><><><>
Bob McLeran and Judy Young Manatee Cove Marina
MV Sanderling Patrick Air Force Base
DeFever 41 Trawler Melbourne, Florida
Blog: http://mvsanderling.net/Blog
Web: http://cruising.mvsanderling.net/

On 5/22/2017 8:18 PM, Norm Miller via Trawlers-and-Trawlering wrote:
> Bruce;
>
> For your pulled out fastener you might consider Marine Tex Epoxy. Fill the hole and re-drill and install the screw again. Many have found this material helpful on many applications on a Boat.
>
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014419V0/ref=s9_acsd_hps_bw_c_x_1_w
>

[THOMAS DOVE via Trawlers-and-Trawlering]

Household trim and cabinet carpenters coat a matchstick with glue and push it into the oversized hole, cutting it off flush with the surface. Then, simply drive in the screw. Works to move door jambs, strike plates and similar conditions.

I did a variant of that on my boat when several snap bases were pulled out. I found a splinter of teak, put a couple of drops of thick cyanoacrylate (CA) adhesive on it and put it into the oversized hole. Then I cut it off at the surface. In a couple of minutes I screwed the snap base back in. CA adhesive is “Super Glue” or equivalent, and you want the type that is viscous and sets in a couple of minutes, not instantly. It’s used extensiviely to build models and is very useful around a boat.

A matchstick would have worked, but the teak splinter won’t rot.

— Tom Dove