Rebedding ?

[Sailordave]

Okay, I may not know everything but am getting ready to rebed the deck hardware on our club boat. One of the other boats just replaced their rope clutches and when they bedded it they put it on but didn't completely tighten down the fasteners so the bedding could cure.

Now this just seems a little odd to me. Or maybe I'm thinking back to the days of when I bedded things on a woodie w/ Dolfinite.

Do I REALLLLLLY want to let the bedding compound set up a day or so before tightening the fasteners or is this just bunk? Would seem to me this could potentially leak.

What say y'all?

[Jason K]

The idea is that it creates a better gasket-like seal. The problem is that if the fastener moves at all, it breaks the seal and you've just invited a leak. I say use plenty of sealant and fully tighten all the hardware at once.

The way to do it, if someone was really inclined, is to use a screw driver to hold the fastener absolutely still and tighten the nut from below. I'll repeat that this is entirely unnecessary and much more likely to invite - rather than prevent - a leak.

[David]

Also, you can overdrill the top of the hole so that caulking will fill that cavity and not be squeezed out when you crank down the bolts.

[Tim]

Do I REALLLLLLY want to let the bedding compound set up a day or so before tightening the fasteners or is this just bunk?

No!

[Sailordave]

Okay, the Great Oz has spoken! I didn't think I wanted to do this and had never been told to do so before, just checking!

Off to order some Sika now...

[bcooke]

Do I REALLLLLLY want to let the bedding compound set up a day or so before tightening the fasteners or is this just bunk?

I think this was a technique promoted by Don Casy back in the day. I don't think many people subscribe to it anymore; for the reasons just explained.