Silicone and Toothpicks

toothpick · Posted: Jun 09, 2003 12:26 pm Post subject: Silicone and Toothpicks

Huh? Me and fake boobs? No, unfortunately not, read on...

So, the swim platform on my boat was falling off and I noticed a few of the bolts holding it on were very loose. Turns out they were bolted into the fiberglass hull and the hull holes had stripped out.

So I took some silicone and toothpicks, put silicone all over the bolts and used the toothpicks as a space-filler so the bolts could be tight again, and put them back in. We'll see if she holds up.

Anyone else done anything similar to this? Think it'll hold for the season?

ghettolake415 · Posted: Jun 09, 2003 1:26 pm Post subject:

ur method fits ur name perfectly!!!!!!!!!!! Wink

i couldn't tell ya if that would work thou sorry. good idea thou

salmon_tacos · Posted: Jun 09, 2003 1:42 pm Post subject:

I'm predicting failure. Silicone isn't all that sticky. Resin or marine adhesive might have worked but I not liking the silicone.

If there is access to the inside of the transom you should through-bolt it.

RanMan · Outlaw Joined: 14 Apr 2003 Posts: 186 City: Pittsburgh

Sorry dude. Not gonna hold up. The toothpicks may keep it snug for a while but will soon compress and loosen. The silicone has little adhesive properties and will likely squeeze out with toothpick pieces. You should go for through bolting or using bigger screws. Don't just torque bigger ones into the gelcoat though. Drill out a bit so as not to craze or splinter the finish. Good luck.

Wake upPp · Soul Rider Joined: 11 Feb 2003 Posts: 338 City: NOR-CAL

i'm going with failure also.

Dave W · Posted: Jun 09, 2003 6:09 pm Post subject:

I'll agree with the resin sentiment. Are those the only bolts holding your swim platform on?? On my boat it would appear as though the brackets are through bolted at the top and just lag bolted in at the bottom. Had to replace the bottom ones but the top ones seem to be just fine. I'm hoping anyways. It would suck if my swim platform fell off.

toothpick · Posted: Jun 10, 2003 11:01 am Post subject:

Well, the results are in! Took it out today and it held up for a good 3 hours of usage, then right at the end it started to get pretty wobbly again. Once I took it out of the water, I noticed that the bolts were pulled out a bit again. So good call guys. Rolling Eyes

I got an email from a non-list member reading this post who said:

boomerzuma · Criminal Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 95 City: Wichita

Take some time & fix it right, otherwise it's just going to continue to be a problem. Don't use the JB Weld you just be wasting your time & money. I'd through bolt it, use some metal backing plates, stainless steel bolts, lock washers & nylock nuts. Also, be sure & use some 3M under the waterline marine sealant around the holes. The platform would be solid for years to come.

6more · Newbie Joined: 08 May 2003 Posts: 26 City: Upstate, SC

If you can get to the back of the screws, you can add some fiber glass on the inside. Since it is hidden, you won't have to worry about making it look pretty. Add 3-5 layers of figerglass, redrill the hole to the correct size for your bolt, and reinsert the bolts. It's easy to do, fairly cheap, and will bring the system back up to 100% strength.

You can buy all the supplies from Lowes or Home Depot. I recently did it to fix a crack in my dash. Looks good, and was easy to do. Good luck.

salmon_tacos · Posted: Jun 11, 2003 9:50 am Post subject:

If it was just screwed into the fiberglass before, you probably don't need backing plates. Some big fender washers should do it. You can get all that stainless stuff somewhere like West Marine or a fastener store. And I've actually seen the 3M marine sealant at Home Depot.

toothpick · Posted: Jun 11, 2003 11:22 am Post subject:

So, I considered the bolt through ideas with the fender washers, but after checking it out, that would require taking out the gas tank, which I don't have the time for right now...too much boarding to do. I heard from a number of sources that the JB Weld stuff is a beauty, so I went with that option.

Currently, the epoxy is curing. I'll redrill and bolt tomorrow morning!

Thanks for all the help with ideas, here are some pics up to right now:

toothpick · Posted: Jun 13, 2003 3:39 pm Post subject:

Sweet, just took the boat out today with the new fix. People were all over the platform for about 5 hours, and it's still rock solid. Looks like a good fix!