How to plug up a hole?

[squarelips]

Hi everyone,

 

Any ideas the best way to plug up a hole on my grp boat? It was previously the outake pipe from the sink, It has a hard plastic casing round it for the hose to connect to so I'm looking for some thing that I can put in there like a type of putty or something that will block it up. I'm building my stove there and don't really want to build a wall over the hole without making sure that it is sealed.

 

Thanks for your suggestions and wisdom.

 

Thank you x

 

[Graham Davis]

Fill it with Isopon filler?

[Chewbacka]

I think the best method is to remove the old fitting, then abrade the inner face then apply glass fibre mat and resin - polyester or better still epoxy. When cured, build up the hole from the front with mat and resin until it is almost flush, then paint on some resin to flush.

 

However as I can not see your boat my assumptions my be wrong and so this may not be a good method.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Chewbacka

[WotEver]

I think the best method is to remove the old fitting, then abrade the inner face then apply glass fibre mat and resin - polyester or better still epoxy. When cured, build up the hole from the front with mat and resin until it is almost flush, then paint on some resin to flush.

For sure that's the 'best' way but probably a bit ott for an unused sink drain, don't you think?

[Chewbacka]

For sure that's the 'best' way but probably a bit ott for an unused sink drain, don't you think?

Possibly, BUT if it's a large sink drain - say 32mm - and if only a few inches above the water line and given that it will become inaccessible and it is close to a stove so will suffer from thermal cycling then early failure could be a big problem.

 

Of course if it is just a small hole and well above the waterline it may be possible to screw a plug into the hole and skim over with filler.

[Robbo]

This may not be the best way but you could just put a blanking cap on the skin fitting, replacing the skin fitting for one that can if your current one carn't..

 

http://www.asap-supplies.com/search/bronze+blanking+cap/female-caps-bronze-with-chain

[Murflynn]

all the answers can be found on this thread.

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=76076&hl=

[squarelips]

thanks for the help you boating beautys.

 

I think your suggestion chewbacka is super more complex than i am needing/capable of. I might try that Isopon filler graham. Thanks for the help yous lot. If anyone has any better /easier solutions or advice on using Isopon filler please let me know.

 

I'm looking for a quick fix because it's not really a big problem anyway. Even fixing it in the first place is maybe a bit of over kill.

 

thank you for your help everyone.

x

[W+T]

thanks for the help you boating beautys.

 

I think your suggestion chewbacka is super more complex than i am needing/capable of. I might try that Isopon filler graham. Thanks for the help yous lot. If anyone has any better /easier solutions or advice on using Isopon filler please let me know.

 

I'm looking for a quick fix because it's not really a big problem anyway. Even fixing it in the first place is maybe a bit of over kill.

 

thank you for your help everyone.

x

 

 

I would`nt say that as if you leave a hole in the hull then water can get in....then its damp etc etc

 

If you have access to the ear of the hole then get piece ally gauze/mesh and stick in place with P40 bridger over the hole then use the filler to fill the hole from the out side.

 

Dont forget to taper the hole on the out side before filling it

 

all can be got from the local car spares shop

[Arthur Brown]

Silicone sealer, Builder's white mastic, for bodge jobs. glass, resin and gel coat and lots of polishing for a really good job. resin work is best done in warm weather.

[nebulae]

If the fitting has a thread on it,it will almost certainly be a bsp thread,probably 1".Just get a blank from any builders merchant and screw it on using a bit of ptfe tape.If the fitting is plastic,filler may not bond to it.

[W+T]

If the OP is happy to bodge it ( which sounds like so ) I am lost as to why the need ask

 

 

Stick a piece of a cut out from a milk carton on with silicone. cant get much easier and cheaper at the cost of about £1.

[Neil Smith]

Cut a short piece of the old sink pipe put it back on the hose tail then put a bung in the open end, a plastic fizzy wine cork might fit then secure with a jubilee clip.

 

Neil

[W+T]

Cut a short piece of the old sink pipe put it back on the hose tail then put a bung in the open end, a plastic fizzy wine cork might fit then secure with a jubilee clip.

 

Neil

 

 

Or just stick a cork in it lol

[Murflynn]

 

 

Or just stick a cork in it lol

and paint it to look like an evil eye

[Phil Ambrose]

Two words Epoxy Putty.

(lived 10 years on a GRP cruiser)

Phil

[blackrose]

If it's a skin fitting or pipe to be plugged I'd use a rubber bung or even a plastic wine bottle cork of the correct size, pushed in flush with a load of marineflex or Stixall. Surely you want a flexible bung and seal that will deal with temperature changes, expansion and contraction, not something rigid?

 

http://www.marinemastics.com/marine-flex.html

 

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Adhesives+%26+Sealants/d180/Grab+Adhesive/sd3199/Stixall+Adhesive+%26+Sealant+290ml/p60981

 

They're both excellent products available in black, grey, white and clear (Stixall).

Edited January 10, 2017 by blackrose

[WJM]

I think the best method is to remove the old fitting, then abrade the inner face then apply glass fibre mat and resin - polyester or better still epoxy. When cured, build up the hole from the front with mat and resin until it is almost flush, then paint on some resin to flush.

I totally agree with all of the above except for one detail - always repair a boat with the same material that it is made of. A polyester resin boat should always be repaired with polyester resin. My extensive experience of repairing polyester boats with epoxy resin is that over time the different hardnesses of the different resins leads to the repair patch falling off.

 

And although lots of people are saying to just plug up the hole and forget about it, personally I would regard every hole in a GRP boat as a potential weak point. Tape the hole from the outside with a smooth tape (carton sealer), then from the inside, paint a thin layer of colour matched gel coat, then put a good solid patch of matching glass and resin. You wont even be able to see the hole afterwards and it will be structurally solid.

[puppy999]

I would use fiberglass you can buy a small tin from Halfords but I would do it from the outside but its not easy to use and it will need rubbing down than your paint work will need touching up but I would not do it in this weather its to cold for it to set filler will work for a short time but that will also hav to be rubbed down ...good luck