Filling screw holes in transom

[Smellier]

Hi team!

I have just removed an unwanted ducer(and associated screws/cable) from transom.

Hence, I have about five(5) 10-12mm holes in the transom that need filling.

Best way to do this please?

I have Sikaflex 291 marine grade and wonder if I should use this or should I be using a fiberglass bogg type compound first?? :-?

Smelly

[Blackened]

G'day Smelly
First of all, is your boat fibreglass or alloy?

For a glass boat, fill holes with flowcoat of a matched colour(you will not get an exact match), sand back and polish.

For alloy.... You can use sikaflex on some appropriate sized aluminium rivets. Does not look the best but it will keep the water out.

You could also weld this area but if it's painted alloy, it will look horrible until it's repainted. You do run the risk of blowing out (depending on the thickness of alloy) and would be a little more expensive than a few rivets.

Dave

[Roughasguts]

Paint some flow coat in there first.
Then bog with gel coat repair putty.
You could sand it off but I find a sharp razor blade is faster neater and doesn't dull the surounding gel coat finish.

Quick buff and your done.

[michael_k]

put screws back in with sikeflex
cheers
mick

[Smellier]

Great response everyone - thanks..

Fiberglass is my transom.

I need clarificaiton on the flowcoat -
Blackened stated "to fill holes"
RougGuts stated "to paint holes"

Which one do i choose?
Is Flowcoat paint or bogg?

Smelly

[Juzo]

I've used sikaflex on all the holes in my transom (a bit like swish cheese really ;D).

Does the job just fine

[Roughasguts]

Flow coat is a glass 2 part paint, the same stuff on your floors in side cabin Etc.
I would use the flow coat to seal the inside timber from moisture.
And the gel coat repair putty shines up better than flow coat.

[blaze]

flow coat is a thick resin type liquid used to "flowcoat" over a new fibaglass product, it has a wax additive that comes to the surface to allow it to dry as apposed to gelcoat which is paint onto a mould before laying the fibaglass so it ends up being the outside of the boat, it has no wax so it remains sticky to allow the fibaglass to be layed up without sanding.

To repair your holes
First taper the holes very carefully with a 1/2 drill (u only need to out a taper, not drill a hole). If this is not done the repair wont be successful.
Now smooth out the tapers with a bit of 320 wet and dry.
You now need to fill the holes
I would mix some qcell ( talc powder will also do) with a small amont of flowcoat to make a paste. Now fill the holes, it make take a few goes but ideally you build up above the exsisting surface and sand back and buff. Dont forget to add the catayst (hardener) to the flowcoat.
cheers
blaze

[Blackened]

G'day
Good post blaze, very informative like always.

Roughasguts, there's a reason behind your handle?

Any questions smellier, just yell out to Grand_Marlin, he's the local fibreglass guru

Dave

[Roughasguts]

Blackened, are you an electrition?

[Grand_Marlin]

Blaze has the right idea.

And this is the best way of repairing holes to keep water out.

Sika & Screws is ok too, but flowcoat is the best.

Dont use sika by itself ... it will leak over time.

Using flowcoat and repair putty is just F^&king around.

Do as Blaze says and that will ensure water doesnt get into your transom and stuff it.

ps - double your catalyst in the flowcoat and talc mix to about 5%

you can use straight flowcoat if you want, and hold it in with masking tape.

Cheers

Pete

[Roughasguts]

Wait on gel coat repair putty is just talc, mixed with flow coat and you add a Hardener to it. Tell me if I'm wrong but ain't that the same thing as mixing Talc and flow coat and a hardener.

[Grand_Marlin]

Yes roughasguts ... exactly the same ... if it makes you happy.

Now you might like to tell us why we mix our own, and recommend it over the bought version that you recommend.

[lippa]

:o what do you know about fibreglass, anyway, pete ;D ;D ;)

cheers

lippa

[Roughasguts]

Just wondering why do you make your own?

Do you make your own fuel too. Its only heptane, hydro fluro carbons, methonol, zylene and if you like ethanol.

[Grand_Marlin]

about as much as you know about paint Lippa ;D ;D ;D

Cheers

Pete

[jimbo59]

Just wondering why do you make your own?

Do you make your own fuel too. Its only heptane, hydro fluro carbons, methonol, zylene and if you like ethanol.

We make our own because we can vary the viscsity or texture.Last big job i did(46 foot cat plug), if we used small tins of the stuff it would have cost maybe a hundred grand,by mixing our own(3 drums of resin,100kg of q cells) maybe$3500-4000.Please direct all fibreglass questions to GM as i enjoy watching ;D ;D

[Roughasguts]

Thanks Jimbo59
So how about only repairing 2 screw holes then.
It would be cheaper for the average punter with no mixing skills to buy a can for 20 bucks.

I'm glad I entertain I don't mean to offend.

[Grand_Marlin]

Roughasguts ... Jimbo is on the money.

We mix our own to get a texture and consistency that allows the product to properly fill and SEAL the hole.

This is the key to a successful repair.

If you dont get a good seal, then water gets in and stuffs the transom.

It is then that you wish you had done it properly or got someone to do it for you, instead of paying 2 grand for a new transom.

The pre mixes that you refer to claim that they are non shrink.
I dont have a lot of faith in these, as when they are used in a deeper repair they will shrink at the extreme edges.

If this happens, then you have water ingress again.

As far as cost goes ... you can buy 250ml of flowcoat for $12 and pinch a bit of talc from the babys room ... mix it till you get the consistency you want (i like a consistency like thickened cream) for this type of repair.

Put a bit of masking tape across the hole as you fill it, and this will hold the flowcoat in place untill it sets.

You are quite entitled to use what you want for whatever you want.

I only give advice for what works for me in the field, and I am not going to chance a client coming back to me with a stuffed transom that could be my fault.

I have seen 2 year old boats with stuffed transoms because people havent sealed holes properly (if at all)

Seems mighty stupid to allow this to happen if it can be prevented in the first place.

What do you think Jimbo?

Cheers

Pete

[Roughasguts]

Beautiful Grand Marlin, thank you for the detailed explanation for your method.

Getting the right consistancy makes a lot of sence.
And I have seen this shrinkage on some of my scratch repairs.
Cheers.

[predator]

have about five(5) 10-12mm holes in the transom that need filling

Since the holes are this size, I have used dowels, soaked in resin and hammered in to the hole for a firm fit so that they are slightly inside the transom. When the resin goes off, its a matter of putting a couple of layers of flowcoat over as fill and sand level as the others have said(dont forget to flowcoat the inside of the transom also to seal from the back).
I find it a good way to fill old engine mount bolt holes aswell.

Works well for the repairs I have done. ;)

[Grand_Marlin]

G'day Predator,

That is good advice too for big holes.

I assumed Smelly was referring to the depth of the hole when he says 10 - 12mm, not the diameter?

It was a transducer bracket he removed, so it should only have 10 gauge screws in it which are about 4mm diameter.

Smelly, one other thing I didnt mention ... drill out the holes where the screws were with a slightly bigger drill bit than the existing screw hole ... this is to remove any sikaflex that is still in the hole.

Roughasguts, do you have the formula for petrol?
I might give it a go ;D ;D ;D

Cheers

Pete

[Smelly]

Thanks again.

GM and Predator and all,

Yes 4-5mm diamter holes (7 off) and a huge 15mm dia hole :o

Does this info change our plans at all?

Smelly

[Roughasguts]

GM yep I got a formula for fuel, Buuuut not sure if it was for petrol, or Rocket fuel.
Do you think it would make much differance.

[Roughasguts]

Guy's could we go back a step.
I am reluctant to screw any thing in my transom, trouble is theres already 28 holes in there.

So every year I remove the screws, including bungs inspect the hole and replace them (S/S will rust and expand or eat away when deprved of oxygen) And re-seal.

So my thinking is am I better off with long through bolts and washers, no harsh screw thread that may or may not seal 100% with sealant.

Or continue on removing all screws, and using a plastic chopping board cut to size of the bracket, and bonding that to the repaired transom (without screws) and then screwing the bracket to the bonded plastic chopping board.

So far I haven't lost a transducer yet, and they still have the cable attached.

Your thoughts on the long through bolts, and the bonded plastic backing plate Please.

Or are screws actually the way to go ?

[predator]

Yes 4-5mm diamter holes (7 off) and a huge 15mm dia hole

I read it as 10 - 12mm dia sorry, bit tired.

I would go GM's advice on the 7 smaller holes and the dowel on the 15mm one... :)

cheers

[predator]

trouble is theres already 28 holes in there.

Why do you have 28 holes in your transom :-? and what size area are they spread out over??

[Roughasguts]

trouble is theres already 28 holes in there.

Why do you have 28 holes in your transom #:-? #and what size area are they spread out over??


4 14mm bolts engine mount.
8 10mm bolts for two duck boards
4 live bait tank pump
4 one side transducer
2 other side transducer
4 for two bungs.
1 25mm through transom hose live bait tank pump
1 10 mm power for pump.

Only two of these I put in Signature, did the rest.

[Smelly]

Guts.

Canu pleaseelaborate on the two(2) ducers you have..?

Are they both for separate soudners?

How do u ensure no interefecence occurs?

[Roughasguts]

Smelly I have two fish finders. One for the helm and the othe on me bait board. Then I can turn the pax seat around and watch for fish, depth, etc, while trolling.

The truth is the wife can keep busy and quiet while driving and I can keep an eye on the depth. See the thing is she thinks the boat will float in any thing less than an inch of water.

Anyway the tranducers are equal distance from the motor about 500mm sitting directly under each Duck board. I have had no interferance between the two and no prop wash interferance with the one on the wrong side either.

I have hooked the second fish finder straight to the battery leads,this maybe why no interferance.

Cheers.

[Smelly]

Very good guts. 8-)

Gotta keep the mrs/deckie/labourer happy! ;D

I have read numerous reports here and elsewhere that having two(2) sounders running at same time is generally not a good idea - but it is good to read that ithas been done successfully -well done..

I may well do the same then,,,and use the exisiting holes in my transom for the cable, ducer etc..

What are the dangers of operating two(2) ducers at once - that you know off.??

Smelly

[Roughasguts]

Mate I don't know of any dangers running two sounders.
Mind you the Apelco is 10 years old and the Eagle, wellllll that's just a cheapie.

So they ain't the latest greatest.

Both show the same depth at various speeds.

But I don't know if running both tranducer pick up cables together would be good, think then you may get cross interferance.

Mine would be 1.2 metres apart.

[Smelly]

Guts.

What dou mean when u say "...if running both tranducer pick up cables together "??

[Smelly]

Guts.

What dou mean when u say "...if running both tranducer pick up cables together "??

[Roughasguts]

Okay I wouldn't be having the transducer pick up cables on trans one, and two, running to close together. Eg both going through the same small hole in the transom. (touching)

Imagine it like your spark plug leads they put spreaders on them to keep the leads apart this to reduce cross spark, and interferance.

So I guess it would be a good thing with the tranducer cables.

With your 2nd tranducer cable just run the cable over your transom and
through the hole where all your engine control cables go.
See how that goes for a start.

Good luck.

[Smelly]

Thanks Guts.

I have a thru-hull ducer already and the second one will go on transom.

What about the sound echos - both possibly 'coning' / overlapping the same envelope - would the energy felt in this compunded echo be detrimut to the fish?

Smelly

[Roughasguts]

Well electronic stuff eludes me I have no idea.

But I do think these transducers being one, or two, do emit a nasty little ping or click.
I notice that when I fall over board, quite a nasty little sound.
Others here would have a better idea about finding fish, then turning the sounder off, or leaving on.

Personally I think anchored and sounder on, in less than 20 foot of water would drive fish off.

[roydsy]

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