Re: [bolger] A better 'ole stopper
I have used several plugs. The best is a one inch threaded hole 1 inch
think and an alumium plug with a rubber gasket that can be changed. A
O-ring would probably be better with the fitting made of bronze. Brass in
salt water will eventually loose it's zinc and leak.
A bronze hole and a tapered wooden plug will work very well. Just whack it
in from the inside and
use a punch just smaller than the hole to whack it out from the outside.
Needless to say all plugs should install from the inside.
If I was designing one I would use a dual O ring job wiht one O ring
sealing the bore of the hole and one sealing the face of the hole by
fitting a groove at the top of male threads and slight chamfer at the top
of the part the goes in the hull. The only problem wiht O rings is the
tolerance for the groove is pretty small to get reliable sealing. Naval
bronze would be the material of choice.
If I was doing it on the cheap I might epoxy a washer to the inside of
hull and use a wooden plug. Or use ligum vita if I had it around in place
of the steel washer.
Gordon
Gordon Cougergcouger@...
Stillwater, OK www.couger.com/gcouger
405 624-2855 GMT -6:00
From: "Chuck Leinweber" <chuck@...>
If the panel where the hole is is not an inch thick, you may want to
increase it. I would recommend that you find a block of wood about
4"x4" -
thick enough to increase the panel thickness to one inch. Epoxy the block
over the old hole, then drill a hole through the block from the outside,
so
that the holes line up. Next coat the inside of the new hole well with
epoxy. This may take a couple of coats. Carefully smooth the inside of
the
hole with a rat tailed file, and sandpaper. This operation will give the
plug more surface to bear on, and a better chance of sealing.
Chuck
think and an alumium plug with a rubber gasket that can be changed. A
O-ring would probably be better with the fitting made of bronze. Brass in
salt water will eventually loose it's zinc and leak.
A bronze hole and a tapered wooden plug will work very well. Just whack it
in from the inside and
use a punch just smaller than the hole to whack it out from the outside.
Needless to say all plugs should install from the inside.
If I was designing one I would use a dual O ring job wiht one O ring
sealing the bore of the hole and one sealing the face of the hole by
fitting a groove at the top of male threads and slight chamfer at the top
of the part the goes in the hull. The only problem wiht O rings is the
tolerance for the groove is pretty small to get reliable sealing. Naval
bronze would be the material of choice.
If I was doing it on the cheap I might epoxy a washer to the inside of
hull and use a wooden plug. Or use ligum vita if I had it around in place
of the steel washer.
Gordon
Gordon Cougergcouger@...
Stillwater, OK www.couger.com/gcouger
405 624-2855 GMT -6:00
From: "Chuck Leinweber" <chuck@...>
If the panel where the hole is is not an inch thick, you may want to
increase it. I would recommend that you find a block of wood about
4"x4" -
thick enough to increase the panel thickness to one inch. Epoxy the block
over the old hole, then drill a hole through the block from the outside,
so
that the holes line up. Next coat the inside of the new hole well with
epoxy. This may take a couple of coats. Carefully smooth the inside of
the
hole with a rat tailed file, and sandpaper. This operation will give the
plug more surface to bear on, and a better chance of sealing.
Chuck
> There are stoppered holes in the bilge of my v-bottom catboat
> daysailer to let the accumulated rain out, since my polytarp covers
> are not waterproof. Unfortunately, the plugs don't seem to be
> watertight when installed for sailing. I first tried the brass 2-part
> bilge plugs that screw in with a wrench. A pain to install in the
> depths of the bilge and they leaked. Next tried were the rubber
> stoppers with the twist T-top. You turn the brass T and it tightens a
> washer at the bottom, expanding the plug to fill the hole. Foolproof,
> I thought. It wasn't, still leaking on their first sail last Sunday.
> The leaks aren't serious, but if you were out all day, you might have
> to do some bailing...
>
> Anyone have any suggestion? Thanks....
>
>
Gary:
If the panel where the hole is is not an inch thick, you may want to
increase it. I would recommend that you find a block of wood about 4"x4" -
thick enough to increase the panel thickness to one inch. Epoxy the block
over the old hole, then drill a hole through the block from the outside, so
that the holes line up. Next coat the inside of the new hole well with
epoxy. This may take a couple of coats. Carefully smooth the inside of the
hole with a rat tailed file, and sandpaper. This operation will give the
plug more surface to bear on, and a better chance of sealing.
Chuck
If the panel where the hole is is not an inch thick, you may want to
increase it. I would recommend that you find a block of wood about 4"x4" -
thick enough to increase the panel thickness to one inch. Epoxy the block
over the old hole, then drill a hole through the block from the outside, so
that the holes line up. Next coat the inside of the new hole well with
epoxy. This may take a couple of coats. Carefully smooth the inside of the
hole with a rat tailed file, and sandpaper. This operation will give the
plug more surface to bear on, and a better chance of sealing.
Chuck
> There are stoppered holes in the bilge of my v-bottom catboat
> daysailer to let the accumulated rain out, since my polytarp covers
> are not waterproof. Unfortunately, the plugs don't seem to be
> watertight when installed for sailing. I first tried the brass 2-part
> bilge plugs that screw in with a wrench. A pain to install in the
> depths of the bilge and they leaked. Next tried were the rubber
> stoppers with the twist T-top. You turn the brass T and it tightens a
> washer at the bottom, expanding the plug to fill the hole. Foolproof,
> I thought. It wasn't, still leaking on their first sail last Sunday.
> The leaks aren't serious, but if you were out all day, you might have
> to do some bailing...
>
> Anyone have any suggestion? Thanks....
>
> Gary Blankenship
> Tallahassee, FL
>
> P.S. That said, let me add that the catboat is a great daysailer.
> Anyone used to the slap and pounding of a flat-bottom boat in a small
> chop would enjoy the way this boat cuts though a chop. It handles
> precisely, turns on a dime and keeps it's momentum when tacking. On
> Sunday, in 10-12 mph winds, the GPS had me doing never less than 5.2
> mph and over 6 a couple times. Pretty good for a 19.5 foot boat.
> Since
> I put a tabernacle on, it's easy to set up. About the only drawback
> is
> the trailer is less than optimal and it takes a moderately steep ramp
> to launch. It would even be better if it had been build to use water
> ballast instead of sand bags. I keep hoping to talk someone into
> building the second one. Bolger originally designed it as a 15.5
> footer for one of the SBJ cartoons (meant to be kept in the water
> with the mast up for impromptu daysailing form a dock), and then
> later
> said the stations could be moved 25 percent farther apart on the same
> beam for a bigger boat, which is what I did. Someone looking to move
> up from a Windsprint or Zephyr could do worse. Lofting is not
> required, but a building jig is, so it's also a bit more of a
> building
> challenge. Sailis 136 square foot gaff. Sorry, I don't have any
> pictures of it under sail, only on the trailer. Hope to rectify that
> soon....
>
>
>
>
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Gary,
Either of those plug systems will stay watertight in normal applications.
I've used dozens of the T-type with nary a problem.
So, yours leak...even a "more secure" type leaks. What could cause that????
Well, maybe non-round holes. Did you have to pound the brass sleeves in? If
they deformed substantially, I can see that the plugs might leak.
Cheers/Step
Either of those plug systems will stay watertight in normal applications.
I've used dozens of the T-type with nary a problem.
So, yours leak...even a "more secure" type leaks. What could cause that????
Well, maybe non-round holes. Did you have to pound the brass sleeves in? If
they deformed substantially, I can see that the plugs might leak.
Cheers/Step