Drill Fill Drill

OK. finally, soon coming up on the hardware part of my WD12.

I read in boat tips, the "Drill Fill Drill" system of keeping out the water. Two Q's about that.  

1. How much difference in bit size works best? 

2. How do you prevent the Fill from running out of the hole while it cures?

Thanks

Bri

 


8 replies:

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RE: Drill Fill Drill

1. Depends on the screw. Enough so that the threads stay in epoxy and don't get into wood.

2. Packing tape

Laszlo

 

RE: Drill Fill Drill

From a former thread on the subject of Drill Fill Drill:

"Half again the shank diameter works for me." - Laszlo

Re: epoxy running out the holes. I had planned on mixing in wood flour to a "peanut butter consistency" (like fillets) & using that to fill the holes. Is that not advisable & why?

Frank

RE: Drill Fill Drill

Frank,

That's absolutely perfect. However, if the hole goes all the way through, or if it's at an extreme angle, you'll need the packing tape to keep it from running out.

Thanks for excavating my old post. I'm getting like Dan Thaler and can't remember exactly what I wrote in the past.

Laszlo

 

RE: Drill Fill Drill

Laszlo,

Thanks, even with the thickened epoxy I'll use the tape. Practically no mess. Makes sense.

No problem with the old post. It was your answer when I asked basically the same question as the OP in this thread. Didn't have to look far!

Frank

RE: Drill Fill Drill

Timely post. I was just wondering the other night, "Why not just drill, squirt in some unthickened epoxy, then drive the screw"? Be kind now, I'm just brainstorming, and haven't really thought this through. What am I missing?  

RE: Drill Fill Drill

That's the procedure for permanently gluing the screw in.

Drill, fill, drill lets you actually remove the screw with just a screw driver.

Laszlo

 

RE: Drill Fill Drill

Phalsey,

In my case I'm using the technique to install the towing hardware to my Eastport's bow. I need to drill holes for the U-bolt to pass through & I want the holes in the wood to be protected from water damage over time.

I'll first drill oversized holes in the forward transom & fill them with thickened epoxy. I will use packing tape to keep the epoxy from running out while it sets. Then, when I drill the proper sized holes in the epoxy for the hardware, no wood is exposed to possible water intrusion around the hardware. This is especially important over time as the towing ring gets "worked" up-&-down, back-&-forth. The hardened epoxy can take much more abuse than the soft wood of the transom.

I'm installing this hardware in the next day or two so maybe I'll post a few picture when I'm done.

HTH,

Frank

RE: Drill Fill Drill

Laszlo -- I'm a big fan of drill-fill-drill, with packing tape, just as you recommend. But as for permanently gluing a screw in, here's a method unscrewing such a glued-in screw, as I often have to do with temporary sheetrock screws used as clamps: Hold an electric soldering iron or gun against the head of the epoxy-bound screw for about 40 seconds, and it'll come right out, without breaking.  

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