DIY backing plates for thru holes

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Spanki's picture
Spanki
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DIY backing plates for thru holes

I'm wanting to make my own seacock backing blocks/plates with marine grade plywood. Thinking 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Looking for videos on the process but every thing I type in isn't showing how to make them with wood. Also sealing them with epoxy. How to prepare the screw/bolt holes for seacock installation. 
All advice and knowledge very much appreciated. Thanks. 
 

Spanki & {Russ 12-8-1949/9-6-2010 R.I.P Butch}
s/v Spanki 1993 Catalina 36 #1224
"Don't worry, Be happy""Sail your life away"

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Chachere
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No link to a video.  However, I've made them out of hardwood (or maybe a scrap of teak), just to avoid any concerns about delamination.   First I dry fitted the parts, and drilled the hole for the through hull itself perhaps a 1/4" oversize, so that there was room to all multiple layers of epoxy.   Same with the bolts for the seacock.  I then coated them with maybe 6 coats of epoxy, making sure to brush it well into the end grain and into the holes.   You'll no doubt have to drill out the bolt holes again.  
If you do use plywood, pay special attention to sealing the edges to prevent delamination.

Mainesail has a couple of good illustrated pages on this process (he recommends making your own fiberglass backing plates: http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/replacing_thruhulls
, http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/backing_blocks and he's no doubt correct that in the amount of time it takes to pay on 6 coats of epoxy on your wood block you could make a backing plate from fiberglass from scratch.

 

Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY

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Spanki
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Thank you. I just went ahead an ordered Groco backing blocks to make it easier on me. And save time. 

Spanki & {Russ 12-8-1949/9-6-2010 R.I.P Butch}
s/v Spanki 1993 Catalina 36 #1224
"Don't worry, Be happy""Sail your life away"

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Parsons
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You beat me to the answer.  My boat's PO had installed a wood backing plate (not through bolted) to install after-market air conditioning.  On my first seacock inspection, the block came off in my hand!  I think the combination of drying wood and ill-prepared bedding loosened it from the hull.  I read all of Mainesail's instructions (great!), but decided against making my own fiberglass block or using wood.  I bought a Groco block on eBay (Groco Seacock Backing Block 3/4" - 1" BB-1), and it worked like a charm.  I think if you're installing dozen blocks, it makes economic sense to make your own, but if just doing one at a time, the $37 for one that fits perfectly is cheap insurance.

John Parsons
"Water Music" 1999 Catalina 36 Mk II - Hull 1771
Tall Rig, Fin Keel
Bay City, MI, USA

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Spanki
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Well I got the Groco backing blocks in today. But they will not work. The ID holes are to big for thru hole fittings. And the bolt holes do not line up to holes in seacocks. 
So I am making them out of wood. Looking for videos to watch. Hard to find them tho. 
After epoxying them and using 5200 to adhere them to hull is it necessary to fiberglass over them before I fit the fittings and seacock together? 

Spanki & {Russ 12-8-1949/9-6-2010 R.I.P Butch}
s/v Spanki 1993 Catalina 36 #1224
"Don't worry, Be happy""Sail your life away"

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Parsons
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I don't know your particular situation, but for documentation for others that may read this thread later ... The Groco backing plate has two sets of mounting holes with different spacing.  When rotated and reversed, the second set fits the larger seacock valve.  The center hole, and the throughhull hole in your hull, should be slightly (1/8 - 1/4 " per side) larger than the throughull fitting to allow packing with a more flexible underwater sealant (3M 4000 or 4200, for example). This allows some give and prevents leaks. Again, not saying that in your case it is not wrong, just don't want to leave the impression that everything fits snuggly.

As far as instructions, I used Mainesail's excellent write up for non-through-bolted through-hulls (see http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/boat_projects  I used West Systems Six 10 as permanent adhesive and it worked extremely well. It's really just thickened 2-part epoxy, but applies using a caulking gun so no mixing required.  I feel that it's as strong as the hull.  The 5200 is a good solution as well due to it's incredible high adhesion.  I used the seacock valve to hold the backing plate in place while the stuff set. I took care to wax both the seacock and surrounding hull with carnuba wax so I could remove it later.  These seacocks eventually fail, so you want to be able to replace it later without chipping out and replacing the entire block.  There is fiberglass molding wax available on-line, but paste carnuba car or boat wax will work as well. Remove the wax using acetone (lots) prior to applying the adhesive as nothing sticks to it.  Good luck.

John Parsons
"Water Music" 1999 Catalina 36 Mk II - Hull 1771
Tall Rig, Fin Keel
Bay City, MI, USA

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