Tag Archives: 21

repairing machined holes in fiberglass

Repairing Machined Holes in Fiberglass

Technical Staff Report

Above: When repairing machined holes in fiberglass, whether screw or a through-hull fitting like the one for the pictured seacock, your strategy will depend on the size, purpose, and location of the hole.

First, we will classify the types of holes we are discussing as ones that are round and have been machined, probably with a drill, as opposed to punctures and cracks incurred from damage. The reasons they may need to be repaired are numerous: refitting, resizing, removing obsolete equipment, or mistakes. When repairing machined holes in fiberglass boats, the challenge is to determine an appropriate repair strategy. You want a repair that is safe and adequate, but also realistic. You want to ensure that the repair is strong enough for the anticipated worst-case load and err on the side of being conservative. Other things to consider include the costs in time and money and the skill required to perform the repair. Continue reading →

Repairing a Cracked Plaster Ceiling

by Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor

Above: Tom’s approach to repairing cracked plaster involves Drilling into the lath and injecting thickened WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.

A 100-year-old friend called in tears because her living room ceiling had cracked and she was afraid that the plaster was going to fall. I did my best to calm her and offered to come over and take a quick look. Continue reading →

Brian's western red cedar and epoxy fence.

Fence Construction Revisted

My Western Red Cedar & Epoxy Fence

by Brian Knight—GBI Technical Advisor

Above: Brian’s western red cedar and epoxy fence still looks beautiful despite constant exposure to harsh Michigan weather.

Every now and then it is good to look back at an epoxy project to see how it has held up over several years. Above is a photo of the western red cedar fence I built in the summer of 1998 (as it looks today) and below, the fence as it looked during and just after construction five years ago. This fence uses no nails, screws, bolts, etc. to hold it together. Only WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy holds the spindles to the rails and the rails to the posts. Continue reading →

installing a basketball goal with threaded rod

Installing a Basketball Goal

by Brian Knight—GBI Technical Advisor

Above: Bob was installing a basketball goal with threaded rod and needed to know how much tension the rods would hold.

Bob Warters: I am installing a basketball goal in my driveway. My pole has a 10″ diameter flange on the bottom (9″ bolt hole diameter) with six holes for ½” anchors. I intend to use ½” stainless allthread (threaded rod) for the anchor bolts. If I drill 9/16″ holes in the concrete 3½” deep and use your system to fix the threaded rod to the concrete, how much tension would you estimate the rods would hold? The concrete is about a year old, it’s 4″ thick and has ½” rebar on one foot centers.  Continue reading →

Testing Bolts Epoxy Bonded into Concrete

by Brian Knight—GBI Technical Advisor

Above: The final version of the test Brian devised to determine the holding power of bolts epoxy bonded into concrete. When the load cell registered 4000 lbs, he stopped the experiment.

The email exchange with Bob Warters in the article Installing a basketball goal is typical of the process we sometimes go through to answer a technical question. Most questions do not generate laboratory testing, but, in this case, the data we had available was limited. I was able to give Bob some shear strength data on concrete block from previous tests but was unable to find specific data on fasteners bonded with epoxy into poured concrete. I suspected poured concrete would hold a bolt better, but another data point would be reassuring. Continue reading →

The second darkroom sink

Building Darkroom Sinks

By Spiros Polemis

Above: The second darkroom sink is 86″ x 30″ x 7.5″ deep x 31″ high.

We built two darkroom sinks using WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy: one for tray developing photographs, the second to hold our Jobo film processor, and two archival print washers. The two sinks are end-to-end on one wall of the room and fit flush with waterproof caulking, the taller sink sitting on top of the side of the shorter one. Continue reading →

Cosmic Muffin awaiting passengers at her berth in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

The Three Lives of Cosmic Muffin

by Jennifer Jones

Cosmic Muffin, a unique houseboat owned by Dave Drimmer, has quite an interesting history. She started out as a Boeing 307 Stratoliner, which was acquired by Howard Hughes in 1939 when he bought TWA. The Model 307 was the world’s first high-altitude commercial transport and the first four-engine airliner in scheduled domestic service.  In 1948, Hughes had her interior redesigned, named her Flying Penthouse, and she became one of the first commercial airliners converted into a plush executive transport. Continue reading →

wooden runabout

Readers’ Project, Issue 21

Wooden Runabout

Mark Bronkalla of Waukesha, Wisconsin, built this Glen-L Riviera wooden runabout using WEST SYSTEM Epoxy. The Riviera is a 20′ double cockpit traditionally styled wooden runabout. It was built with cold molded construction techniques (epoxy and wood laminations). Top speed as measured by a GPS is 53 mph! For construction photos and building information, visit www.bronkalla.com.

Continue reading →