Jeff, I'm absolutely inspired by this alternative viewpoint, because, besides my fiberglass repair and maintenance man in West Michigan, the best in the business, I've never heard anyone else express it. My repairman also pooh-poohs the wisdom that holes for cored deck fittings should be routed out and epoxied: His point being that a poorly bedded fitting will allow moisture to get to the core, whether the epoxy is there or not. I appreciate your point that the manufacturer does not instruct the user to allow the bedding to dry. Both the alternative view on bedding and the alternative view on the use of epoxy, if scientifically sound, could be liberating, because they require fewer steps. My experience with epoxy has been that it takes an alchemist to properly mix and apply the stuff. I'd like to see Practical Sailor (magazine) tests using both methods for each process. --Craig
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jeff Grudin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2002 9:33 AM Subject: M_Boats: Teak Bedding This is an interesting topic. A friend and I always have this discussion and we don't have an answer. I feel that leaving the bedding to set up and then tighten can lead to some problems. But as are the reasons given for doing this, mine are also just conjecture. My thought is that you only want the bedding compound to fill the small spaces that are left after tightening the bolts, any more would be excess. The water tight seal is formed as a result of the bond between the bedding compound and the items being bedded, and the filling of these small spaces. I don't think the water tight seal is solely the result of the bedding compound working as a gasket. If it were, wouldn't we be better off using a rubber gasket? It would certainly be easier and less messy. The bedding compound "never hardens" leaving a soft gasket between the items being bedded. If allowed to dry first then tightened, you will never get the items tightened as tight and motionless as without the bedding compound. The excess would lead to more motion in the joint which would have a tendency to break the bond between the compound and items being bedded and lead to leakage faster. The directions on the tube don't say to do let dry and then tighten, It would seem that if it were a better technique, the manufacturer would recommend it. Does any one have an authoritative answer? ___ 73 de AC6KW <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Jeff Grudin, DVM Web Add: http://www.grudin.net Ocean Animal Clinic / Cat Clinic of Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz, California Montgomery 23 Hull #072 Norcal QRP * QRP-L * ARS * AR Qrp --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.333 / Virus Database: 187 - Release Date: 3/8/2002 _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
