Adding Gunnel Cup Holders and Rod Holders

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GMUGMU

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It is my understanding that the top cap has a core of marine plywood. I'm looking for advice on how to seal this wood before installing the holders. Said differently, I think I need to seal the exposed wood before installing the holders. Any advise would be very much appreciated. Gary
 
The best way is to cut the hole slightly oversize, then seal the raw edges with expoxy. Brush on a couple coats of the resin, it will soak in quickly. Some folks go as far as finishing that with a thickened coat, then sanding it out to size after it all sets good and hard. Some just smear it good with caulk or sealant, whatever you are bedding the holder with. And some, including some boat builders, leave it as raw wood. "Out of sight, out of mind." Your boat, your call.
 
Watergoat said:
The best way is to cut the hole slightly oversize, then seal the raw edges with expoxy. Brush on a couple coats of the resin, it will soak in quickly. Some folks go as far as finishing that with a thickened coat, then sanding it out to size after it all sets good and hard. Some just smear it good with caulk or sealant, whatever you are bedding the holder with. And some, including some boat builders, leave it as raw wood. "Out of sight, out of mind." Your boat, your call.
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Thanks for the reply. I am new to the boat owner's world. Can you be more specific about "epoxy" and "resin"? Thanks again.
 
Bonding and sealing compound used in fiberglass construction and repair. You don't have it, so you don't need it. You need to seal the edges of the holders to the gunnels, this is called bedding. Some like a polysulfide product, such as LifeCaulk, others use marine grade silicone sealant. Either one is fine for this application. Squirt some on your finger, rub it into the exposed wood grain in the hole, and it will be fine. Try not to overthink boat repairs, like I used to do. The stress detracts from the fun of boating, which is what all this is supposed to be about!
 
Watergoat said:
Bonding and sealing compound used in fiberglass construction and repair. You don't have it, so you don't need it. You need to seal the edges of the holders to the gunnels, this is called bedding. Some like a polysulfide product, such as LifeCaulk, others use marine grade silicone sealant. Either one is fine for this application. Squirt some on your finger, rub it into the exposed wood grain in the hole, and it will be fine. Try not to overthink boat repairs, like I used to do. The stress detracts from the fun of boating, which is what all this is supposed to be about!
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Many thanks. Happy New Year
 
Watergoat said:
Bonding and sealing compound used in fiberglass construction and repair. You don't have it, so you don't need it. You need to seal the edges of the holders to the gunnels, this is called bedding. Some like a polysulfide product, such as LifeCaulk, others use marine grade silicone sealant. Either one is fine for this application. Squirt some on your finger, rub it into the exposed wood grain in the hole, and it will be fine. Try not to overthink boat repairs, like I used to do. The stress detracts from the fun of boating, which is what all this is supposed to be about!
Click to expand...

I tend to disagree. The materials to properly seal the cutout with epoxy resin are relatively cheap and easily obtained. West Marine sells a West System repair kit with two-part epoxy packets that will be sufficient for a rod holder installation. All of the sealants will eventually fail, which will let water into the plywood core material and cause rot, leading to complicated and expensive repairs. Sealing the exposed wood with epoxy will prevent this. Once the core is sealed, apply additional sealant (LifeCalk, 3M 4200, etc.) around the rod holder prior to installation to provide more protection from water intrusion. I try to avoid using silicone as it’s very difficult to remove, and nothing will adhere to it once it cures, so if you ever have to remove and reinstall/replace that component, it makes resealing it difficult to do.
As a rule of thumb, I use 5200 for anything below the waterline; 4200 for anything that I want to seal with additional adhesive properties (deck hatches, pie plates, etc.) and LifeCalk for anything that just needs to be sealed.
Doing the job properly in this case is easy, and is a great way to introduce yourself to working with epoxy. Keeping water out of the wood core is one of the most critical things to protecting these boats and ensuring a long life.
If you’re looking for some extra guidance, there’s a ton of info in the Projects section. I recently resealed my rod holders in my 1997 1700 Overhaul thread.
 
Agree with Pelagic. Working with basic epoxy is easy and very effective.

However, the best advice I can give is to not install the combo cupholder/rod holders. They are cosmetically a good idea, but significantly weakens the rodholder function.
 
Many thanks for the input. I enjoy researching for a project and this helps a lot. Happy Holidays
 
West 105 packets come in bundles of five and give you resin and hardener in one convenient packet. Mix it up, brush it on. You can do two coats on the wood if you like. One coat will work if you do it right.

What kind of fishing will you be doing? At the very least, install the holders with machine screws and use washers and self locking nuts on the back side. If you are fishing for big fish, use a backing plate in place of the washers.
 
Resin has a lot of uses on a boat. To save money in the long run, I would recommend you get this from your favorite online retailer: WEST SYSTEM 105A Epoxy Resin (32 fl oz) Bundle with 205A Fast Epoxy Hardener (7 fl oz) and 300 Mini Pumps Epoxy Metering 3-Pack Pump Set. The beauty of this system is the pumps meter the correct amount of hardener and resin so you get the right mix every time. I also ended up getting the disposable 1 oz medicine cups, perfect size for one pump each of the hardener and resin. Put on a disposable glove, smear two coats (let dry between each coat, so if you are using the packets, that is two packets) of resin on the exposed wood and use the 4200 on the flange.
 
I cant thank you all enough for the info. Happy New Year
 
Yes, 101. The packets use a different number than the cans. Remember, all you are doing with this is sealing the wood. Let it dry before you install the rod holders. Decide if you need 0, 15, or 30 degree holders, and consider swivel holders as well. Also consider the screwless rod holders from Gem Luxs.
 
Roger that. The screwless are nice but need to buy expensive tool. Considering
 
What about just running to home depot and buying some bonds polyester resin? Mix it up and brush it on. Repeat for the second coat. Seal the rod holder when instaiiling.
 
I have used Gorilla Glue clear epoxy that comes in a syringe. Just squeezed it into a little cup and then brushed it on. Six dollars at Home Depot.
Home Depot link
 
I use Smiths penetrating epoxy or Git Rot.
brush on several coats, letting dry between coats.
seal with 3M 4200 or 4000
 
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