I have some with a larger thread just for this reason. I can get a few too you this week at some point. Work in Stratford, and leave the boat in Shelton. You just need to drill out the existing hole a little larger.

I get them from www.mcmaster.com Item # 95707A684

 

I have some with a larger thread just for this reason. I can get a few too you this week at some point. Work in Stratford, and leave the boat in Shelton. You just need to drill out the existing hole a little larger.

I get them from www.mcmaster.com Item # 95707A684

I was just down at the boat, I have plenty if you need some.

 

I boat a snap repiar kit from the boat us store and it had new ones in it unscrew it and screw a new one in. If the hole is loose put a toothpick (wood) in the hole start the snap screw break the pick off flush with the fiberglass and tighten the screw.

 

I don't think that will last. If you can, and the existing hole is bad, you can mix some epoxy fill the hole, let set up, then re-drill and reset.

Once the toothpick gets wet it will promote rot and loosen any grip gained.

 

And coat the threads w/ some 3M 5200

 

Normally I just unscrew the existing screw. Fill the hole with 5200 and re-screw. let it set up before you use it. the 5200 should fill the void and be rock solid.

my 2 cents...

 

I agree with Todd on the toothpick thing. Old-timers used that remedy in a bygone era (ie, before WestMarine in every boating community across the country). Epoxy is something you should have on your boat anyway. Best to re-epoxy them as soon as you see they are loose.

 

I just did about 6 or 7 snaps with epoxy and redrilled them after it set to install the new snaps.
I found that blue painters tape to keep the epoxy off the fiberglass worked well and you could also form a trough with the tape if you have any vertical surfaces.

 

just my 2 pennies worth. if you do have to contain the bonding, use playdough to make the dam, works like a charm.

 

Guys - NOT 5200, that stuff is not for that job, use 4200 as the 5200 is for under the waterline and is very hard to get off as it chemicaly bonds with the fiberglass, fill with epoxy and then seal with 4200 (or even a silicone sealant) but not 3M 5200 as it will debond your glass for sure if you ever need to remove.

 

I had the same problem recently - just coat it with some clear marine silicone, and screw it back in. Worked for my loose ones!

 

I have that same problem right now but it is on the metal part on the gunwale, starboard side. I thought about going to a larger size thread but I wanted to wait and see what advice you guys could give me.

 

Having the oversize thread available is really handy for a fast repair that is same as new. If it's into the glass make sure you use the proper drill bit to size the hole. If you cram the #10 screw in the slightly worn #8 hole you can create some stresses that will generate cracks starting from the hole. I take a phillips bit and put in the hole and burnish the new edge. I don't get cracking if I do that and use the correct bit. You can only go oversize the one time and then you will have to epoxy and redrill.

 

good advice, its what I did. fill with epoxy, cure, drill, 4200 on threads, screw in.

 

Go to hardware store and get small plastic dry wall anchor, put in hole, screw snap in.

 

you serious?

:smt043

 

Damn...beat me to it. Now we're even.

 

I can't imagine that the cheap-o plastic in a drywall anchor would hold up for very long... maybe one of them butterfly metal drywall anchors would be better? ;-)

 

GUILTY... I have used a wall anchor in the past. It didn't last long at all just as Todd said. I needed something in a hurry and it did work.

 

I just fixed two, one I used some bubble gum and the other I just used a phillips screw driver.

 

Originally Posted by Asureyez
"I've been beset with canvas snap screws stripping. When they go they blow out the whole hole and a new screw won't grab.

After messing with the first few holes trying to add bite in the hole with wood, and stuff, I took a landlubber approach and tried the plastic shields used for running screws in to wallboard, you know those little colored plastic torpedo shaped gismos that you get in the little packs with everything you buy that needs screws.

I tried one that fit the screw used in the snap, drilled out the stripped hole a little to get an even insertion pressed in the shield and drove in the screw. Shazaam!

Man they worked great! The screws grab, hold as good or better that in just the glass and I've not have on failure in a year and half.

I put a puddle of GE Silicone on the screw and the shield as I drive the screw home and thats it.

I keep several sizes of these things on board now that I buy at a local hardware store in 100 ct. boxes.

A cheap, quick and low labor solution to a pesky problem."

I tried the wall anchor approach last summer on the cockpit cover of the 260 and it worked just fine even when trailering it. Seems to work for others also :huh: No joke, it really seemed to work just fine. SB

 

band aid approaches are temporary and are a potentially inevitable larger repair. Why not just do it right. Tawcat is correct the blue tape works great, sand the cured filler down and drill and screw in. I also use 4200 not silicone.

wall anchors are for walls.

 

I had 5 snaps give way this spring. I don't know when Sea Ray went to pop rivets but they will make the repair harder since I will need to drill them out. I have not worked on them yet since my boat is in rack storage and I don't need the trailer cover. My boat is an 05 and this is the first year of the failure. They look like they corroded. Maybe I will get lucky and the drill hole will match the screw hole and there will be no need for creative patching.

 

I have about a dozen to change on my '05. Pop rivets also. Mine failed due to over-zealous high and dry guys "ripping" off my covers instead of gently unsnapping. Pricks.

 

Wow- thirty posts on how to put a screw in fiberglass.
Not much to add except that it reall does matter whether you're screwing into solid glass or a cored assembly- you didn't specify.
If it's solid glass, toothpicks, bubble gum, duct tape, who cares- water intrusion around the screw hole isn't going to affect anything unless there's a finished surface on the other side.
If it's a cored assembly, you'd better do it right and it needs to be watertight. My cabin top is cored and there's nearly 40 snap penetrations for hatch covers and bow cushions. If not properly sealed, water's going to get into the core and cause lots of problems down the road. Also, if the hole is sloppy (did I say that?) the screw is going to "work" and any caulk seal is going to fail. If it's cored, epoxy and re-drill the hole and install the new snap with a high quality, UV resist. adhesive like 4000 UV or Lifeseal.

There- that's 31.

 

Wow- thirty posts on how to put a screw in fiberglass.

Well, I guess we know how many CSR members it takes to put in a snap now don't we... :grin:

 

LOL... I finally got a a chance to take a look back on my original question Thanks for all the responses guys! And I see that I was not specific enough as to where the the snap is located. The snap is above the bumper/water line screwed directly into the fiberglass hull.

I'm just going to reiterate what I think I need to do.

1. Get some 4200 (assuming I get this at West Marine).
2. Use painter's tape (blue tape) and tape around hole.
3. Fill hole with 4200 and let dry good.
4. Redrill hole and screw in original screw.

I saw a mention of epoxy, so I'm curious if I should use that or 4200? Is it really personal preference at that point?


Also, thanks for offering the bigger snap screws H2ONUT, but I don't want to fix the problem by tapping it with a larger screw and then have that one possibley pull out, leaving me with an even bigger hole I may use that option as a last resort...


Did I miss anything in my lil summary?

 

LOL... I finally got a a chance to take a look back on my original question Thanks for all the responses guys! And I see that I was not specific enough as to where the the snap is located. The snap is above the bumper/water line screwed directly into the fiberglass hull.

I'm just going to reiterate what I think I need to do.

1. Get some 4200 (assuming I get this at West Marine).
2. Use painter's tape (blue tape) and tape around hole.
3. Fill hole with 4200 and let dry good.
4. Redrill hole and screw in original screw.

I saw a mention of epoxy, so I'm curious if I should use that or 4200? Is it really personal preference at that point?


Also, thanks for offering the bigger snap screws H2ONUT, but I don't want to fix the problem by tapping it with a larger screw and then have that one possibley pull out, leaving me with an even bigger hole I may use that option as a last resort...


Did I miss anything in my lil summary?

I just had one fixed by MM in Cape Haze. Their plan of action on snaps are first try a slightly bigger screw and if that doesn't work they use "Epoxy" and let i dry redrill and put the screw back in. He said epoxy not 4200.

 

wrong, epoxy first(formula 27 works great),let dry and sand down if any bump, drill, then use 4200 on snap threads,screw in. And yes use the blue tape along the way

 

The problem with any caulking, sealer or glue, except epoxy, it that it is a temporary fix. Sooner or later the snap is going to come loose again. When it does, the calking reidue left behind will prevent you from getting a good bond with resin or epoxy.

Most snaps are #6 screws; get a few #7 screw snaps. If you want a different approach, use pop rivits, as long as you can reach behind the snap to install a backing washer on the rivit before crimping it. But my favorite method is to use thickened West Systems Epoxy to fill the hole, then redrill, countersink the gelcoat and install a new snap.

 

But my favorite method is to use thickened West Systems Epoxy to fill the hole, then redrill, countersink the gelcoat and install a new snap.

I need to do a few of these. I guess this is the method I will try. some PO used the Molly/Wall fastner, which really screwed the pooch. the screw head was too big fo the snap to even work...so a useless exercise in futility.

I have some RC modelling expoxy laying around. I figure expoxy is epoxy...No?

 

Late last summer I had to fill in a bunch of holes around the back of my bridge where the old studs were for the lift the dot fasteners. I ended up getting the thing that looks like a hypodermic needle (for flushing wounds) out of the first aid kit and filled it with epoxy. It fit in the holes perfectly and I was able to fill them up with the epoxy well. I used a gel coat repair kit on top of it, sanded it, compounded it and now you can't tell the holes were ever there... although you don't need to worry about the gel coat repair, the injector thing worked well... I think Stan or Skip came up with that hair brained idea while watching me trying to put epoxy in a little hole with a tooth pick and it worked well.

 

Late last summer I had to fill in a bunch of holes around the back of my bridge where the old studs were for the lift the dot fasteners. I ended up getting the thing that looks like a hypodermic needle (for flushing wounds) out of the first aid kit and filled it with epoxy. It fit in the holes perfectly and I was able to fill them up with the epoxy well. I used a gel coat repair kit on top of it, sanded it, compounded it and now you can't tell the holes were ever there... although you don't need to worry about the gel coat repair, the injector thing worked well... I think Stan or Skip came up with that hair brained idea while watching me trying to put epoxy in a little hole with a tooth pick and it worked well.

Gary-

I have seen epoxy that comes in a twin tube. Harderner and Epoxy squirt out at the the same time for equal part mixing. You still have to stir. You must be using the Hypo to inject pre mixed.?

So my questions is...if there is a big air gap behind the hole, what do you put in to keep the epoxy from dripping down on the inside of the hollow hull? Maybe a paper towel or something stuffed in (Foam) to keep the epoxy near the hole and not running down. You have to keep this from happening to create a solid plug in which to drill.


From my old RC days, I remember a trick to add baking soda to epoxy to make it more thick and not runny.

Nice to revive a post almost two years old!

 

I've got all sorts of awesome tools for drilling and filling holes. But my material of choice is white Marine Tex. Matches my faded old gel coat perfectly!

 

I've got all sorts of awesome tools for drilling and filling holes. But my material of choice is white Marine Tex. Matches my faded old gel coat perfectly!

Ron- I assume the Marine Tex has a white-ish finish color.

I had thought abouth using JB Weld in the hole and then covering with Gel coat...probably not an elegant solution since the JB is a grey product but bonds anything to anything in my experience.

Where do you get the Marine Tex? Online?