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| Possible cure for cracks http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=2197 |
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| Author: | Tom Kirkman [ Mon Aug 08, 2005 4:58 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Possible cure for cracks |
I've been reading about the hairline cracks that a few are having on their OutBacks, at the small indentation/s where the pedal drive support fits fore and aft. I've taken a good look at my own OutBack and while I have no cracks (yet) I think there could be an easy solution to the problem, or at least to prevent the problem from happening in the first place. From what I suspect, when you lock the pedal drive mechanism in place, the fore and aft supports are pressed tightly into those small depressions in the hull, just as they should be. However, because of the empty space between those depressions and the bottom of the hull, any compression of the plastic there could conceivably result in a crack. I suppose it depends on how much compression takes place in that area. I had someone cinch my drive mechanism down while I help a thumb jammed inside the hull in that depression. I could feel the compression ever so slightly, but it is there. This afternoon, I mixed up some Trondak U-40 RodBond (Kardol Marine Epoxy, also a gel, would be similar) and plopped a gob into that interior space between the depression and the bottom of the hull. My hope is that this will add support between the hull and the depression so that any compressive force that occurs when the drive unit is locked down will no longer flex or bend the plastic in the depression. So, no cracking. At least, that's my hope. If my hull doesn't crack, that doesn't necessarily prove that I did anything to stop it - most OutBacks don't crack so maybe mine never would have to begin with. But you guys kick this around and give it some though. I have a pretty good idea that having something fairly solid in between the drive holder depression and the hull bottom will prevent cracks from forming there. |
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| Author: | 5kfull [ Tue Aug 09, 2005 5:34 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Could you post some pictures of what you have done? |
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| Author: | Tom Kirkman [ Tue Aug 09, 2005 5:54 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Nothing really to show - I just took some gel/paste type epoxy and stuck it in that little area between the hull bottom and the indent where the forward area of the drive unit fits. If you reach inside the hull just aft of the sailing mast tube, you should find the small area I'm talking about. It's about a half inch high. Just push your hand back until it stops against the drive opening and find that little indent there. If you put something in there that's fairly rigid, it can't flex and thus, shouldn't be able to crack when the drive unit is fastened down. ......... |
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| Author: | Apalach [ Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:19 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Tom, Makes sense to me, and it is certainly worth a try. Maybe even a better experiment would be to try this after a crack has developed to see if the epoxy sealed it, or at least kept it from getting worse. How did you handle the epoxy to get it into position in that area? |
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| Author: | Tom Kirkman [ Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I just wore some latext gloves and scooped up a big dollop with a finger and pushed it in there. RodBond, or even something like Kardol, is a gel/paste and they'll stay where you put them. They're sort of vaseline consistency so you just plop some in the area and it'll stay put - it won't run out or away. .............. |
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