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Author	Topic:   Loose Fasteners
gyzmo47	posted 03-24-2009 02:38 PM ET (US)         When I removed the mahogany side rail [on a Boston Whaler 15-foot boat], I noticed three of the four screws were stripped. The wood locating diagram shows 3/4-inch mahogany embedded in the fiberglass . Should I drill out the holes to maybe 3/8-inch diameter and fill with epoxy? Or just fill the holes and move the screw fasteners over 1/2- to 3/4-inch.
tedious	posted 03-24-2009 02:43 PM ET (US)          I think either one would be fine structurally. Reusing the existing holes seems better than drilling new holes in the side rails. People have reported good results filling holes with Marine-Tex, and as it won't show anyway, that may be a good solution. Tim
HAPPYJIM	posted 03-25-2009 05:13 PM ET (US)             I used round tooth picks dipped in epoxy and stuck them in the hole breaking of the end sticking out. Then I took a hammer and tapped the tooth picks GENTLY til level. Installed new screws while wet being careful not to over tighten. Let dry overnight and hit the water.
gyzmo47	posted 03-26-2009 08:05 AM ET (US)             thanks happyjim, have alot of refinishing to do before I start putting it back together so the weather should be warm enough for epoxy to set by then.
rowmer1	posted 03-26-2009 08:57 AM ET (US)             There are a ton of threads on loose fasteners if you search for them. I posted one a while back. This method has worked well for me. http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/014302.html

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