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Author Topic: Leak around keel box/socket. Sealing suggestions please  (Read 2195 times)

Rocketman

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Leak around keel box/socket. Sealing suggestions please
« on: September 17, 2019, 10:55:34 pm »

I have a Graupner GR65 that I have now managed to sort out the rigging with members help (see earlier posts).
Now that I have her sailing I've found droplets of water appearing around the seal (or lack of it!) for the keel box where the box is attached to the hull. It's definitely coming in there as I've held the hull in the bath and watched the droplets appear.
The area is very difficult to reach and the front of it is impossible to reach. I'm assuming that some sort of resin that can be poured in to the hull is the way to go.
Any suggestions on what is the best solution for this?
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tigertiger

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Re: Leak around keel box/socket. Sealing suggestions please
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2019, 06:29:41 am »

This is what I would try. Although I am open to correction.


Step 1. Take hold of the keel box and give it a wiggle to make sure that it is still solidly attached. If it comes off in your hand, it is better to know now.
Did it start to come away?
Yes, go to step 2. No, go to step 6.


Step 2. Remove the keel box, and any glue from the hull and other surfaces.
Step 3. Key the gluing surfaces with course sandpaper, or even a modelling knife to give the glue something to bite on. This lack of good gluing surface could have been the cause of you original problem
Step 4. Take time working out how you are going to hold the pieces in place when you glue up. You might need to make a jig.
Step 5. Using a 5 minute or longer cure resin or glue, glue the keel box back in place.  The longer setting time will give you all of the time you need to put the pieces together and re-align if things shift when clamping up. If you can only use your hands, 5 mins it not too long to hold things together manually. If you are clamping, a 2 hour epoxy is stronger than a quick set (usually).


Step 6. Practice/investigate If the keel box glue is sound, then see if you can glue around it. I would not pour a lot of resin in to the hull, if I could avoid it. See if you can make an 'L' shaped spreader to reach around the front of the keel box. Or see if you can make some sort of dispenser, maybe from one of those over-sized syringes, with a bit of tube on the end; maybe even use a bent straw. Then attacking from the side, see if you can get glue to then run down the front join. You can practice first with water.
Step 7. Glue up. Using 2 hour or longer set resin, pour around the keel box. Pay attention to the date of manufacture and thoroughly mixing, to ensure the resin goes off property. If you save this job for the autumn, watch out for low temperatures which also affect setting.

Sorry if I am teaching you how to suck eggs.
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mrlownotes

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Re: Leak around keel box/socket. Sealing suggestions please
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2019, 09:58:35 am »

I purchased a product called -
Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure
I haven't use it yet, so I cannot speak from first hand experience of using it.
The bottle sits on the shelf and will hopefully never be used.However if I was happy that the problem was indeed just a small crack somewhere then Captain Tolley might sort it.


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Netleyned

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Re: Leak around keel box/socket. Sealing suggestions please
« Reply #3 on: September 18, 2019, 10:52:32 am »

Have used Capt Tolley on a 1:1planked deck leak
c[size=78%]aused by pin hole air bubbles in epoxy caulking. Worked fine.[/size]
[/size][size=78%]Ned[/size]
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Rocketman

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Re: Leak around keel box/socket. Sealing suggestions please
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2019, 05:52:24 pm »

Thank you for your helpful replies, tigertiger, mrlownotes and Netleyned.


The keel appears to be firmly attached (thank goodness) which is just as well as it would appear to be very difficult to remove without taking out the servo and battery tray, which is also epoxied in.
I've attached a couple of photo's showing its awkward position, maybe a lot of RC yachts are like this but as it's my first I wouldn't know.


Captain Tolley's sounds good and I'll have a look at that.


With regard to using epoxy resin in the future on a plastic hull are there any preferred types/make. As tigertiger has said a longer time setting one is better in this case to give me time to apply it successfully.
Would a fibreglass resin be any use?


UPDATE......After looking at the product I've just ordered the Captain Tolley from Amazon Prime £7.50. I'm sure it will be useful anyway :-))
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knoby

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Re: Leak around keel box/socket. Sealing suggestions please
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2019, 06:21:09 pm »

Another vote for Captain Tolley, have used it on a few DF65's to good effect.
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Rocketman

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Re: Leak around keel box/socket. Sealing suggestions please
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2019, 06:30:19 pm »

Sounds good, Thank you knoby. :-))
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Colin Bishop

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Re: Leak around keel box/socket. Sealing suggestions please
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2019, 06:37:36 pm »

Captain Tolley is a good option, I have used it around windows on a 1:1 scale yacht. Certainly worth a try.

Colin
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Rocketman

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Re: Leak around keel box/socket. Sealing suggestions please
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2019, 04:29:13 pm »

Update.... Captain Tolley's appears to have worked! :-)) 


I did four applications over 2 days leaving it to dry as recommended. Testing it in the bath there is no sign of any beads of water appearing around the joint.
I suppose a real test will be back in the lake when the keel is in and the sail is getting some force on it.
I hope to get to the lake next week to give it a proper test.


Thanks for your suggestions, fingers crossed  ;)
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jaymac

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Re: Leak around keel box/socket. Sealing suggestions please
« Reply #9 on: September 21, 2019, 06:49:38 pm »

I purchased a product called -
Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure

-------------------------------------------
I used it on a Colin  Archer leaking in from the prop shaft entrance OK
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