Chainplate Rebedding
Saturday - December 23, 2006•Views: 9179••
Rebedding the chainplates with GE SilPruf (SCS 2000) is a pretty easy project. I found that you can do a better job in less time if you do one set of chainplates at a time, port, then starboard, then backstays. Order is not important, but I found that doing the shrouds first made more sense as you can rebed and then retension one side easily before doing the opposing side. I found it way less messy if you mask the outside of each chainplate cover with blue tape before you remove it. I also found that it was easier and you can do a better job if you remove the rigging so that you can completely remove the cover plate. Once the cover plate is removed you have clear access to the area around the chainplate.
Some of the teak areas around the chainplate tangs were not smoothly cut out or uniform in appearance so once I had the old SilPruf out I trimmed/cleaned up the teak cutout. I used a Dremel and an Exacto knife to cut away some of the teak and clean the area so that I could see all the way down to the crossbar on the tang under the cap rail. I also wanted to have a nice open area so that I could easily fill the area with new SilPruf.
After cleaning the old SilPruf, teak, and shavings out of the packing hole, I used compressed air from my scuba tank to blow the area clean. I then wiped down both the teak and the chainplate with a clean rag and Acetone before repacking. When repacking the chainplate I over filled the area around the tang so that when I reinstalled the cover plate excess SilPruf was squeezed out between the cover and tang. I then wiped the excess SilPruf off with my finger and a wooden popsicle stick and cleaned away the excess material that oozed out onto the blue tape.
At this point I then reattach the rig and retension back to the reading that I had before starting the project.
SilPruf does not skin over for about 30 minutes so you have time to smooth and clean without rushing. Also, SilPruf will not cure within several days so you have time to retension the rig without worrying about disturbing the bond between the SilPruf, chainplate and surrounding teak.
The chainplates on our boat were caulked with SilPruf at the factory when it was made in 1997 (delivered in Feb 1998). When I first rebedded the chainplates I was amazed at how well the SilPruf was bonded to the teak and stainless steel chainplate covers and chainplates.
Some of the teak areas around the chainplate tangs were not smoothly cut out or uniform in appearance so once I had the old SilPruf out I trimmed/cleaned up the teak cutout. I used a Dremel and an Exacto knife to cut away some of the teak and clean the area so that I could see all the way down to the crossbar on the tang under the cap rail. I also wanted to have a nice open area so that I could easily fill the area with new SilPruf.
After cleaning the old SilPruf, teak, and shavings out of the packing hole, I used compressed air from my scuba tank to blow the area clean. I then wiped down both the teak and the chainplate with a clean rag and Acetone before repacking. When repacking the chainplate I over filled the area around the tang so that when I reinstalled the cover plate excess SilPruf was squeezed out between the cover and tang. I then wiped the excess SilPruf off with my finger and a wooden popsicle stick and cleaned away the excess material that oozed out onto the blue tape.
At this point I then reattach the rig and retension back to the reading that I had before starting the project.
SilPruf does not skin over for about 30 minutes so you have time to smooth and clean without rushing. Also, SilPruf will not cure within several days so you have time to retension the rig without worrying about disturbing the bond between the SilPruf, chainplate and surrounding teak.
The chainplates on our boat were caulked with SilPruf at the factory when it was made in 1997 (delivered in Feb 1998). When I first rebedded the chainplates I was amazed at how well the SilPruf was bonded to the teak and stainless steel chainplate covers and chainplates.
Powered by SIMGallery from SIMBunch