[Public-List] Custom Gaskets

[Jim Davis]

Lifted from the American Schooner Association website.  I have not tried this, although I know the man who suggested it and his boat.

"For those that have various deck fittings that are removed from time to time to facilitate painting or varnishing, here is a good trick from Joe and Jamie Lowell at Even Keel Marine to make a permanent reusable gasket. Tape the area off and apply three coats of high temperature mold release wax to the deck and the bottom of the fitting. Spread 5200 on the bottom of the fitting and screw it in place (but not totally tight). When the 5200 cures, pull the fitting off and take the 5200 gasket up and trim it. You now have a custom gasket that can be reused for decades. Clean off the wax, and screw it back down.
We used this method to bed the iron ballast on Blackbird (see recent restoration photos), except we did not take it apart afterwards. Much better than any other elastomer or tar, and the 5200 will last a very long time underwater and the ballast can still be removed if that is ever needed."

http://www.amschooner.org/node/51



Jim Davis
Privateer Isa Lei 

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
Winston Churchill