The seacock was Marelon. Marelon is a Forespar trade name for glass
filled Dupont Zytel, a sort of super nylon.

Skip Gundlach wrote:

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:gDuDb.5356$JD6.2598@lakeread04...


Doug Dotson wrote:


I don't trust plastic below the waterline. Marelon is
plenty strong but bronze is stronger. I have to install
a few more thru-hulls this spring. I guess I'll have to
do some thinking about it.

I had the same worry before I decided so I tried (as my compulsive
engineer personality requires) to analyze the threat. Corrosion is not


clip

I tried to visualize what would cause a significant side impact on a
throughhull, probably in a knock down or roll over and came up with a
battery breaking loose, an anchor stowed loose in the bilge. So I found
an old used Forespar 1 1/2" seacock on ebay, mounted it on a piece of
1/4" steel plate and whacked it on the side with a 5 lb sledge. First
blow had no effect. Second blow produced a small crack about 1" long
leading from the valve stem. Third blow broke a bolt flange and
lengthened the crack some but it was still well attached to the
throughhull. I have beaten enough bronze castings to pieces to fit in
my crucible furnace that I don't believe a bronze throughhull would have
held up but a little better.


I thought this was about Marelon - did you do the same thing to one of
those? If so, what was the outcome? I like the concept of Marelon, if only
because it can't rot and ought to move more reliably...

L8R

Skip


--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
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