What is the proper way to bed deck hardware using sealant?
Do you want to have a thickness of sealant? How thick?
Will the sealant fill gaps?
The pulpit flanges are at a slight angle to the deck. With the flange
sitting on the deck, there is a gap of 3/32" at one end. Will the
sealant fill this gap and provide support, or should I build an epoxy
wedge for support, and set the flange with a thin layer of sealant?

Thanks everyone,
Dan

You have it right. For a heavily loaded item like a pulpit, an epoxy wedge
followed by a softer sealant is right. If the deck is cored, you should look
at ways of firming up and sealing the bolt holes.

Dan wrote:

What is the proper way to bed deck hardware using sealant?
Do you want to have a thickness of sealant? How thick?
Will the sealant fill gaps?
The pulpit flanges are at a slight angle to the deck. With the flange
sitting on the deck, there is a gap of 3/32" at one end. Will the
sealant fill this gap and provide support, or should I build an epoxy
wedge for support, and set the flange with a thin layer of sealant?

Thanks everyone,
Dan

"Dan" wrote in message
...
What is the proper way to bed deck hardware using sealant?
Do you want to have a thickness of sealant?

Yes

How thick?

about 1/16" or more

Will the sealant fill gaps?

Yes

The pulpit flanges are at a slight angle to the deck. With the flange
sitting on the deck, there is a gap of 3/32" at one end. Will the
sealant fill this gap and provide support, or should I build an epoxy
wedge for support, and set the flange with a thin layer of sealant?

With a pulpit I *might* build an epoxy wedge - but that gap is pretty small.
Probably I would just bolt it up, let the sealant cure to form a gasket and
then tighten the nuts.

Two more tips:

- use a countersink bit to bore out the bolt hole on deck. This forms a
nice O-ring type seal around the bolt
- tighten only the nuts, and don't turn the bolts because that tends to
strip the sealant from the bolt threads


--
Evan Gatehouse

you'll have to rewrite my email address to get to me
ceilydh AT 3web dot net
(fools the spammers)

Does Polysulfide sealant provide support for the item being bolted to
the deck, or does the polysulfide compress infinitly like silicone?