How to repair broken snap holes

[Rol1964]

What’s the best way to fix this: there are several that are either missing completely leaving holes or are loose and need to be repaired. I don’t believe I can access them from the inside. Thanks

[JPA Cate]

Remove all screws. Glue down a bit of epoxy coated teak or other wood trim to the area. Varnish or paint it. Cover the holes, and enjoy your bright trim. Or, patch the gelcoat. It will be a pita, and color matching is difficult. If you still need snaps, your patches will have to be strong.

Ann

[Rol1964]

EDIT: I should have mentioned that these are attach snaps for the dodger / Bimini set up so there will be some lateral force as the fabric is stretched etc.
Thx

[leecea]

Do you know why they all ripped out? You wouldn't want to make a repair and just have the same thing happen.

[jamhass]

I have found snaps with the next larger size screw, same size snap. I don't recall where, but check on Sailrite or your nearby canvass guy. Or, maybe you can "force-fit" larger screws to the snaps.

[HopCar]

I had the same problem. I figured out a great and easy fix. You need a #6 Wellnut, a #6 flat head machine screw, and a male snap with no screw. The photos should show you how it’s done. Originally the hole was too small for the Wellnut so I drilled it larger, 1/4” if I remember right.

[Rol1964]

Originally Posted by leecea

Do you know why they all ripped out? You wouldn't want to make a repair and just have the same thing happen.

I do not know but I do know the previous owner didn’t put much effort into this boat. I picked this boat up somewhat as a project. It will shine up nicely. I’m currently working on getting all systems up and running…including the dodger and bimini.

[PJS]

[QUOTE=HopCar;3911714]I had the same problem. I figured out a great and easy fix. You need a #6 Wellnut, a #6 ....

Great suggestion as a Wellnut will provide backing for the snap. If the gelcoat & glass is cracked out as the photo appears that that may not give the support necessary.

I have had success with using a two part fast setting epoxy. Fill the hole generously (so it gets in the back side for the fiberglass) and allow to dry. Predrill the snap hole and reinstall snap. For ones that tend to back out or have a fair amount of "pull", I epoxy the snap right in the hole. Wipe off the oozing epoxy.
I have yet to have one of the snaps loosen or come off again.

[wrwakefield]

If you can’t use a mechanical method as HopCar suggested, we have had excellent results using glue on SNADs [which use 3M VHB tape.]

We even glued them to the inside of the tubes on our Hypalon RIB to hold the chaps in place.

FWIW

Cheers, Bill

[Cheechako]

So the snaps are going back in place? Or might they be moved due to a new canvas item?
I would probably fill those with Marine Tex white underwater epoxy. Just because it approximately matches many of those white gel coats. Then redrill.
If a hole a very ragged and not going to have another snap on it I would flare it to be smooth with a drill and countersink, then fill.
Good advice on finding a larger screw snap if you can.
You can get "thread-serts" (threaded inserts) which you thread into a drilled hole and then use a machine screw for the snap instead of a wood screw. You would drill your existing hole slightly bigger to put the thread-sert into. Available for #6 or #8 internal screws and more.

I know they are available in brass, or stainless too.

[Rol1964]

I was thinking to bore those holes with next size up drill bit…countersink, then fill with epoxy and repair the gelcoat, then predrill and reinstall the snaps so I can get the canvas up (and assess what I have - again it’s a new-to-me old boat and I’m not familiar with it) ,for the balance of the season…Thoughts?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Rol1964

I was thinking to bore those holes with next size up drill bit…countersink, then fill with epoxy and repair the gelcoat, then predrill and reinstall the snaps so I can get the canvas up (and assess what I have - again it’s a new-to-me old boat and I’m not familiar with it) ,for the balance of the season…Thoughts?

Sounds like a good plan to me. The Marine Tex I mentioned is thick like putty and not runny, in addition to being White so makes that type of thing easy.

Oh, the other thing is buy some wax paper at the grocery store, you can tape it over the epoxy while wet, flatten it out and it will come right off when the epoxy is hard! Less sanding flush!

[Rol1964]

Would West System thickened with 403 be the correct filler in this case?