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Glassed in the Deadlight

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3474 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/06/2015 : 04:22:17

SO.. the original repair I did lasted about 6 months before it leaked. This time I glassed it in. Removed everything, scraped clean, sanded clean, washed clean with butane, taped the bottom over with duct tape, and taped up a plastic cutting board under that and filled with one layer of gflex, let that cure up over night and then another layer of thickened Gflex. Thickened Gflex is another product west systems sells, kinda just like gflex just thick. Pretty much stays put.

One swipe over the thickened gflex and it layed flat. Next will be a layer of either gelcoat or gluvit. The Gflex has no UV inhibitor so it would just get brittle over time and dark and eventually loose its flexibility and then leak.

Ray in Atlanta, Ga.
"Lee Key" '84 Catalina 25
Standard Rig / Fin Keel

Edited by - redeye on 04/06/2015 04:34:28

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 04/06/2015 : 05:50:45

A little confused, Are to trying to eliminate the deadlight or just fix a leak? I replaced mine with the newer version dead light from CD. Used Boatlife Life Seal to seal it in and it worked flawlessly. 5yrs now. Life Seal is made for plastics, Plain silicon won't work. Actually silicon is a lousy sealant that IMHO shouldn't even be on a boat.http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm/product/1321_35/deadlight-repair-kit-with-polycarbonate-.cfm

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Edited by - islander on 04/06/2015 06:18:52

redeye
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3474 Posts

Response Posted - 04/06/2015 : 06:18:37

I replaced mine with the a dead light version Catalina Direct sold in 2010. I Used Boatlife Life Seal to seal it in and it worked flawlessly for about 6 months.

The polycarbonate lens on top appeared to "buckle up" slightly in the hot sun and leaked on the edges.

It looked like this when I finished it in 2010

<< Are to trying to eliminate the deadlight or just fix a leak? >>

I tried to reseal the upper lens once with boatlife after my first install. It leaked after about a year I think. I'm trying to eliminate working on the deadlight every three years, and the leaks.

Do you have any idea if the "Newer Version" was the one they sold in 2010? I thought it was the "Newer Version", polycarbonate not plexi.

Maybe it's just the boat name that causes it...

Ray in Atlanta, Ga.
"Lee Key" '84 Catalina 25
Standard Rig / Fin Keel

Edited by - redeye on 04/06/2015 09:26:48

islander
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USA
3994 Posts

Response Posted - 04/06/2015 : 06:29:07

quote:
Do you have any idea if the "Newer Version" was the one they sold in 2010?

I think so but couldn't be positive. I did mine 5yrs ago when I first got the boat and it is the newer version. Looks like the same instructions. I don't have any issues with it buckling but I did do some sanding on the edges to make it fit perfectly so maybe mine has a little more room for expansion. I also roughened up the fiberglass channel that the deadlight sits in with sandpaper to get good adhesion.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Edited by - islander on 04/06/2015 06:32:33

redeye
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Response Posted - 04/06/2015 : 06:40:40

Thanks Scott.. I just looked at your link to CD..

Yepper mine was the polycarbonate, so I will remove my reference to acrylic ASAP.

My top lens seemed just a little bigger than it should have been and it was a HARD material.. difficult to "sand down" I tried with the dremel tool and it still held up it's shape.

Ray in Atlanta, Ga.
"Lee Key" '84 Catalina 25
Standard Rig / Fin Keel

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3994 Posts

Response Posted - 04/06/2015 : 06:47:19

Ray I'm Looking at you photo and it appears the caulk is white. Life Seal is not white, More of an opaque silicon look.. Could it be you used Life Caulk? If you did by mistake that would explain why it failed and started to leak.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

redeye
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3474 Posts

Response Posted - 04/06/2015 : 08:10:36

<< Could it be you used Life Caulk? >>

You could be right, that must be what happened.

I wish I had known better...

Another item to add to my inventory of products....

Ray in Atlanta, Ga.
"Lee Key" '84 Catalina 25
Standard Rig / Fin Keel

Edited by - redeye on 04/06/2015 09:44:28

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.