Dolphinite bedding compound

[s calder]

Has anybody had any experience with Dolphinite bedding compound for bedding deck hardware and such? I'm wondering about using it to install and seal new port lights. Thanks

[Oswego John]

S. Calder,

I think that Dolphinite is an excellent bedding compound. I feel that it would be very suitable for use in setting your port lights.

One of the reasons that I like it is that it remains semi-flexible after it cures, not like Kirby's or other white lead based compounds. I'm not saying that Kirby's isn't an excellent product. It's just that I wouldn't recommend it's use for setting port lights.

FWIW, Dolphinite is paintable (for those that are into painting bedding compound). Offhand, I would say that Dolphinite is maybe on a par with Tef-Gel, an also very fine bedding compound, among other purposes.

My 2¢
O J

[Stan W.]

Boatlife Lifecaulk and 3M 101 are two readily available brands.

[dasein668]

I disagree that dolphinite and other bedding compounds are obsolete. While generally a great sealang, polysulfides should be used with caution around plastic parts including lexan and polycarbonate as they can cause weakening of the plastic (due I think to leaching of the plasticizers which makes the plastic brittle).

Dolphinite is a great bedding compound to use in these cases, as is standard butyl rubber.

[Tommy Wade]

I've been using it on my CD 28 and really like it. It's messy to work with. Imagine working with peanut butter. Good news is that it cleans up easily with mineral spirits. Next weekend I am bedding my eyebrows. Going to try loading up a syringe with the dolphinite so I will have better control of the application. Spreading it with a putty knife makes a huge mess.

I've also been using the match trick that I learned from this board. Put a paper match under the item you are bedding so you can tighten everything up without squeezing all the compound out.

Good Luck,

Tommy

[Stan W.]

While generally a great sealang, polysulfides should be used with caution around plastic parts including lexan and polycarbonate as they can cause weakening of the plastic (due I think to leaching of the plasticizers which makes the plastic brittle).

I was assuming that the original poster was talking about bedding the metal portlight frames against the cabin sides, not bedding the plastic lenses into the frames.

[dasein668]

That could be. It's also possible that the portlights are glass, I suppose!