Tuesday, March 1, 2011

port gaskets

Rhapsody has 6 bronze opening ports, all of which came equipped with long-expired gaskets.

P2263717
Crunchy rubber. This was one of the "good" ones!
I order 5/16 inch square Buna-N O-ring cord stock from McMaster-Carr.

I'll take this opportunity to just say thanks. The service was exactly what online service should be, but very rarely is. I'd done some research, figured out what I wanted, and found it online. I halfheartedly clicked the "order" button about 5PM, hoping I'd get something in the mail in a week or two. Around 9AM the very next morning my package arrived, all for a shipping charge of five dollars and thirty-three cents. So, McMaster-Carr, thank you!

I carefully cleaned out the old gaskets, tightened the screws, checked the glazing, and fitted the new gasket material into the groove. I sealed the ends with a dab of flexible super glue, and did not seal the rubber to the frames in any way. Reinstallation went as expected, although the rubber was not as flexible as I'd have hoped.

P2263719
Rubber and glue

The ends of the rubber were joined on top of the portholes, where imperfections are not likely to cause leaks anyway. I used my trusty re-appropriated garden snips to trim the rubber to fit.

P2263722
Prepare to snip....

P2263725
Ready for reinstallation. The joint is under the cordstock/pointer, just to the right of center
Everything got a good coat of Lanacote (why not?!) and was re-installed. So far, so good....

1 comment:

  1. Dusty- I use McMaster-Carr at the radio stations I work at as a supplier all the time, and they're incredible.

    I have to order material too... and tomorrow. Do you still have the SKU or part Number for the 5/16th gasket material? please email me directly: chuckbullett at gmail dot com. Thanks! I have one portal out now, and will do the rest as soon as the gasketing material gets here (okay...probably after the boat show). The Chester P is on the hard now at Berkeley Marine Center. Stop on by when you can. I'm working there most evenings.

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