Dolphinite In Caulking tubes

[Dale Genther]

This winter I'm planning on installing a wood rubrail on Radiance. She currently has none. It will be about 30 ft. long on each side on the boat. I'm planning on using Dolphinite Natural (whiteish in color)bedding compound for bedding it to the hull. It would be a lot easier if I could apply it to the rubrail with a caulking gun. Has enyone ever tried to put Dolphinite in one of those empy caulking tubes you can buy? BTW I don't like the stuff you can buy already in a tube I.E. Lifecaulk, 4200, etc. which is why I'm planning on using Dolphinite.

[Thorne]

Never tried it, as the stuff in the can is pretty stiff. Since you'll have to spread it flat anyway, why not just use a putty knife to get it out of the can and apply it?

You do know that the new Dolphinite is much less toxic than the previous compound, right? So you might want to use red lead (if you can get it) on the faying surfaces before applying the bedding compound.

[Dale Genther]

Thorn, I usually use a putty knife, but it just seemed much easier to fill up a couple if tubes and put it on with a caulking gun. I've got some red lead, I'll think about applying some. But, this brings up a thought, how about " thinning" the Dolphinite with a little red lead paint? This might enable getting it into the ampty tube. It also may make it take too long to setup for painting. Dunno, maybe I'll go downstairs and mix up a batch to test.

Ok, made up a small batch of Dolphinite with a little red lead in it, to bring it to a consistancy where it could be stuffed into a caulking tube. Kind ff a pinkish/orangish color. I put it on a piece of wood with a sampe of straight Dolphinite. We'll see what happens. Maybe I should get a life.

[Thorne]

Hmmm....competition orange mixed with puke green. You may want to wear shades or not look at the result...

;0 )

I don't know enough about Dolphinite to address thinning, but suspect that just mixing in some BLO might give you what you need. Don't know what that would do to the 'cure time' (if Dolphinite has one), but it might work OK as long as it doesn't run back out of the mix and make oily drips.

[kc8pql]

The point of bedding compound is to fill any voids between the two surfaces so water can't get between them. Thinning the compound defeats the purpose. Forget the caulking tubes. Spread a good thick layer on (say 1/8" thick or so) with a putty knife, screw down the rubrail until the excess compound begins to squeeze out. Let it sit for a day or so to firm up (makes the compound easier to clean up). Use a little mineral spirits on a rag for final cleaning.

[Concordia...41]

We put the regular brown Dolphinite in tubes as is, no thinning.

The can, when opened, is the perfect consistency. It may seem a little thicker than the tubed caulks, but it worked fine in the tubes.

It's not going to keep forever, but I think it keeps better in tubes than in the inevitably crusty nasty can...

Dave started doing this back when he was doing the interior floors and frames. It was a lot easier to pick up the caulking tube and squeeze out a couple of clicks, than it would have been to open the can, stir, dip out a glop, and clean the putty knife. It's one of about 5 of his neat tricks I've been meaning to put on the website.

For a cap for the tube, I cut a finger tip off of a disposable glove and got that more or less tight with blue tape.

Hope that helps!

- M

[Dale Genther]

Margo - Great that is what I was hoping to hear. The convienence of it being in a tube make it more likely to be used with less waste. When I put it on with a putty knife I always seen to get way too much on. Though it is better than to little.

The experiment with the red lead in it seems to be working. It appears to be skinning of at the same rate as the control sample. There is no separating, not that I would expect any, as I believe they are both largely linseed oil based. Maybe a little red lead in it will reconstruct the antifungicidal properties it used to have.

[DuncanvdH]

Here you can be empty 310ml cartridges that are advertised to use for distributing fillet material. They are something like 0.50$ each. You can put pretty stiff stuff through a cartridge using a modern gun, not the pressed metal thingy.

[redbopeep]

For some stuff, we mixed dolphinite with some powdered mildewcide and used it in the caulking tubes with no problem. Normally, though, we have the crusty can around.

[David G]

Another tip for your tip. They now sell little snoose sized cans of "mini-condoms" (that's what the boys in my shop call them). They're pre-rolled and you just unroll them onto the shaft of the open tip of your caulking tube. They work really well, and are reusable. We mostly tend to lose them before we wear them out. IIRC, they're called somethng like RedCaps. I get them at my local lumberyard.

"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" -- Oscar Wilde

[Nordicthug]

The easiest way to "thin" Dolfinite is heat. Rig a big double boiler over a heat source. Doesn't have to be intense, just over body temp will do. Or set the cans in a warm space for a few days. If you keep 'em wrapped or in a box of rags they'll stay warm even in cold weather for an amazingly long time. Same with tubes.

Nasty crusties can be nearly eliminated by putting water over the dolfinite in an opened can. Keeps air off.

Gerry

[JMAC]

20 years ago, the stuff was sold in tubes. Makes the most sense. Is anything better than it used to be?