Original bedding compound
Does anyone know what the bedding compound is that Nautor used back in the early 70s? I am talking here about deck hardware- under the winches, turning blocks, toe rail, also the strut

The compound is pink in color and after 40 years is still soft and pliable, and the fittings can still be pried apart.

I would like to use the same or similar product when re-assembling,I am not fond of silicone and do not want to glue with 5200 or epoxy.

Thanks

Tonyh 44/04 Hatha

Hi Tony,

I don't know what Nautor originally used, but Dolphinite bedding compound has the characteristics that you describe.  In particular it will stay soft for decades and used to be the standard for the types of applications you describe.  It is more of a brownish color rather than pink. 

 I recently rebedded a winch (not a Swan) that hadn't been off for years and the Dolphinite was still in excellent shape and it was what I used to rebed.  I did get a bit of sticker shock at how much it costs today.  Buy the large can, the small one costs nearly as much.

Regards,

Alan

Tony and Alan
The original bedding compound was called Caulk-Tex, and was an epoxy based thiokol. For some reason the production was laid down after a few years.
Thiokol is a trade name for polysulfide, which is found in many deck mastics. Polysulfides do not give the same strong gluing effect as provided by polyurethanes, and are better suited for applications where joints need to be opened.
Care must be taken, however, to not use one compound everywhere. For example for sealing plastic windows polysulfide is not suitable, because the solvents attack acrylic and polycarbonate, and also parts made of ABS and PVC.
Dolphinite is based on a very different chemical concept, and appears to work well for deck gear, but I admit to having no experience.
Silicone could be described as a gasket material which does not adhere very well to the substrate, and it should be noted that paint does not adhere to silicone. It has a contamination effect which may cause surprising problems. For example never wipe the interior with Johnson's Pled or equal, after that the treated surfaces can not be varnished any more. Silicone is usually forbidden in shops where gluing is used to join parts.
Merry Christmas!
Lars

Thanks Alan and Lars

I will be using polysulfide for most hardware mounting

Best regards

Tony 44/04 Hatha