darkstar32170 wrote:How did you insulate the aluminum shaft of your rudder. I'm assuming that you just applied a neat coat of epoxy directly to the shaft, allowed it to cure and then waxed it before injecting the epoxy/graphite into the rudder tube.
Correct? Do you have any concerns about the epoxy wearing away?
I have lots of play in my rudder that I would like to repair too.
NO! The insul was done a complete season (~12 months) later, after we noticed how stiff and cranky the helm became by late Sept, that season, 6 months after we did the bearing job.
For the insulation job, I was at work, and the lads came down and mixed up a batch of pox (I should go back and ask), but I think they used a little bit MEK and did 2 coats, washed off the amine bloom with acetone and hit it with some wet 600...then the 2nd coat. If I remember well, they may have taken something and lightly hit the inside of the injected bearings, too...but how they did that with any degree of uniformity around the inner diameter I have no idea. They then waxed the crap out of the rudder stock (after the pox had kicked and cured) and then reinserted the rudder...apparently it went in okay.
BUT: you raise a great point in that, if you are going to have to use something as a barrier to impede the galvanic activity, DO IT BEFORE YOU INJECT THE BEARINGS!!! Hah, had I only known.
In terms of it wearing away, yes I was worried about that but the next season there was no apparent build-up of crud from the galvanic activity and the helm was smooth as silk all season...I think I sold it the next summer so you'd have to ask BLUTO what became of the quick-fix from there on out! Good call on the insulation step.