kentblairlvideo
1953 Alcort Sunfish ZIP 17 Jun 20 Air Leak Test
June 17, 2020 · 5 min · 242 views · Florida
What this video covers
Kent Blair performs an air leak test on a 1953 Alcort Sunfish named ZIP to identify hull and deck seam voids.Watch He seals all cockpit wall holes and limber holes with tape before pressurizing the hull interior with a shop vac set to low pressure. A mixture of Dawn dishwashing liquid and water applied to the exterior seams reveals leaks through bubbling. Blair marks these compromised areas with blue tape for repair.0:21 He plans to use an oscillating multi-tool to remove the original resorcinol glue from the gaps before injecting TotalBoat Fixotropic epoxy. The inspection also reveals a leak on the aft side of the daggerboard trunk, likely caused by impact damage. Blair intends to apply the epoxy to this internal seam using a paint stick once the boat is inverted for keel maintenance. This method previously resolved similar structural leaks on other vessels.
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