bunk board question.planning on replacing mine

[jjacobs007]

hi, my bunks are wood and carpet and theres one bolt each (8 total)coming down from the bunk through my welded brackets,with nuts securing them there,now how do i make new ones out of wood and drill holes and keep those bolts from sticking up too high and ruining boat? Any help here would be good gills lol

will be redoing at lake campground with supplies ready as boat floats over night.

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: bunk board question.planning on replacing mine

Pics of your current set up would help.

 

[roscoe]

Re: bunk board question.planning on replacing mine

I'm guessing you will need to drill countersunk holes so the bolt heads are recessed.

 

[flycaster]

Re: bunk board question.planning on replacing mine

I'm guessing you will need to drill countersunk holes so the bolt heads are recessed.

Do the countersinking BEFORE placing the carpet on the bunks. Hammer the bolt head into the countersunk hole, the square shoulder will hold the bolt in place as you tighten up the nut.

 

[colbyt]

Re: bunk board question.planning on replacing mine

Carriage bolts have a dome head and will almost countersink themselves.

 

[jjacobs007]

Re: bunk board question.planning on replacing mine

What about drilling a counter sunk hole big enough to hold head of bolt with socket? i thought i saw these other bolts with a thing attached to them that sinks into wood after you begin to tighten,maybe to weak for this job.but they would go between the wood and bracket never exposing the top wood to water.

 

[jjacobs007]

Re: bunk board question.planning on replacing mine

carriage sounds good,wont make a big hole for water intrusion and i can leave carpet not glued there so i can lift to tighten bolt if needed later being i believe these are phillips mainly.

 

[K9Deuce]

Re: bunk board question.planning on replacing mine

What I have done on several now is drill out the hole for the bolt so the bolt will fit snug through the hole then countersink the hole about an 1/8 of an inch. Use carriage bolts as you install and tap the bolt through. before it become flush add some sealant or glue to the top,of hole just under the carriage head. ( helps keep moister out of the hole. On the nut I used red thread lock ( it helps the bolt from vibrating loose but doesn't make it impossible to get off ). Tighten the bolt enough to pull the head into the wood and into the countersink .. I always use some spray adhesive on the boards before install the carpet and don't forget stainless steel staples on the bottom side of the board. Regular staples will rust out quickly. Also I suggest stainless on the bolts and nut hardware they to rust quickly especially when new. Good lock

 

[jjacobs007]

Re: bunk board question.planning on replacing mine

Thanks iboats family.Wil do after i get the interior finished.Almost to first launch -ya ya!!!

 

[dccordell]

Re: bunk board question.planning on replacing mine

Just use carriage bolts... they will countersink themselves as you tighten them, and if they become loose, you can just tighten the nut a bit to snug them up.

I just rebuilt the bunks on my trailer with this method. Install the bolts, then cover the bunks with carpet and staples/glue. The bolts stick out through the carpet and into the bunk brackets.