Drill hole in Hard Top

[brian bunk]

Need to drill a 7/8 diameter hole in the hard top of a 2008 Grady White Marlin. Any tips or suggestions for drilling on a hard top

Thank you,
Brian Bunk

 

[ElyseM]

don't fall off. :mrgreen:

i put large diameter holes thru my '02 gulfstream and '09 330. biggest thing is try to prevent the flaking of the fiberglass. using tape helps some. if you use a hole saw, score the underside also once the center bit comes thru, that seemed to work well. spade bits not a good idea for obvious reasons. good luck, ron

 

[Jody]

Like said tape and use little pressure let the bit do the work.

 

[drbatts]

Use a hole saw and the tape method as described above. Also try running the drill in reverse to just score the surface, then switch back to forward to drill the rest of the hole. I saw this on an old episode of ship shape TV. If you can access the underside you can probably do the same too. Also remember to seal the exposed core with epoxy.

 

[Fishtales]

Tape both sides, use a good fresh hole saw. Go slow and when done seal the exposed walls well before proceeding. If water gets in it will turn the hardtop core to mush so ensure it is sealed well.

 

[Bumpye]

Agree with all above. Fiberglass outside with a wood core. Just make sure to use plenty of Life Calk. I installed a new antenna and made the mistake of using regular silicon and didn't fill the screw holes well enough which caused it to leak. Redid it this Spring with Life Calk, filled the holes, and bedded the base of the antenna. No more leaks.