{"id":1416,"date":"2016-08-16T16:32:42","date_gmt":"2016-08-16T20:32:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/?p=1416"},"modified":"2026-02-17T12:43:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T17:43:12","slug":"replacing-hardware-hawk-epoxy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/fiberglass-repair\/replacing-hardware-hawk-epoxy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Strong Hardware Adhesion with Hawk Epoxy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"post-updated\"><strong>Last Updated: February 17, 2026<\/strong><!--?php echo get_the_modified_date('F j, Y'); ?--><\/p>\n<p><!-- Quick Recommendation Box: Strong Hardware Adhesion with Hawk Epoxy --><\/p>\n<div class=\"bps-quick-reco\" style=\"border: 1px solid #e5e5e5; border-left: 6px solid #0a6fb5; background: #f8fbff; padding: 16px 18px; margin: 14px 0 22px; border-radius: 8px;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 8px; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: .06em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #0a6fb5; font-weight: bold;\">Quick Recommendation<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"margin: 0 0 10px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.25;\">How to Get Strong Hardware Adhesion with Hawk Epoxy<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0; padding-left: 18px; line-height: 1.6;\">\n<li><strong>Prep the surface properly:<\/strong> Clean thoroughly, remove old sealant, and sand to create a strong mechanical bond.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dry-fit hardware first:<\/strong> Confirm alignment before mixing epoxy to avoid rushed adjustments.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Seal fastener holes:<\/strong> Over-drill, fill with epoxy, and re-drill to prevent moisture intrusion into the core.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bottom line:<\/strong> Long-lasting hardware adhesion depends on <strong>proper surface prep, moisture control, and correct epoxy application<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin: 12px 0 0; color: #555; line-height: 1.5;\"><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Allow full cure time before loading hardware\u2014premature stress can weaken the bond.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1414 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/hawk-epoxy-Large-May-20141.jpg\" alt=\"epoxy repair kit\" width=\"152\" height=\"154\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/hawk-epoxy-Large-May-20141.jpg 152w, https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/hawk-epoxy-Large-May-20141-22x22.jpg 22w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 152px) 100vw, 152px\" \/>What is the best way to achieve maximum adhesion when replacing your boat&#8217;s hardware? This How To article will give you the basic knowledge you need to get your repair done correctly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Before attempting a repair by yourself, get a professional opinion. Always wears Personal Protective Equipment when sanding or working with chemical compounds!<\/p>\n<p>Here are some simple steps to follow when bonding hardware to your boat:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Sand both the surface and the hardware to get maximum adhesion.<\/li>\n<li>Wet out the surface with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/fiberglass-and-gel-coat-repair-hawk-epoxy-resin-system-c-13581_14066.html\/hawk-epoxy-size-1-kit-p-28223.html\">Hawk Epoxy<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1420 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/f2-filler-large-may-2014-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"f2-filler-large-may-2014-150x150\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/f2-filler-large-may-2014-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/f2-filler-large-may-2014-150x150-22x22.jpg 22w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Wait a few minutes for it to soak in.<\/li>\n<li>Wet out the Hardware base with Hawk Epoxy.<\/li>\n<li>Mix another batch of Hawk Epoxy with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/fiberglass-and-gel-coat-repair-hawk-epoxy-resin-system-c-13581_14066.html\/hawk-epoxy-structural-adhesive-filler-f2-1.7oz-p-28250.html\">F2 Structural Adhesive Filler<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Coat the hardware base, screw threads, and surface mount with the epoxy\/filler compound.<\/li>\n<li>Tighten hardware bolts until some epoxy mixture squeezes out.<\/li>\n<li>Use your finger to fillet the excess mixture around the hardware base for extra strength.<\/li>\n<li>Before using the hardware, allow the bond to cure overnight.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #003366;\">Hawk Epoxy Video Tutorial<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hardware Replacement Adhesion with Hawk Epoxy\" width=\"625\" height=\"352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/X7PJKiz98m8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>For more information see these other How To Articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/fiberglass-repair\/choose-hawk-epoxy-resins-fillers\/\">How Do I Choose Hawk Epoxy Catalyst and Fillers?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/fiberglass-repair\/mix-hawk-epoxy-resin-properly\/\">How to Mix Hawk Epoxy Resin Properly<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/epoxy\/filling-hole-fiberglass\/\">Filling a Hole in Fiberglass<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/category\/epoxy\/hawk-epoxy\/\">Fairing Hull Imperfections<\/a><\/p>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"http:\/\/w.sharethis.com\/widget\/?wp=6.9.7\"><\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last Updated: February 17, 2026 Quick Recommendation How to Get Strong Hardware Adhesion with Hawk Epoxy Prep the surface properly: Clean thoroughly, remove old sealant, and sand to create a strong mechanical bond. Dry-fit hardware first: Confirm alignment before mixing epoxy to avoid rushed adjustments. Seal fastener holes: Over-drill, fill with epoxy, and re-drill to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":817,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[179,143,272],"tags":[336,556,145,334,335,183,218,337],"class_list":["post-1416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-boat-repairs","category-fiberglass-repair","category-hawk-epoxy","tag-boat-repair","tag-epoxy-repair-kit","tag-epoxy-resin","tag-f2-filler","tag-hardware-bonding","tag-hawk-epoxy","tag-sea-hawk-epoxy","tag-sea-hawk-resin"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/817"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1416"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4195,"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1416\/revisions\/4195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}