Best way to fill old bolt holes?

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lemonviolence

Trad climber

Monrovia, CA

Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 25, 2009 - 01:12pm PT

What is the best way to fill old bolt holes? I have just been using the Liquid Nails Concrete Filler but when the rangers saw what I was using they disapproved but couldn't suggest anything. What have you guys been using?

Studly

Trad climber

Sep 25, 2009 - 01:18pm PT

tube of 2 part epoxy. shoot some out and mix it up with a little sand, and presto, no visible hole!

Greg Barnes

climber

Sep 25, 2009 - 01:46pm PT

Both those options are pretty gooey.

What we use is "InstaCrete", which is a 2-part solid epoxy that you hand mix between your fingers. Works great unless it's really cold out (around freezing) and you forgot to put it in your pocket to warm it up - in that case you can't mix it. A big tube lasts for dozens and dozens of 1/4" holes, so you rarely need that much. You can cut the tube into smaller sections and bring those in a small plastic bag (although it never runs even if it gets really hot - well, hot day hot, maybe it would run if you left it on a car dash).

http://www.caswellplating.com/aids/instacrete.htm

They used to carry it at Home Depot (not sure if they still do, a couple years ago Minerals got a good deal on a couple cases of it, so we haven't bought any since that), a large tube for 2.99 - but then they started carrying a half-tube size for the same price. There are a bunch of other types for wood, copper, steel, etc. I think they were all in the paint department.

It's a nice grey color, but we do try to use some local rock to help camo the top of the hole. If you are in Red Rocks, get some of the dark red dirt from that crumbly red layer on the hike into Black Velvet, that stuff is as good as you get for dark red/black Red Rocks colors.

We used to use RepairItQuik from the same manufacturer, but it's kind of light grey/green color when cured - the greenish tint was kind of obvious sometimes.