Safe to just... plug drill holes?

[wednesday13]

Another vote for using a capped-off bulkhead. Installed with silicone as well as the rubber gasket, it'll last longer than you could hope for, and that way you'll always have those holes available to you for some future re-design.

Sealing with a piece of glass is also easy and works perfectly, but...someday, sometime, you will find yourself looking at that patch job and thinking "Dang! I wish I still had a bulkhead there!"

wednesday13 , how long have you been using UniSeals? Do ya trust 'em? Do they last? I find them very tempting, but...they just seem too good to be true.

I trust em enough that i just put 2 in the bottom panel of a 500 lol… … i also trust bulkheads without silicone tho … all jokes aside, uniseals are great in my opinion when used “properly”… i wanna say there all around 1/2” thick so the only place ive had a problem/leaks is when trying to use them on rubbermaid totes 1/8” thickness.
Even at 1/4” material they seal and hold great. Ive had them in house here for 15yrs now in various scenarios. Before swapping out the ones in my 500 recently i tested one on one side of the tank and it ran for 8-10yrs trouble free. Since i was in there and replacing a bulkhead on the other side i just used 2 new ones for peace mind. Regardless… if ur tank wall material is 3/8” or thicker you will get a great bite/seal with the uniseals. I recommend using silicone grease also the pipe/plumbing is pretty hard to shove through there a very tight fit… i would recommend them on glass or acrylic. People like them for 55 barrels also. Not sure how theyd do on sealed plywood. I know alot of people don’t seal the inside of the holes with epoxy. The seal is actually on the inside of the drilled hole unlike a bulkhead. The pressure of the pipe in the hole makes the seal. worth a shot to try there pretty affordable. Theres some knock offs ive only used the uni-seal brand.

 

[jjohnwm]

Lol, I also trust bulkheads without silicone; I just trust 'em more and longer with silicone!

Not sure why you'd mention plywood; who uses that stuff? But I'm in the midst of a project using a few 55-gallon plastic barrels and was just thinking about UniSeals when you mentioned them. It's fate, I tell ya! I'll see if they are available in Canuckistan and try out a couple. No silicone grease for me, though; just silicone. An effective lube for the first few minutes after application, which then cures into an effective permanent sealant. Only for the quick and the brave!