Patch holes

Hello,

What product do people use to patch bolt holes. Preferably something that matches greyish rock.

Thank you

Fishy Boi wrote:

Hello,

What product do people use to patch bolt holes. Preferably something that matches greyish rock.

Thank you

When I'm already placing glue in bolts, I often just use AC 100 to patch since I have it on hand. Instacrete works well if you want something more convenient that also looks nice. 

Embed local grit / sand on the surface of the patch to visually blend the patch in with the rock. Carry local grit / sand with you in a baggy if needed. 

The ASCA has been using Instacrete as the standard light grey patch for over a decade, lots of places sell it, just search "instacrete epoxy putty stick".

"FastSteel" from the same company is great for very dark grey or black cliffs.

"QuikCopper" is a dark reddish brown/bronze color that matches well with red/brown rocks.

All of these are putty where you tear a section off, mix until uniform color, then patch, they harden in a minute or two. When it's cold, you need to keep it in your jacket or else it's a huge pain to knead. I typically cut a small section off and keep it in a little ziplock bag if I'm only likely to patch a hole or two. As Bill said, it's always best to place local grit on the surface to help blend with the rock.

Here's a patch job I did using JB Weld Steel Stick (darkish grey) and a small pebble.  Sometimes grit or sand is hard to work into the putty smoothly and can either stand out or get coated by the putty as you work it in, so I often just find a pebble that's bolt-hole sized and stuff it in:

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/122305423

Here's another patch job with Steel Stick and pebbles.  Before/After

Trying to spot the patches in real life is about the same as in these pictures, and that's if you go looking for them.

Hello,

Thank you all for the responses!

I prefer PC 7 for grey patches (with surrounding rock or lichen). It doesn’t tend to get sun bleached as much as some of the alternatives. 

 I carry a black Sharpie marker when I am patching granite. The stuff I patch with dries to a too-light grey. Once the patch is in place but still tacky, it's easy to Sharpie marker lightly over its surface and then smear/rub it in. This permanently darkens the patch to nearly perfect color.

In addition to color and sand to match the surrounding rock, texture - like tiny peaks, ridges and divots - helps the patch blend in.