your rudder is in such good shape it'd be a shame to slather on the epoxy. that said, mine is epoxied with no ill effects. 10 years of service and a-231's rudder is still dry inside. may be it's luck, but i took the precaution of cutting a notch in the epoxy where the rudder shaft passed thru the rudder's skin and smeared some 5200 on the joint.