Best epoxy / glue

[Roosterrusek]

Guys,

I want to glue / epoxy something to the outside of my boat. Not terribly heavy but I want it there FOREVER. I know about 5200, but I mean some stuff that once you glue it on, it ain't coming off without a torch, sledge or saw.

Thoughts?

[VincentVega]

That's what 5200 does. I never use it because it's too hard to remove, without heat at least.


What are you installing? Is it also bolted to the hull? What does it weigh?

[Roosterrusek]

As odd as this sounds, I am going to (or at least planning to) add a V portion to the flat part of the bow of my flat fronted Carolina Skiff.

Plan is to get a pre made 1/4 inch fiberglass board, which is EXACTLY the fit for the front under the eye, make a V after making a mold with fiberglass and gel coat (with the bigger part of the V higher and then slimming down to the actual bottom of the boat), then attach it with 5200 or some other epoxy, and then also rivet along the edges and then of course seal any gaps with the 5200.

See, I love my Carolina Skiff, but in any kind or rougher water it gets rough and also WET as when the big flat front slams a wave, water comes spraying up. Both my wife and I hate that esp in cooler (striper) weather.

While I know it sounds odd, I love my CS, it's paid for, and with the proper prep, adhesion chemicals and rivets I don't see why it wouldn't work. That front part of the bow does not hit the water at speed UNLESS there is rougher water.

Sound crazy? I think it would be OK but am happy to have any input. 5200 plus rivets...should be fine....Right?

[red-beard]

JB Weld - It's Better'n bailing wire

[nota]

surface prep and gap size matter most in a good bond
5200 is a flexie sealer not a strong glue bond more of a caulk/filler

I would sell the older flat bottom and get a V or cat

but if you must glue bits on a bow
1 grind to bare glass ruff thru the gel coat
2 do the same to the new bit
3 clean the bond area with acetone
and use a good quality bonding polyester with mini -MEK [hardener]
and use heat to aid cureing

[Steve Viegas]

Gorilla Glue is the stuff you are looking for to hold something together FOREVER.

[Heel n Toe]

If you're gonna rivet it on... especially if you space the rivets fairly close together (1-2"), you're not asking the epoxy to do much of the work of holding the V on... it's mainly just waterproofing the joint and the site of each rivet. You could probably use about anything.

[tevake]

Is your skiff hull made of ALuminum? In that case probably welding a shaped AL. bow is the way to go. If it is fiberglass, you can build up the bow shape with high density foam glued on with epoxy (west system is very good) thickened a little with milled fibers. Then shape the foam, glass on a strong skin. Lapping over into the surrounding skin of the hull. The bonding of the new skin to the existing hull if done well should be plenty strong.
Good prep on the surface to be glassed onto is the key, it needs to be clean and well roughed up to ensure a strong bond.
The cosmetics are a challenge Getting the surface of the skin smooth and fair and flowing into the hull takes time and many coats of filling and fairing, then the finish is hard to blend into the existing hull finish. Kind of like blending the new paint of a replaced fender into the surrounding old finish.

Cheers Richard

[Tim Hancock]

I can not really say if your modification is a good idea or not, but when it comes to choosing a good epoxy you can't go wrong with West System Epoxy. It is all that holds my all wood airplane together (no fasteners used in any of the glue joints). I built the airplane in 1994 and I trust it with my life every time I fly it. Every Staudacher +/- 10G airplane built has had it's all wood wing glued together with West System epoxy. It was originally marketed as a boat building glue. Thousands of boats from kayaks to sailing yachts have been built with it.

That said, there are plenty of other brands of epoxy that are just as reputable.

[cstreit]

Remember that many glues and epoxy's are made for porous surfaces. Non-porous surfaces need different glues that bond with the substrate chemically.

[mikester]

I have always found that the oatmeal my wife leaves in the bottom of her breakfast bowl hard to remove when I do the dishes (we have a deal and my part is the dishes...)

[tevake]

Ahoy Rooster; I reread your post, and realize that I went off in another direction than you were thinking. Sorry. Your idea of using flat panels is another way to create a new bow shape. You could get sheets of high density foam. It comes in a variety of thickness and density. The way this material gets its strength is by glassing a skin on both sides, producing foam sandwich composite. Once you get panels of sufficient strength they can be cut to size and fitted as you are thinking. I think you would want to glass them in place with a well prepared 2inch or more overlap onto the hull. And glass all seams. I would also plan to build some internal baffles to support the longer sections of the panels from the crushing loads of wave strikes.
I hope this helps
Richard

[tevake]

Or how about building a pipe frame, canvas, and clear window material dodger on the boat you could set up when the spray is flying?

[Zeke]

I think I see what you are trying to do. You might have a J series and you want the bow of the D series. You should fiberglass that on.

You can work that glass smooth and gel coat your finished project. That's gonna be the best for being waterproof. Do this right and you will increase flotation as well!

For more technical info, consult the fiberglass forums. I used to do this, but I didn't write a book.


Gorilla Glue. Would you be serious, please? Gorilla glue is nothing more than a water activated polyurethane adhesive. POR 15 is not that far off chemically speaking, but lacks a foaming agent.

I can tear anything apart where Gorilla glue was used if it can be peeled. This is exactly the type of bonding he is looking for and it will fail. Gorilla glue may be water resistant, but it's not waterproof.

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally Posted by mikester

I have always found that the oatmeal my wife leaves in the bottom of her breakfast bowl hard to remove when I do the dishes (we have a deal and my part is the dishes...)

now thats funny!

[Captain Ahab Jr]

3M's 9323, its what holds together every F1 chassis on the grid, there is nothing better for use on composite parts that don't see high temperatures.

To get the most from it you need a 0.25mm bond gap, this acan be jugged using length of electrical fuse wire and is room temperature cure.

I first used it over 15yrs ago and even today no one has come up with anything stronger.

[john walker's workshop]

Sikaflex 292.

[wdfifteen]

I'll bet the guy in the ghetto turbo thread could help you out.

[Henry Schmidt]

Loctite Epoxi-patch

[JeremyD]

We call 5200 - fcuk the next guy adhesive...