Bonding battens to roof in cold damp weather?

steve yates

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I sikaflexed thin battens to the roof of my bradwell18 to take panels. Most of them came down, so I redid it with epoxy, and thats just fine.
However, the last couple have come away, and Im no longer on shore power so cant warm the cabin to a working temp for the epoxy.

Anyone know a simple product I could use for this that doesnt mind damp and temps of about 5 degrees when working and dropping to around zero overnight When setting?

Thanks
 

zoidberg

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The company that does CT1 does a stronger fast-grab adhesive, which is purportedly even better. Ask in builders' merchants.

Edit: This is the stuff..... Power Grab And Bond
 
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thinwater

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Follow the instructions regarding temperature. The ugly truth is that winter is not a good season for boat work. It's not worth the failures. Better to take a vacation day or a few in good weather, and plan so that you can wok efficiently. A good contractor would knock out in a few days rather than diddle with it through the winter.
 

Frayed Knot

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I used CT1 for a similar project, also in cold winter weather. The battens were bent to the considerable curve of the coachroof & held into place with struts for 2 or 3 days while the goo cured. Never a hint of movement after several years + the boat has since been sailed to & kept in the Med & as far as I know is still all fine.
 

CM74

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Gorilla glue
Gorilla glue is pretty good stuff, it foams to fill gaps and needs moisture to cure - the instructions actually say to dampen some surfaces first for a better bond!
I've not used it for fibreglass though, or for anything particularly long term, so I can't comment on that side of it
 

Tzu

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Gorilla glue is pretty good stuff, it foams to fill gaps and needs moisture to cure - the instructions actually say to dampen some surfaces first for a better bond!
I've not used it for fibreglass though, or for anything particularly long term, so I can't comment on that side of it
+1 for Gorilla Glue. As well as glueing pads to the (clean) boat roof in similar conditions I've used it for holding up a fence post glued to an adjacent concrete post in lieu of Rawlplugs
 

Graham376

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+1 for Gorilla Glue. As well as glueing pads to the (clean) boat roof in similar conditions I've used it for holding up a fence post glued to an adjacent concrete post in lieu of Rawlplugs

Yes but read the can, Gorilla comes in two types, pva and polyurethane, the latter being the one for this job.
 

steve yates

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Follow the instructions regarding temperature. The ugly truth is that winter is not a good season for boat work. It's not worth the failures. Better to take a vacation day or a few in good weather, and plan so that you can wok efficiently. A good contractor would knock out in a few days rather than diddle with it through the winter.
Not an option, i want to sail her next week or the week after, so it needs doing now.
thanks all, looks like gorilla glue then.
 

Kilo

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+ 1 for CT1 or the other pu mastic type adhesives eg. EB25 (Everbuild version)

Foaming pu glues are excellent but don't have the same flex when cured, doesn't need to be gorilla brand, Everbuild do a version : 30 Minute Polyurethane Wood Glue 750g
The stuff can be fantastically messy if overapplied, not a problem if you can mask everything around & beneath, a 2-3mm wiggle down the length of a 1" batten should be enough. Have some acetone handy for cleaning up uncured glue.

Whichever you use will probably need propping in place for a short while, if you back (temporarily) the batten with something more substantial then the pressure from the props with be applied more evenly.

Just for the sake of avoiding the potential nightmare cleanup, I'd go for CT1 or the like. They also have an excellent clean up spray for uncured mastic.

Bad luck having to redo, especially having used a good product to start with. The finish you achieved with the lining 1st time looked excellent I'm sure it'll work this time round.
 

slawosz

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I used epoxy, and attached only one thick - around 1 inch - plywood batten in the middle along the boat. Used supports until cured. Then attached actual battens to it using screws.
 

Boater Sam

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+ 1 for CT1 or the other pu mastic type adhesives eg. EB25 (Everbuild version)

Foaming pu glues are excellent but don't have the same flex when cured, doesn't need to be gorilla brand, Everbuild do a version : 30 Minute Polyurethane Wood Glue 750g
The stuff can be fantastically messy if overapplied, not a problem if you can mask everything around & beneath, a 2-3mm wiggle down the length of a 1" batten should be enough. Have some acetone handy for cleaning up uncured glue.

Whichever you use will probably need propping in place for a short while, if you back (temporarily) the batten with something more substantial then the pressure from the props with be applied more evenly.

Just for the sake of avoiding the potential nightmare cleanup, I'd go for CT1 or the like. They also have an excellent clean up spray for uncured mastic.

Bad luck having to redo, especially having used a good product to start with. The finish you achieved with the lining 1st time looked excellent I'm sure it'll work this time round.
The Evo 5 minute polyurethane is similar but sets much faster. Seems to stick to everything, including fingers!
 

slawosz

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One more tip/urban legend regarding epoxy - to start reaction, resin needs to be in higher temperature, when its kick off it does not matter - just the process will be slower. But not sure if its true.
Also, what I did during headlining instalation - I traced shape during cold weather on December and used wooden blocks on the roof glued in using glue gun as temporary supports. Then, when spring came (and lockdown ended), I glued in battens.
 
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