PuffTheMagicDragon
Active member
The seats in my cockpit have long strips of teak that are held above the fibreglass by shorter strips, running athwartships, that are screwed to the upper ones from underneath. Each of these short strips – and, therefore, the whole assembly - is bolted to the fibreglass through the spaces that are left between the long ones.
Cleaning accumulated dirt from underneath is a nightmare; sloshing the dirt out with water is not good because not all the water drains away.
I am thinking of removing these assemblies, ripping the long strips lengthwise to obtain narrower ‘planks’, and then fixing them permanently in place using some form of adhesive, leaving something like a 5mm gap between the planks to be filled later with ‘caulking’. The idea is that the new system will allow no water to be inaccessible and any that remains may be easily wiped off.
Can someone answer these questions, please?
1. Is Sikaflex 291 suitable? Are there other alternatives that are less expensive?
2. The Data Sheet for Sikaflex 291 says “may be used for light duty bonding”. How light is ‘light duty’? If I use it, will the planks stay put?
3. What thickness of glue-line should I aim for when pressing the planks down onto the fibreglass? Is there a minimum?
4. Since the ‘caulking' will be purely decorative, is it really necessary to put a bond-breaking tape down each seam?
5. Do I just scrub the teak periodically or can I use some form of varnish? (eg. Le Tonkinois).
6. Temperatures get rather high in summer (upper 30’s) and the UV Index is regularly 11+. Does this matter to the adhesive?
Thanks in advance to all; I am sure that, as usual, advice will not be scarce!
Happy Holidays.
Cleaning accumulated dirt from underneath is a nightmare; sloshing the dirt out with water is not good because not all the water drains away.
I am thinking of removing these assemblies, ripping the long strips lengthwise to obtain narrower ‘planks’, and then fixing them permanently in place using some form of adhesive, leaving something like a 5mm gap between the planks to be filled later with ‘caulking’. The idea is that the new system will allow no water to be inaccessible and any that remains may be easily wiped off.
Can someone answer these questions, please?
1. Is Sikaflex 291 suitable? Are there other alternatives that are less expensive?
2. The Data Sheet for Sikaflex 291 says “may be used for light duty bonding”. How light is ‘light duty’? If I use it, will the planks stay put?
3. What thickness of glue-line should I aim for when pressing the planks down onto the fibreglass? Is there a minimum?
4. Since the ‘caulking' will be purely decorative, is it really necessary to put a bond-breaking tape down each seam?
5. Do I just scrub the teak periodically or can I use some form of varnish? (eg. Le Tonkinois).
6. Temperatures get rather high in summer (upper 30’s) and the UV Index is regularly 11+. Does this matter to the adhesive?
Thanks in advance to all; I am sure that, as usual, advice will not be scarce!
Happy Holidays.
