Can you think of a reason not to.....

Sea-Fever

Sea-Fever

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 Jun 2017
Messages
691
Location
Port Solent
Visit site
Haha! Just like the worst click bait you're now here on my thread about teak panels.....no wait...where are you going...no!

....for those who are still reading....

I'm just finishing my new cockpit seat panels....teak panels epoxied on to ply...all sealed underneath with epoxy then paint so it doesnt rot from the underside.

Next job is to fix to these back on to the grp cockpit moulding. They were previously screwed (from the underside of the grp moulding) with a generous layer of silicone sealant.

Over time water had collected underneath the panel and rotted the ply.

My question is this. Having spent time salvaging the teak strip and making up new panels I dont want to use the same method of fixing on to the cockpit. I see no need for screws and will fill the existing screw holes in the deck.

I was thinking of using butyl compound in strips on maybe 3 sides of the panel leaving the lowest edge (the inboard edge) free so any moisture is free to drain or dry.

As I understand it the butyl wont dry or harden and will be sufficiently sticky to keep the seat panel in place when my backside is utilising it.

Any thoughts on butyl for this application?
 
Glue it down with Sikaflex and seal the inboard edge (in fact all edges!) as you would caulking. Use weights to hold it down while the Sika cures. That way no water will ever get underneath. This is the standard way of attaching panels now. No need for any screws. a non setting sealant is a no-no for this type of application.
 
I think you will find that butyl is not adhesive enough and the panels will drift around. Silicone sealant is probably a good compromise- enough shear strength and still easy to remove if needed.
 
Have you never thought of ...?

( add content here )?

You could alternatively fit slats and through bolt these, leaving air space between grp and new panels, but why over complicate ?
Sika sorts it !
 
The previous owner must have used one of those flooring adhesive spreaders for the silicone and this left many voids which the water exploited. I dont know how long the panels were on for but they weren't original (70s boat).

Yes I get the argument for sika....291 probably. I'm just slightly reluctant to leave voids.
 
Sea-Fever said:
The previous owner must have used one of those flooring adhesive spreaders for the silicone and this left many voids which the water exploited. I dont know how long the panels were on for but they weren't original (70s boat).

Yes I get the argument for sika....291 probably. I'm just slightly reluctant to leave voids.
Click to expand...

You could treat it like a fibreglass panel, and vacuum bag the seat panels to draw the air voids out of the adhesive.
 
Sea-Fever said:
The previous owner must have used one of those flooring adhesive spreaders for the silicone and this left many voids which the water exploited. I dont know how long the panels were on for but they weren't original (70s boat).

Yes I get the argument for sika....291 probably. I'm just slightly reluctant to leave voids.
Click to expand...
Why do you think there should be voids? Fill and fair the GRP until it is completely flat, spread the Sika evenly over the whole surface and press the panel on. Bricks for weights perhaps on another panel on top to spread the load. Mask around the outside so you can form a continuous fillet around the edges out of Sika. That is essentially how panels are laid on production boats although the trend now is to use vacuum bagging.
 
Tranona said:
Why do you think there should be voids? Fill and fair the GRP until it is completely flat, spread the Sika evenly over the whole surface and press the panel on. Bricks for weights perhaps on another panel on top to spread the load. Mask around the outside so you can form a continuous fillet around the edges out of Sika. That is essentially how panels are laid on production boats although the trend now is to use vacuum bagging.
Click to expand...
I have six panels at between 400-750mm long and about 300-400 wide. The seat mouldings are not all that flat. A full layer of sika under each panel would certainly use up quite a few tubes.....but needs must I guess.
 
By the way I did use some butyl 'tape' from toolstation elsewhere on the boat and I can report that it's a sticky as the proverbial although shear strength was not tested in that application.
 
Sea-Fever said:
I have six panels at between 400-750mm long and about 300-400 wide. The seat mouldings are not all that flat. A full layer of sika under each panel would certainly use up quite a few tubes.....but needs must I guess.
Click to expand...
There are no short cuts. Having put all that work into reclaiming all the teak and attaching to the ply backing you want it to stay stuck!. Perhaps you need to level up the GRP using epoxy filler with a fairing compound. You could actually use thickened epoxy to bond the panels onto the GRP rather than a polyurethane adhesive. either way you want it permanently bonded.
 
Call me a pessimist but I suppose at some time in the future I'll want to rip the bloody stuff up again.....seriously who invented teak. My next boat will be a teak free AWB, not a MAB, not even a NOB.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top