Glueing to Fibreglass

[LONG_KEELER]

I would like to site my new fixed VHF from the deck head or roof of my boat. It would be out of the way of the sink area and give good access from the cockpit.

The deck head has a cover of painted 3mm ply and them about a gap of 20mm.

This space is largely occupied by a halyard winch and I would rather not drill another four holes all the way through. There are no suitable ribs to bite into.

Any ideas ? The vhf weighs about 1.3 kilos.

Could I glue some wooden blocks to the fibreglass and then use self tappers to hold the bracket ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[prv]

Could I glue some wooden blocks to the fibreglass and then use self tappers to hold the bracket ?

Sounds reasonable to me. Epoxy would certainly do the job, but polyurethane adhesive in a gun tube (like sealant) would be more convenient and probably fine too.

Pete

 

[Lakesailor]

I prefer mechanical support, but if you rough up the grp, epoxy glues should form a very good bond. The stuff that comes in tubes ought to work, but avoid fast setting ones as you want it to penetrate the wood a bit before curing. I've also had great success with Sabatack750xl (Marine adhesive in a guntube)

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Why not just fix it direct to the ply using a cavity fixing to hold the bolts?

 

[nigelmercier]

Why not just fix it direct to the ply using a cavity fixing to hold the bolts?

I think the ply is on the inside, but it isn't clear.

 

[prv]

Why not just fix it direct to the ply using a cavity fixing to hold the bolts?

Presumably because it's 3mm ply and may not hold the weight? Even if the wood itself is ok, whatever's holding it up may not be. I know I wouldn't mount anything more than a lightweight light fitting to my 3mm ply headlining.

Pete

 

[RAI]

I would use West System Epoxy with the appropriate filler. - Mainly because I have the stuff on board and use it a lot. The inner fibreglass is likely to be quite rough, so the filler is needed. You could countersink bolts into the ply board to act as studs before gluing the whole thing.

 

[prv]

I would use West System Epoxy with the appropriate filler. - Mainly because I have the stuff on board and use it a lot. The inner fibreglass is likely to be quite rough, so the filler is needed.

Yep, that's what I'd do too, with a fairly stiff mix of microfibres. But it would be quite expensive to buy a whole pack of epoxy and all the associated tackle just for this one job, which is why I suggested the stuff in a tube.

Pete