How to remove a plywood teak deck that is glued to GRP with Sikaflex

[zeeotter]

Our boat (a Westerly) has a finer on plywood "teak deck". The finer is worn out. Therefore this winter the plywood teak deck will be removed and will be replaced with anti slip paint. All the GRP and paint work will be done by an well known Dutch boat yard.
But to keep the job within my budget I want to remove the plywood teak myself. The plywood teak deck is glued to the GRP. I assume that it has been glued with sikaflex or something comparable.
Has anybody removed a plywood deck that was glued with sikaflex? What is the best way to remove it? Do I need special tools? All advise is welcome.

Gerard Versluis

 

[Rigger Mortice]

I think something is being lost in translation.

Finer?
Do you mean "veneer"

 

[JumbleDuck]

I think something is being lost in translation.

Finer?
Do you mean "veneer"

According to Google Translate, "veneer" in Dutch is "fineer". As to how to remove plywood glued on with Sikaflex ... if one of these doesn't do it

then it might have to be one of these

 

[Tranona]

No easy way. Chisel it off and then angle grinder to remove the residue. The top veneers will probably come off quite easily but the bottom one will be well stuck down. You will almost certainly damage the surface underneath and will need to fill and level before refinishing. You might plan to sheath with a glass cloth in epoxy as I expect some of the gel coat will get damaged during removal of the ply.

 

[RichardPerou]

I have the same problem. I removed some of this plywood myself. Never again! Get the yard to do it!

 

[srp]

Use a circular saw with an accurate depth setting. Cut through the ply to within a gnats crotchet of the glue line - a series of cuts about 50 mm apart maybe. Then use a Fein Multimaster fitted with a scraper blade to do the horizontal cutting of the Sikaflex. Making a start will be a bit difficult, but once you've made room for the Fein to operate it should be reasonably quick.
A random orbital sander fitted with a 40 or 60 grit disc will remove most of the remaining Sikaflex. If you use a porous mesh type disc like Abranet, along with a dust extractor the discs will last a long time before clogging up. I really don't like the sound of an angle grinder as the potential for major damage is too great.

 

[Twister_Ken]

The yard that redecked my Twister said that they would have removed the old deck by using a router set to just less than the planking depth, then a belt sander to finish it off. However I did it with a hammer and chisel and regretted the time taken.

 

[PCUK]

Any multi saw will do the trick, doesn't have to be top dollar Fein and one of those little 'Exakt' saws that they sell on TV with the very fine adjustment would be ideal for the initial cuts.

 

[TQA]

Back breaking sweat and tears with some blood.

I watched it being done in Trini and they used a 1 inch wood chisel and a mallet. Followed up with a belt sander.

Rather you than me.

 

[srp]

Any multi saw will do the trick, doesn't have to be top dollar Fein and one of those little 'Exakt' saws that they sell on TV with the very fine adjustment would be ideal for the initial cuts.

Yes, I'd forgotten about those Exakt saws - used a lot for laying laminate flooring, so would be ideal, and a bit more useful in confined areas that a conventional circular saw. And yes, there are other alternatives to the Fein, but that's the one I happen to have so it sprang to mind first.
With these two tools I don't think it would actually be a difficult job at all, certainly much easier than using a hammer and chisel.

 

[Koeketiene]

Our boat (a Westerly) has a finer on plywood "teak deck". The finer is worn out. Therefore this winter the plywood teak deck will be removed and will be replaced with anti slip paint. All the GRP and paint work will be done by an well known Dutch boat yard.
But to keep the job within my budget I want to remove the plywood teak myself. The plywood teak deck is glued to the GRP. I assume that it has been glued with sikaflex or something comparable.
Has anybody removed a plywood deck that was glued with sikaflex? What is the best way to remove it? Do I need special tools? All advise is welcome.

Gerard Versluis

We faced the same job in 2008.
Hammer and chisel job. Finish with sander.
First idea was to do it myself to keep cost down.
However, progress was painfully slow. And I simply did not have enough time.
Yard finished the job - and it still took them a bloody long time.
Never again.

Other factor to consider: will there be enough residual strength in the deck once you have removed the teak veneer and marine ply?
In our case, the underlying GRP was only 5mm thick. When you walked on deck you could feel/see it flex.

 

[Tradewinds]

We faced the same job in 2008.
Hammer and chisel job. Finish with sander.
First idea was to do it myself to keep cost down.
However, progress was painfully slow. And I simply did not have enough time.
Yard finished the job - and it still took them a bloody long time.
Never again.

When my wife and I removed our teak decks (laid on epoxy but broadly same principle as sika) we used a mallet and chisel. I didn't find it too bad but it was terribly slow, my wife (we had 2 sets of tools) struggled.

I went and bought this electric chisel

http://www.axminster.co.uk/arbortech-pch350-power-chisel

(I tried the cheap Bosch one - that lasted 15 minutes)

It came with a flat 19mm chisel as well as the round wood-carving one in the picture.

Chalk and cheese - I could sit back with a cup of tea whilst my wife beavered away like a mad thing!

Actually I only bought the Arbortech head from Axminster and sourced a cheaper (but compatible) grinder to fit it on.

The Arbortech head lasted the removal of the teak (12m yacht) before wearing out but it was worth every penny.

And no, I/we wouldn't do it again.

But the end result (new teak deck) was worth it.

BTW. We both suffer from pains in our hands now (18 months on) - don't know if it was the electric chisel, the mallet & chisel or it's just plain old age.

Here's a video of the chisel (& my wife) in action

 

[Twister_Ken]

Here's a video of the chisel (& my wife) in action

My word, I'd never allow my wife to star in blue movie.

 

[30boat]

When my wife and I removed our teak decks (laid on epoxy but broadly same principle as sika) we used a mallet and chisel. I didn't find it too bad but it was terribly slow, my wife (we had 2 sets of tools) struggled.

I went and bought this electric chisel

http://www.axminster.co.uk/arbortech-pch350-power-chisel



(I tried the cheap Bosch one - that lasted 15 minutes)

It came with a flat 19mm chisel as well as the round wood-carving one in the picture.

Chalk and cheese - I could sit back with a cup of tea whilst my wife beavered away like a mad thing!

Actually I only bought the Arbortech head from Axminster and sourced a cheaper (but compatible) grinder to fit it on.

The Arbortech head lasted the removal of the teak (12m yacht) before wearing out but it was worth every penny.

And no, I/we wouldn't do it again.

But the end result (new teak deck) was worth it.

BTW. We both suffer from pains in our hands now (18 months on) - don't know if it was the electric chisel, the mallet & chisel or it's just plain old age.

Here's a video of the chisel (& my wife) in action

Whatever you do you keep that wife!!!

 

[Tradewinds]

Whatever you do you keep that wife!!!

40 years next month :encouragement:

 

[charles_reed]

No easy way. Chisel it off and then angle grinder to remove the residue. The top veneers will probably come off quite easily but the bottom one will be well stuck down. You will almost certainly damage the surface underneath and will need to fill and level before refinishing. You might plan to sheath with a glass cloth in epoxy as I expect some of the gel coat will get damaged during removal of the ply.

Agreed - I fear you've chosen the most difficult part of the exercise - as borne out by M Perou and my ghastly experiences.

 

[Tradewinds]

My word, I'd never allow my wife to star in blue movie.

Yeah - I missed the chance of saying that in my post, Damn!!

The blue cover was really strange to work under - the sun looked like it was constantly setting when you looked out through the open ends and some colours inside went dull while others picked up a fluorescence - weird man .