Can I 5200 a Hatch Base On?

[Chotu]

Question. I am installing deck hatches right now. The deck is quite curvy. I need to build a hatch base to make a flat surface to install the hatch.

I have good quality foam for making the base. I’d like to just laminate the base all on my bench, then 5200 it to the deck. Is that asking for trouble? Do I really need to glass this to the deck? In any case, I have to use vinylester. For all lamination.

What do you think about making this part in advance and then 5200 to the deck? Will the 5200 release over time and need “rebedding?” It will be at least an inch wide, probably 2 inches wide. I would cover that whole 2 inch wide area around the hatch with 5200 and stick my prefab hatch base to that.

[Cheechako]

5200 works fine. Done it on hatches and portlites. There's usually a way to get it off, albeit can be tough. Heat helps a lot.
Foam? What kind of foam?
If you can scribe the curve at the boat, then finish at home it will come out nice.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

5200 works fine. Done it on hatches and portlites. There's usually a way to get it off, albeit can be tough. Heat helps a lot.
Foam? What kind of foam?
If you can scribe the curve at the boat, then finish at home it will come out nice.

Ok cool!

I don’t plan on doing this twice, so I won’t be taking it off ever. It’s a permanent deck fixture since it’s made from foam/glass.

So I’ll get the shape right, glass it and 5200 it to the deck.

An awesome way to do it which will save time.

Foam is the same as the rest of the boat. Corecell

[Chotu]

Well I BLEW IT!



Inexperience with routers is the cause. I had a BEAUTIFUL hatch base going. I rounded it with the router to allow glass to lay down nicely on the edges.

Then I got the deck curve scribed onto the edge and sanded it down to match the deck curve.

This made it Square edges again, taking the round over away.

So I routed again to round it back over.

It changed the width because I guess the router wheel was now down into the curve on the other side.

Basically, I just lost half a day, because I’m not a good craftsman. Ugh.

[Tusitala]

I hate it when that happens, but sometimes it seems like the proof of your ability is more in how you fix your mistakes.

It sounds like a good approach to getting your coamings made and attached. One of the boats I built had a similar shape deck, I used wood and bonded it on with epoxy. Since you cant work with epoxy I can't imagine it makes any difference what type of waterproof adhesive you use. As a matter of fact I'd rather disassemble something that's been laminated with epoxy than 5200!

[JPA Cate]

In our experience, 5200 is good for about 20 yrs. In our case, it was deck prisms and a hull to deck join that were done with it. We were able to remove the prisms using a wire to slice through the 5200, and we re-sealed the hull to deck join from the outside, using one of the better caulks.

If you might keep this cat you're putting so much effort into beyond that time, just expect that you might have to re-do the hatches, or glass 'em in/on.

Ann

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Well I BLEW IT!

You didn't 'Blow it"!!!

You have three options:

1) You can hire someone fabricate it.

2) You can learn a trade through schooling and apprenticeship

3) You can try, fail, learn, try again.

The first option might be the fastest to completion, the second option the longest, the third option is the least expensive, yet faster than option #2, and still allows you to walk away with the knowledge and experience.

“Negative results are just what I want. They’re just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don’t.”
- Thomas Edison


“When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this - you haven't.”
- Thomas Edison

"I haven't failed -- I've just found 10,000 that won't work."
- Thomas Edison

[Chotu]

Well, I chose option number three. Second time around it’s a lot easier. Got this done in an hour or so. Including meeting a bunch of different pieces of scrap core together.

Jim, what’s the mode of failure of 5200 after 20 years? Does it start to shrink away? Just lose its bond? Turn to dust? How does it fail?

[Chotu]

This process was a mistake. Glassing these tiny rings is a tedious, time consuming job and I have a lot of hatches to install.

I can see why people use plywood for this.

I have to change gears here.

What would anyone recommend that I can just cut, maybe paint, and stick into place?

Coosa board? I heard it can’t hold a screw would be the drawback, but I suppose with long enough screws, I can get through the coosa and down into the hull not relying on the coosa to hold the hatch.

Any other materials I’m missing?

Always shooting for the simple solution here. The less work the better because I have so much to do.

[Chotu]

Maybe PVC board??

I’m reading on some forums people have used it to mount transducers. (Power boat transducers).

5200 the pvc board to the boat and put the transducer into that.

This is underwater. So should be ok for a hatch base on deck?

[MicHughV]

I've never known 5200 to fail at anything...once on....it stays on...

[Chotu]

Cool! I’m getting PVC board. It’s heavy, but it’s just hatch base trim rings so it’ll be minor extra weight.

What a product for boats!

I’m wondering why we aren’t all using this in place of plywood for these types of applications

[Chotu]

Right at Home Depot:


Product Overview
Hard surface protects against dents and weather damage
Fire-retardant vinyl material protects against rot and termites
Durable vinyl material for exterior or interior use
Model#: H120AWS6
Sku#: 1000052907
Internet#: 205309788
For a quick way to add decorative trim accents to your home's exterior, look no further than this 1/2 in. x 48 in. x 8 ft. White PVC Trim. Made from a fire-retardant vinyl material. Perfect for complementing your home's windows and siding.
Lifetime limited warranty
Will not rot, crack, splinter or split
Resistant to mold and mildew
Impervious to moisture, insect and termite
Does not require painting, accepts paints and stains well
Fire retardant, class A flame spread rated
Lightweight
Outstanding for exterior or interior use
Easy to work with - cuts, nails, screws, glues and routes like wood and better than wood
Rigid, but also flexible to cold or heat bend to a degree
Outstanding screw and nail holding
Solid board, no finger joints

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Chotu,

It wasn't Jim, it was me, Ann. What happened along the hull to deck join was that the edges simply failed, and then the sea water would get in and peel it away in small bits. Along the deck prism rim (which was cast aluminum), I suspect it was the same, but it was the prism leaking that brought out attention to it. We spent about a whole morning trying to prise it up enough (some of the glue was still flexible) to get something useful under it. It took a lot of flat blade screwdrivers.... We did not try to heat the aluminum, for fear of damaging the plastic prism. And, also, we didn't want to just pry on one corner, for fear of breaking the casting. 5200's a great glue/caulk; it just isn't forever, as our experience showed us.

Ann

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Hi, Chotu,

It wasn't Jim, it was me, Ann. What happened along the hull to deck join was that the edges simply failed, and then the sea water would get in and peel it away in small bits. Along the deck prism rim (which was cast aluminum), I suspect it was the same, but it was the prism leaking that brought out attention to it. We spent about a whole morning trying to prise it up enough (some of the glue was still flexible) to get something useful under it. It took a lot of flat blade screwdrivers.... We did not try to heat the aluminum, for fear of damaging the plastic prism. And, also, we didn't want to just pry on one corner, for fear of breaking the casting. 5200's a great glue/caulk; it just isn't forever, as our experience showed us.

Ann

Whoops!

Sorry, Ann. That’s what I get for looking at the forum while working on my phone. Thought it was Jim for some reason.

Thank you for the additional information. I’ll plan to redo this in 20 years.

In this case it’s a plastic trim ring glued to the deck. The actual hatch frame will be screwed into it and sealed with a normal sealant.