UHMW poly and epoxy

[hooter]

Do epoxy and fiberglass stick to UHMW poly? Was thinking about the poly for skeg substrate on the fs18 to protect against the oysters. Dumb idea??

hOOter

[chrisobee]

You could screw it on and bed in 4200. Just over drill the spots for the screws and fill wtih expoy and wood filler.

[stickystuff]

Go on line to Crown Plastics. they have a poly with a sticky back that they sell to airboaters.. Often thought how it would work on the GF series. How it would stick to an finished epoxy bottom? I just don't know. Maybe I will try it someday. We use a poly at work with a peel and stick bottom. thickness is around 3/32. thats just narrower than 1/8 " for you einsteins out their.Has an excellent adhesive. what we use is16" wide. May try apiece on bottom of my alum. boat and see how it holds up. Ought to be an excellent barrier coat.

[TomW]

Ken I buy a 2" wide strip for making jigs in the wood shop that has a self adhering mastic. Once down it doesn't come off. If I had to guess the best mastic would be 3M's 90 permanent spray mastic after roughing up the UHMC. The other would be 5200 again after roughing up the UHMC. I would definately not use 4200. Also a contact cement for countertops would probably work well again after roughing up the UHMC.

Tom

[hooter]

The FS18 calls for a 3/4" X 3/4" skeg 96" long. Others have used wood core with fiberglass overlay prior to priming.

My thought is this...shallow water, oysters, and my inability to appropriately navigate will inevitably lead to scuffing the deepest part of the hull. This will possibly lead to tears in the paint and possibly through the fiberglass and epoxy to that wood core. Wood rot of that skeg core concerns me.

I was thinking of using the UHMW as the core and then wrapping with fiberglass/epoxy and then priming, paining etc...

Just didn't want to go to the hassle of redoing it if I was headed down a bad road.

Appreciate any input

hOOter

[yrdog]

I was thinking of using the UHMW as the core and then wrapping with fiberglass/epoxy and then priming, paining etc...

hOOter

Hi Hooter, I work next door to a (the?) UHMW plastics factory here in Tacoma WA. In talking with the guys from that factory I don't think it would be a good idea to try to laminate the stuff, mechanical fixturing is the safest way to go. It is like solid grease.

The only way I would use it--as I can get it fairly cheap I am probably going to use it on my build--is to pre drill, counter bore and set bolts in a laminated piece of wood. Glue and laminate the wood to the boat then bolt the UHMW to the wood with counter bored holes for the nuts. I would also use stainless bolts, nuts and washers.

That's my two cents worth.

Yrdog

[Copro]

I think it is a good idea for us to find a plastic or rubber for strakes and keels. That wood versions are a PITA to maintain. For UHMW epoxy is not an option. I know 3m VHB tape does not stick to UHMX very well, even after roughing it up. They do however have a version made for UHMW plastics, but I have not tried it. This would be interesting to try (as would 5200). Mechnical fasteners are another option and the Tolman Skiff book suggest it for there boats. I have also thought of looking for a hard rubber material similar to the "keel gaurd" products which are held on by 3m VHB tape. I am simply getting tired of repairing my strakes and chine rails. In my opinion we need to get rid of all the exposed wood in these boats. It's just too fragile and takes a lot of upkeep.

Jody

[jacquesmm]

Joel tested several type of UHMW plastics with epoxy and the results are far from perfect.
Used as a skeg, it would peel off the hull.
On those boats, the skeg is sacrificial and should be installed after complete outside fiberglassing.
If you want to use UHMW plastic or a metallic strip, screw it down on the skeg.
That's not too difficult to replace.

[shine]

If you wanted, you could make them from epoxy/glass in a mold. You would pull them from the mold while the epoxy is still flexible (with 12 hours would be best) and they will bend around the curves of the hull. Then go over it with one layer of Biax tape, so very little fairing.

[1barracuda]

Fyi,

uhmw works good on wood boats, i used it on the bottom om my wood drift boat, however it is sensitive to temperature changes.

i drilled the holes in the uhmw a little oversized and counter sunk them.

i used 5200 on the SS screws to seal them in the wood.
not sure how uhmw would bond to fiberglass,
it's pretty slippery, probably like peel ply.