Fiberglass Help

[Ed Donnelly]

Lenny, MadPoodle, Anyone.
Thought I would clean up the teak borders on my access hatch to the bow. When I took all the screws out, the 2 sections fell apart. What ever was supposed to keep them together(resin?) feels like dried up foam rubber. On either side of this panel, the forward tub, appears to have delaminated too.I can grind down the pieces shown, and seal together with resin, but, what do I do with the front section of the tub??....Ed

[MOP]

Teak does not hold resin very well, your best bet is 5200. A little minor prep it holds like iron, clean the edges to be glued with acetone do it about two or three times to draw the oil out of the wood. Use masking tape on the very edge of the parts to be joined, this will keep it off the finished surface. Go easy when applying the 5200 to the seams to be joined and clamp over night, the next day starting at one end of the masking tape start pulling it up following it with a fairly sharp knife, go slow so you don't knick the wood. The lightness at the edge of the wood from the acetone will disappear when oiled.

Phil

[Ed Donnelly]

MadPoodle; Yes 2 pieces of glass . The outer pice has gelcoat, and the inner piece is straight glass. The screws holding the teak on were also holding the 2 pieces of glass together.So, if I get a foot long scringe and inject resin between the 2 sections in the tub, then hold them in place with 1" aluminum strips?...Ed

[Ed Donnelly]

MadPoodle, Mop, Thanks for the help. Looking forward to getting high on fumes today...Ed

[Lenny]

Ed, sorry I don't exactly understand what we are looking at here. I have only been in TWO Criterions and I wasn't paying attention. ;) Anyways, from a wood stand-point, the ONLY way to ensure a good bond with Teak is Epoxy. Also, freshen up the edges or glue surface of the wood if you can and then, within a few minutes, apply the bonding agent, so as to get it in there before the natural oils wick down the open grain of the Teak again. Polyester Resin doesn't hang onto Teak very well and white Cabinetmakers glue is about the worst.

[Ed Donnelly]

Had a friend visit me on the weekend who is a fiberglass man.
He took one look, and knew what was going on. The two pieces of glass were held together with the screws holding the teak trim.They then drilled a hole in the back piece of fiberglass and injected expanding foam between the two pieces. He figures they did it for sound deadening reasons...Ed