Gluing in new plywood panels

[Wayfinder44]

Howdy all, after 2 months of prep I am ready to install new 1/4 inch plywood to my cabin top (under the fiberglass skin) I am using marine plywood and sealing it with epoxy to last. I will be gluing the panels in place without fasteners. I am debating using thickened epoxy vs 5200 as the glue. I am concerned that epoxy will not flex as the top gets a lot of foot traffic and may delam in the future. Any advice?


Dylan
YourCompassWithin

YourCompassWithin | Connecting Daily Realities & Lifelong Dreams

[roverhi]

5200 is an adhesive not a glue. If you put enough steady pressure against 5200 adhered parts, they will move against each other or separate. When I remove parts that have been caulked with 5200, use a halyard, wedge or other means to put a steady pull on the part after removing the fasteners. The part will come off after awhile with the steady pressure. If there is a curve to the cabin top that you want the plywood to follow, 5200 may not hold. Epoxy will bond with a strength usually equal to or greater than the material you are gluing together. As long as you have good bonding surface free of grease, wax or other similar contaminants, would doubt that epoxy would fail. If it did fail, would doubt that anything would hold the pieces together.

[Wayfinder44]

Thank you! I had not thought about that! It makes total sense. Epoxy it is!


Dylan
YourCompassWithin

http://www.yourcompasswithin.com

[Boatyarddog]

Only a 1/4"?, pretty lite for a stiffing panel, with much foot traffic, 1/2" would be better, if you have issues with a camber bend, you can laminate two 1/4"panels together, one up first then the other laminated to it.
If you can, glass the panels after installation, use mat, and cloth.
Some of his depends of the deck glass thickness.


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[Boatyarddog]

You don't want flexing, so build it thick.


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