Is there a way to glue Starboard?

[BobHorn]

Planning on making a battery tray out of Starboard. Made on previously but can't remember if I glued it or used angle brackets.

[massnspace]

No way to glue it….and I have worked with it a lot….

[AKA-None]

Requires mechanical fasteners

[SailingHarmonie]

Not true... THERE is glue that works on Starboard, but it is NOT easy to use.

https://www.kingplastic.com/using-ad...g-starboard-2/

It is not supported by the makes of Starboard, but only the glue maker. So up to you if you want to give it a go. If you can EXACTLY follow directions, it DOES work very well.

[deltaten]

I have glued HDPE/ milk jug plastic together using West G-flex. Same directions as King product in above post.
I fashioned cabin doors to replace drop boards, using 1/2" cedar.brown sheet. Near to 10 yrs, exposed 24/7/365 on the far North Chessie. No split, cra ked or delamed joints.
HTH

[CrispyCringle]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

Not true... THERE is glue that works on Starboard, but it is NOT easy to use.

https://www.kingplastic.com/using-ad...g-starboard-2/

It is not supported by the makes of Starboard, but only the glue maker. So up to you if you want to give it a go. If you can EXACTLY follow directions, it DOES work very well.

My first thought was it cant be glued. Something about that type of plastic. I read that procedure in the link. Im curious what the flame treatment does and why it fades over time, prior to glueing, even long after the plastic is cooled.

Regardless, I would assemble with screws.

[boatpoker]

I don't know how starboard stands up to sulfuric acid but a "fastened box" will almost certainly not contain it.

ABYC ...

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

I don't know how starboard stands up to sulfuric acid but a "fastened box" will almost certainly not contain it.

ABYC ...

You should know that Star Board is polyethylene and could be soaked in sulfuric acid. That is what they make molded battery boxes from.


You could either weld the seams. Sealing with silicone should also work, with flame treatment. There should be no movement.


Yes, you can potentially glue, but how is the glue with acid, particularly over time (the box will be continuously exposed to acid fume, and the fumes settle)? I would use fasteners. Actually, I would build the box from fiberglass. Easier and well proven. Build a light plywood box, filet the inside corners, then epoxy coat the outside, lay two layers of finish cloth on the inside, sand smooth, and then a veil coat of neat epoxy on the inside to fill any pores. More design flexibility than starboard and lighter (Starboard is weak and will creep/crack unless thick).

[deblen]

Floating salmon grow-out pens are built locally from HDPE pipe & sheet stock.They are welded by grinding a rough area on both parts & fillet welded using a hot air welding gun fed with HDPE coiled rod.
A blow torch will make the rough spots or any scuffed or scratched areas smooth & shiny like new again.
This is a very simple process if you have the proper "plastic welding gun & "rod" made of same material.
You can do a respectable rough approximation with cheaper gun & filler rod stock from Amazon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYYORrm2L2c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6KKzbRImCI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y-vVR5eOe0

[s/v Jedi]

Just make a box from plywood, use a router with roundover bit along all the edges, wrap in packing tape, then cover with a couple layers of fiberglass and after cure rip the plywood out.

[GordMay]

To flame treat a plastic [HDPE etc] surface, hold a propane [or butane, M.A.A.P, or natural gas] torch [1] so the flame tip touches the surface, and move it across the surface, at a rate of 12 to 16 inches per second. Keep the torch moving, and overlap the previous pass slightly. Make two or three passes, over the bonding area, with the flame, for a total of one second of exposure.
When done correctly, the surface will not discolor or burn. This technique oxidizes the surface [2], improving adhesion without a visible change in the surface. For the best adhesion, apply the adhesive to the surface within 30 minutes of the flame treatment. The surface oxidation, from the flame treatment does, dissipate over time.

[1] The flame treatment needs to be done with a flame; a heat gun will not work.
[2] Oxidizing the plastic surface, with a flame, changes the surface, from a low-energy surface, to a high-energy surface.

[AKA-None]

Well now Gord that’s some cool info
Never heard of it but I think I’ll try it

[qwert]

Originally Posted by GordMay

To flame treat a plastic [HDPE etc] surface, hold a propane [or butane, M.A.A.P, or natural gas] torch [1] so the flame tip touches the surface, and move it across the surface, at a rate of 12 to 16 inches per second. Keep the torch moving, and overlap the previous pass slightly. Make two or three passes, over the bonding area, with the flame, for a total of one second of exposure.
When done correctly, the surface will not discolor or burn. This technique oxidizes the surface [2], improving adhesion without a visible change in the surface. For the best adhesion, apply the adhesive to the surface within 30 minutes of the flame treatment. The surface oxidation, from the flame treatment does, dissipate over time.

[1] The flame treatment needs to be done with a flame; a heat gun will not work.
[2] Oxidizing the plastic surface, with a flame, changes the surface, from a low-energy surface, to a high-energy surface.

You need to be very clear that the above flame oxidising method is for glueing of which I have no experience. I have done quite a lot of HDPE fillet welding. One of the most important things in the welding process is that you have to weld UNOXIDISED surfaces. That is why the grinding of the surfaces in the previous post about salmon pens takes place. They are grinding the oxidised surface off. It has to be done gently and quickly so as not to heat the surface which will reoxidise it. I usually use a hand held wire brush to keep it cool. The resultant weld if properly done is very strong indeed.


If you are doing a box structure you have to think about your plan of attack. Its very hard to fillet weld the inside corner where three flat faces come together. Best done from outside.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Just make a box from plywood, use a router with roundover bit along all the edges, wrap in packing tape, then cover with a couple layers of fiberglass and after cure rip the plywood out.

I agree, but I would use a lot more than a couple of layers of glass, I would want something that has more structural integrity and a lot less flex.

In any case, using a product like Starboard, that at its core is unsuitable, and going thru a lot of machinations with torches and plastic welding or sealants and fasteners for something that's so simple is ridiculous.
Jeepers, just get a pre-made molded box or build something that doesn't require a bunch of technology.
If you need something custom then plywood and fiberglass/epoxy is so easy.

[Bowdrie]

In addition;
If you're going to use FLA batteries do not make a box that the batteries just barely fit in.
At some point you, (or the next owner,) will spill water and there'll be no way to remove it without removing a battery.
You make the box large enough so that you can insert some kind of spacer(s) made out of whatever.
Then, to remove spilled water you just lift out the spacer(s) and stick your rubber squeeze bulb down into the box to suck the water out.
Some paper towels on a stick will get out the rest.
Or, build/mold in a drain that you can use a catch pan with.
Such schemes as I've proposed also make cleaning the tops of the batteries a lot easier.