Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Caulk instead of glue
Has anyone tried building a traditional framed boat with torx screws and a good marine grade caulk instead of glue? All else the same but no glue. Dowsil 795 for instance, which is almost like glue but not quite. Because you can get stuff apart when you absolutely need to.
So replacing a bottom or a side panel wouldn't be such a big deal?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sandy Pittendrigh on
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I've been leaning this way for years. The last few boats I've made (not framed) incorporated parts of this idea. I haven't built a boat entirely that way yet. But I've done enough of it to see it would indeed work. The various major boat parts do become easier to remove and replace.
If a guy was planning to build this way from the getgo he or she might want to double the height and thickness of the chine strip, which isn't all that hard--not if you make it a built-up gluelam with 1/4" inch ash or white oak strips. I build all my gunwales that way now. Glued (that part would be glued) together with TightbondIII.
But a gluelam chine strip wouldn't be a requirement. You could, I think, build any framed boat completely as it has always been built. But swap ring shank nails for torx screws. And lots of them. And marine grade caulk for glue.
And then a busted side panel wouldn't be so devilishly hard to replace.
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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Clarke on
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Sort of kind of. My Tatman kit boat went together with SPAX screws and 3M 5200. The 5200 isn't exactly a glue, but it's categorized as a permanent caulk. Considering the way I use the boat, if I had it to do over again, I would use a less aggressive caulk, perhaps something like 3M 4200.
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Interesting. Cool. But 5200 is famous for being so permanent you have to saw through any joint to get it apart.
I bought a case of Dowsil 795. It's a silicone caulk not based on acetic acid. I'm not sure why that would be important other than it does not smell like hardware store silicone. It's considered a good salt water marine caulk.
It grips like a starving monkey. Up to a point. But you can get stuff apart if you really need to. With 3M 5200 I don't think you can ever get parts apart. No matter what.
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I agree that 5200 locks things together. That was my point in mentioning alternative caulks and by "glue" I mistakenly thought you were talking about two-part epoxies or some such. The Dowsil looks like an interesting alternative.
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