3m 5200.. info needed!

I'm glueing up parts for my driftboat using 5200.   The tube says it tacks up in 48 hours.  I applied it Sunday and as of Tuesday night it feels just as soft as the day I glued the pieces up!  Even the remaining glue still in the tube doesn't feel like it's curing.   Should I just be patient?  Is this normal for 5200?

Temperatures in my shop stay between 59-64 degrees.   Humidity is low.

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Permalink Reply by Hal Jaeke on March 7, 2012 at 6:36am

I had the same thing happen to me! I figured it was because I had carried this tube in my repair kit, and it may have gotten cooked or frozen. I'd also be interested in what happened, as this stuff isn't exactly cheap.

Permalink Reply by Michael Rosso on March 7, 2012 at 6:44am

Did it ever set up???   Good grief.  Half the tube is plastered with warnings on how permanent the stuff is, and how the whole tube will set up regardless if the cap is on or not.    I KNEW I should have used epoxy..  >:()

Permalink Reply by Hal Jaeke on March 7, 2012 at 7:05am

It never did set up. I scraped it off and mixed up some Maas epoxy like I always have.

Permalink Reply by Michael Rosso on March 7, 2012 at 7:23am

When you say 'never', how long did you give it?   I've been doing some searching on the internet and it could take as long as 14 days to set properly.  I suppose I'll give it a little longer since I don't feel like pulling apart ALL my frames if I don't have to.

Thanks for your input.

Permalink Reply by Hal Jaeke on March 7, 2012 at 8:52am

It doesn't sound like I gave it enough time to set up......now I know! Thanks Randy!

Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on March 7, 2012 at 7:47am

3M 5200 is a flexible adhesive.  It will never cure to be hard. It does take a week to completely cure.

Remember that 5200 is a bedding compound made to join dissimilar materials in a screw on or bolt on joint.  We use it to bed the boat bottom to the frames and the chine batten to the boat chine.  Proper use is to screw or bolt the part leaving a 1/16 inch of filled space between the part and the attachment material.  Other common uses for boats are through hull hardware, shaft seals, railing hardware and other deck hardware. As these parts expand and contract at different rates the 5200 moves with it rather than fracture.  And yes, what ever you put it on it stays on.  The key to getting it to work as designed is to not over tighten fasteners.

If you are using 5200 as an adhesive to put together parts meant to be rigid I suggest you use epoxy with filler.  Purchased pre-mixed it is West Systems six-ten or Systems Three gel magic.

Permalink Reply by Michael Rosso on March 7, 2012 at 9:16am

Randy,

When using West Systems 6-10, should I first coat the surfaces to be joined with un-thickened epoxy?  I've read this helps prevent glue-starved joints.

Thanks

Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on March 7, 2012 at 8:33pm

Yes, that is the best approach.  Soak coat the joint with regular epoxy and then add a little bit of thickener on top of the soak coat. 

Permalink Reply by Kevin C. on March 7, 2012 at 9:00am

Randy's got it...sounds like you're trying to use 5200 for an application it's not designed for.Attaching side frames to bottom frames is an epoxy application.Same goes for bowstem and side panel connections or transom to side panels.Epoxy bonds the joint together and fasteners merely keep it in place for full set up.5200 is a permanent "caulking" to seal joints that will be in contact with water such as chine logs to side panels or frames to floor ply.Life Caulk is less permanent and is used in places like the chine cap or places where you want a watertight seal but the ability to be able to remove a sacrificial piece to replace if damaged.Different builders will argue where it is best used but common sense(as usual) will tell you the right application for your build.  

Permalink Reply by Michael Rosso on March 7, 2012 at 9:13am

Thanks for the information, Kevin, Randy.  Even though it's not what I wanted to hear it's good to know now since I can still dissasemble the frames, clean them up, and use epoxy.

One step forward, two steps back!  :)  I'll just put some good music on tonight and get to it.

Thanks again, guys.

Permalink Reply by lhedrick on March 7, 2012 at 10:03am

3M 5200 is amazing stuff.

It will take may days to cure in a cold shop.  Moisture will increase the cure rate.  I have had it cure in 2 days in summer covered with plastic and a moist sponge next to the joint.

As others have said.  Whatevery you glue with this stuff, make the assumption you will never get it appart.

3M is one of Americas great companies you can count on their products delivering the performance they promise.

Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on March 7, 2012 at 4:24pm

This was a timely thread for me.  I was beginning to consider 3M 5200 for this very same application.  But I'm sorry to learn that it didn't work out for you.  That's a lot of extra work; but now's the time to correct the situation if you have to.  Good luck!

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