5200???

[Dave Fleming]

I was given some hatches and deck boxes from a mid 1980's feeberglaz motor cruiser being broken up due to fire damage. The SS hardware I was interested in had been bedded in, so I was told, 3M's 5200.
The SS hardware had been installed at the time of purchase in the period mentioned above.

The SS hardware had been morticed into pockets to seat flush.

When I removed the SS pieces the 'white vinegar smelling stuff' was still soft and pliable. It gave me no problem in removal. The SS pieces came right out of the mortices with no appreciable effort at all and the 'white vinegar smelling stuff' peeled right off the back side of the SS pieces!

I have NO previous experience with 5200 or its ilk.

Is this the way it is supposed to be after close on 20 years in use.

The hardware was attached to parts of the motor cruiser that had NOT been affected by the fire.
No bubbles nor scorching of the paint or feeberglaz beneath.

Any thoughts????

[Ron Williamson]

The only stuff that I know of with the vinegar smell is silicone,which will set up all the way down to the bottom of an open tube.
It's hard to imagine it not set up after such a long time.
R

[gary porter]

Dave, I'm guessing that what it was was not 5200. I've used it a bit and it always sets up pretty tough especially in the presence of water. I usually mist it in the shop to get it to set quicker but have had tubes go hard after being opened for a year or so. It is somewhat flexible but I wouldn't call it pliable just tough. I also have never smelled what you call a vinegar smell from it. What you have there sounds more like a silicone caulk or something. Just guessing you know.
Gary

[JimConlin]

The only goo i've encountered that was gooey for many years was some thiokol stuff used for hardware on some Pearson boats in the sixties. In my experience, 5200 does not stay gooey but holds like sin.

[ 08-03-2004, 03:19 PM: Message edited by: JimConlin ]

[W. Anchor]

Did someone call me?

Actually that doesn't sound right for 5200.

I had a 20 finkeeler whose 850# keel I removed. After removing all the bolts the thing was still suspended by the goop and I had to drive sequential wedges between the flange and the keelson (?...the metal bit and the fiberglass bit) and had to literally drive the thing down with them and a mini-sledge/drilling hammer. I am convinced that the bolts were unnecessary and that the goop would have held all for years.

[Ken Hutchins]

Ditto, silicone, not 5200.

[NormMessinger]

When I was considering the attachment of the mild steel bars, 435 lbs each, which form the ballast for Prairie Islander there was discussion about what metal to use in the fasteners. The marine engineer I put my trust in told me the 5200 would hold the bars on even if the bolts disintrigated. The question then became how to get them off if ever that became necessary. Some said it would be impossible while John said heat would cause the stuff to relax and let go. Now the question to be answered long after I die will be how to heat all that iron. It may be easier to remove the boat from the ballast rather than the ballast from the boat, eh.

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

3M 5200 is forever. :D

[Dave Fleming]

The Consensus Opinion is:

The white vinegar smelling material is Silicone?

Would not Silicone have set up harder than what I experienced in that length of time? The material just peeled off and I rolled it into a ball much like Playdough. It was stretchy but did not break apart until I was a bit aggressive in the stretching.

People, I am in over my head with this stuff.
Remember I am of the Dolfinite, Pine Tar generation. Ahem.

Jes' trying to learn something new.

[Ken Hutchins]

My guess the silicone was contaminated with something, perhaps somesort of oil.
Now, you are tying to sound younger again talking about Dolfinite, a while back you mentioned Kuhls seamlast, now that is really old. :D