gorilla glue foam blocks?

B

benfish

New Member
I have a lose foam block on my stern starboard side. I am thinking of re gluing it with gorilla glue.
The fish is 40+ years old. Two part expanding foam is a bit $$$. I have some Gorilla glue on hand.
I have an inspection port center aft from the rudder refit . Spread it thick with a stick and strap clamp with pressure blocks.
Any thoughts?
 
I've never liked Gorilla Glue, personally. I know others have suggested (and/or tried) using Great Stuff expanding foam (or similar) than you can buy at Lowe's/Home Depot/etc. - but I'm pretty sure that type of expanding foam will absorb water.

also, I'm not sure how well a glue will work - my loose blocks had quite a gap between the fiberglass hull and the foam blocks... but then again, I had previously ripped out some of the old, saturated expanding foam the builder had used.

you might look at US Composites - they had the best prices for the 2-part expanding foam, but it's still not cheap. I used the 4-lb version, and the smallest kit is plenty for a normal repair.

cheers,
thad
 
I never liked it ether but have had a change of heart over the past few years. Three years ago I used it to laminate a ash tiller for my other boat. The boat sits out on the lake all summer long, The tiller is still as solid as the day I made it. I have also used it on other projects with good results.
It works only if you have a tight fit. My foam still has tight spots and some not so tight, I'm thinking it will fill the voids and hold on the tight spots.
 
I would not use a polyurethane glue for this fix as it is not the recommended fix for loose foam blocks. This fix requires 4 lbs, 2 part expanding flotation urethane foam to maintain the structural integrity of the hull. Fix it once and fix it right as this is a safety issue also. I just finished doing a loose flotation foam job on someones Sunfish that had the wrong glue holding not holding the blocks, 12 hours later the job was redone correctly. I even had to return the initial foam as the local supplier gave me 2 lbs density instead of the proper 4 lbs. I have to ask myself would I want to send anyone out in a boat that is not fixed correctly or would I like to buy a boat that was not fixed correctly because of $$$. I have fixed enough boats that were fixed incorrectly out of ignorance but this site is here to enlighten the Sunfish owners on the correct way to maintain a sunfish so it will last and be safe for years of enjoyment. The yahoo sunfish group has a great article with pictures of this fix. I encourage you to do the correct fix as your Sunfish will give you many more years of enjoyment if maintained correctly and the money you spend will only ad to the value of your boat. Welcome to the forum benfish.
><> Minas man <><
http://www.uscomposites.com/foam.html


4 LB Density Urethane Foam

Common Applications: This 4LB density foam is suited well for most flotation applications that require more support than the 2LB offers. This foam is recommended to be used when supporting gas tanks and some deck areas. Choose this density if you feel that the foam will be required to withstand minor to moderate loads. The 4LB density also works well in floating decoy or taxidermy applications as well as many other sculpting, casting, carving and other filling applications. More questions? [Try our Foam FAQ.]

Cat No. Kit Size(net weight) Approx. Coverage Price
FOAM-0404 4 LB Kit 1 Cubic Foot $21.50
FOAM-0416 16 LB Kit 4 Cubic Feet $65.00
FOAM-0480 80 LB Kit 20 Cubic Feet $256.00
5 or more kits of the FOAM-0480 $244.00 / Kit

Product Information:
Free Rise Density: 4.0 lbs per cubic ft.
Expansion Rate: Approx. 15x Liquid Volume
Buoyancy (flotation): 58 LBs per Cubic Ft.

*Physical Properties:
Parallel Compressive Strength: 90 psi
Tensile Strength: 110 psi
Shear Strength: 70 psi
Flexural Strength: 120 psi
 
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