3M 5200 and gluing the loose plastic to foam on the 170

Sep 5, 2018
214
Hunter 170 Northfield, NJ
I tried pumping the 5200 into holes in the plastic to glue it back to the foam.
My concern was the 5200 was too viscus to get a lot of area. I was right. Trying to inject it in holes was tough and the low quality caulking gun I was using could not take the pressure. I had holes drilled around the injection point and found I could not work the glue very far. So to use the 5200 I felt I would have to drill too many holes.
The gorilla glue can move much further. I was using a blank caulk tube with the Gorilla glue and think I was able to inject to much glue around. My test holes got glue coming out from further away.
I made up an MDF board and put some wax paper down then place over 100lbs in dumb bells on the wood. I will see what I got tonight.

As a little aside. I am have been searching the web for pictures of 170's just to see how people have set them up. There is a 170 on eBay currently with one heck of a hull crack and I think it is a 2004 hull. I am curious if that is considered a repairable hull. No, I have no interest in it, I am just curious. If you live in MI it might be a deal since it has some new sails that go with it and all the rigging.
 
Sep 5, 2018
214
Hunter 170 Northfield, NJ
Yikes, I put too much in and when I put the weights on a bunch of the gorilla glue squished out. I guess I will be doing some scraping and sanding.
 
Apr 16, 2017
841
Federation NCC-1701 Riverside
If you live in MI it might be a deal since it has some new sails that go with it and all the rigging.
It a terrible deal anywhere on the planet. Throw away everything with a hunter logo on it, then sell the extras to SBO.
New owner is left with a decent trailer, seat cushions, mast and rigging and that cuddy cabin net. Hardware might be ok.

How does that crack go from the hull across the rub rail to the top?

The $300 paperwork fee is criminal.
 
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Apr 16, 2017
841
Federation NCC-1701 Riverside
Im not sold that stuffing glue under the skin is a good solution so its fascinating to read your experience with that repair.

It seems to me the issue is collapsed/compressed/dissolved foam.

How about shooting more foam in and letting it expand and fill voids?
 
Sep 5, 2018
214
Hunter 170 Northfield, NJ
I believe it is not collapsed foam. My experience from sheet metal work and knowing the plastic can shrink over time I believe the problem is shrinking plastic.
The bump up in the middle is a curved section that holds a shape. The problem appears to be more like that curve up (really a complex compound curve) shrunk a bit pulling in 2 directions. It pulled a bit across the floor and it pulled up at that edge. When I take a flat edge I find the floor is basically flat until you approach closer to the central bump and it angles up. That is where the extra space is. Part of my findings are based on test drilling and probing. I found the foam underneath to be intact and flat. My initial thought was the foam had broken underneath.
The Gorilla glue in my test sticks ok to the smooth plastic and it expands to fill the void. The expanded glue foam is very stiff. The Gorilla glue flows enough that you can inject it well and then I work the plastic to move it further away from the injection site. The big issue I have is the glue needs moisture to work best and of course the amount of moisture in the air around me has dropped in the last few weeks and now it is not setting up as fast.

Though out this repair I keep reminding my self I am not really doing any structural repairs. I keep thinking all sorts of stuff, but based on what I have read and what I see the boat would be fine to sail even if I did nothing. Of course with exception to the fact the wood in places would be exposed to moisture and eventually fail. If anything I do does not quite work it is mostly just some sanding and regrinding away from another fix.
 
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Apr 16, 2017
841
Federation NCC-1701 Riverside
I keep thinking all sorts of stuff, but based on what I have read and what I see the boat would be fine to sail even if I did nothing.
Be sure to get out this spring! There a bunch of used 170 hulls out there on the cheap if this one doesnt last.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
There are many issues. I explained to Hunter to drill less holes and inserting gorilla glue thru the holes and use an air hose (low pressure) to spread out the glue underneath. Since I was not there, my approach was to immediately weight down the floor with boards and weights leaving the holes open in view and cleaning the glue excess quickly. It worked with excellent results. 5200, 4200 and other glues are not recommended. I repaired many of these boats
 
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Sep 5, 2018
214
Hunter 170 Northfield, NJ
I used the blank caulk tube I bought. That let me inject into the area very easily. That was part of the problem as it allowed me to put a lot into the holes. My problem was doing it in limited time after I got home from work. I needed to close up and do other things. I put the weights on and left. I need to push down and make sure I clean up the mess before I set up for the night. I am going to wait a day or two and assess how far the glue flowed to know how far I should be drilling the holes.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
I use to pour from the bottle using a throw oil filler as you may have over filled. Talked with Hunter warranty on what I learned and they started putting less in using air hose to spread the glue in holes spread further apart.. Keep us posted. I am here to help if you want my help