Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

There are no specific directions to attach the battens to the plywood frames. Has any one used construction adhesive like PL400 for this? Does it sound like a bad idea?

I see it now - epoxy glue (its always good to read the directions first). Should I spread the glue on both pieces?

I just butter up the glue side of the batten, then clamp it on, then come back and scrape off all the epoxy the squeezed out - use it on the next batten. Normally, I will glue a few at a time, clamp them all, then clean them all up at once. That gives enough leftover to maybe do another one or two battens.

Thanks, keep the clamps on overnight?

Yes, until the resin is cured = overnight.
And don';t use too much pressure, epoxy needs a small gap.

Thanks! I used a couple of brads for the remaining frames instead of clamps and they seem to leave more of a gap. I can't believe how hard the epoxy glue sets up.

I will soon be gluing the frames to the hull. Two screws were driven through the side panels into the framing. As I replace each glued up frame into the hull I am going to need to replace the screws because the pressure from the sides wants to "pop" the frame up from the hull (mostly the bow seat frame). Would it be a good idea to keep the epoxy glue away from the screw locations? I am concerned that I won't be able to remove the screws if the glue gets a hold of them.
Thanks for the help!

epoxy/glass in the frames, then remove the screws. I assume the screws are from the outside of the side panel and into the edge of the frame? Post a picture if you can, makes (good) giving advise easier

http://gallery.bateau2.com/albums/userp ... hoto_9.jpg
Thanks for the quick reply. I am building the boat at a remote location and do not have a good picture of the screws. They are driven from the outside of the side panel into the edge of the frame. This might be a dumb question. It seems possible to get glue on the screws when replacing them (after the frame edge has been buttered up and replaced in the hull). Has anyone ever had difficulty removing screws that might have picked up some glue?
That question aside, this is the most exciting thing I have done in years! It is just about the only thing I think about.
Thanks

If you use cheap phillips head drywall screws and let the epoxy cure too long, sometimes the heads will wring off, or it wallows out. I use small coated deck screws with a square or torx head drive. They have a coating that doesn't stick to epoxy, or the coating sticks and the screw doesn't. Heads don't slip or wring off, screws come out, no matter how long they sit there.

Thanks, I have some torx deck screws. They're long but I won't drive them in all the way.

Also, 'crack' the screws about 6/8 hours later (unscrew 1/16th of a turn and then re-tighten). The epoxy is strong enough to not care at that point, and it won't re-bond to the screw. I 'screwed' this up once and had to heat gun the screw heads to soften the epoxy around them so they wouldn't break. I also follow Larry's idea. Digging drywall screws out becasue they snapped off is no fun!
wade

Thanks for the additional tip. Drywall screws are hardened and prone to snapping under pressure. I am away from the boat during the week and won't be going there this weekend so I'm kind of chomping at the bit. This is my first and I am over the top excited!

I try to loosen "crack" them by hand with a screw driver, then spin them out with drill/driver; cuts down on broken off screw heads.

I use my hammer drill in reverse to back out the cheap drywall screws. Works like a charm.