adhesives

[82rude]

Been thinking about this for a little while and really don't know the answer.Lets say your putting on a new fishfinder on your aluminum boat.Is there an adhesive that you can use to fasten the transducer to the hull?I mean ,heck they can glue cars together and plane skins so why not transducers and trim tabs maybe?

 

[gm280]

Seems you could always polyester glue a piece of most any type material on the hull and then screw the transducer on to that. And then there would be no holes in the transom. I'm assuming that is what you're trying to avoid...

 

[Chris1956]

Well, they used epoxy to hold large pieces of masonry in the ceiling of the "big dig" tunnel in Boston. Several years after opening, the epoxy failed and several people were killed by falling rocks........

Use a real fastener. Glue can fail.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Bolts, nuts, screws, pop rivets.... All sealed with 5200....

 

[82rude]

My transducer is screwed on but that does not alter the fact the many cars and trucks use adhesives and from some of the shows ive seen the glue is stronger than the metal.Chris1956 your example is a bit extreme but I get the point your trying to make .If I remember correctly it wasn't the epoxy that failed but the improper application of said epoxy.It wasn't done correctly .Any ways I was just curious as ive seen adhesives used in some pretty wild applications the the average person wouldn't even think of.

 

[GA_Boater]

It may be hard to find the industrial adhesives used to glue planes, trains and automobiles together in the small quantities you need. Also, the stuff could be pretty expensive.

 

[82rude]

It may be hard to find the industrial adhesives used to glue planes, trains and automobiles together in the small quantities you need. Also, the stuff could be pretty expensive.

That was my thought exactly!Im more than willing to be the test subject as I have a few fishfinders and transducers so the loss of one or 2 would be no big deal atall if it came to that.Do you know what they use or any brand names I could check out?Wouldnt hurt to ask some company about my little plan ,at least if they shot it down id know exactly why and satisfy my stupid curiosity.It all started with the fork and the elect receptacle and though im 57 its not stopping anytime soon,lol.

 

[jbcurt00]

google

aluminum auto body panel adhesive

there's a few that aren't $50+/tube before shipping

 

[64osby]

3M 5200 / 4200 or Marine Goop would be my first choices. Lexal would be next in line.

Something else to consider would be no holes down low.

 

[GA_Boater]

Stop by a Ford dealer and chat with someone in the body shop. The new AL F-150s are mostly glued together.

 

[ondarvr]

I sell stuff that will bond an aluminum braket to the hull and it will hold up about as good as a weld. The problem is the cost is pretty high for the small cartridges, and the calking type gun used is pricy too. Also geting it off is tough.

 

[oldboat1]

Similar to what 64osby has going, there are commercial clamp on mounts for transducers. Work well -- use them when on fishing trips, using boats that come with the cottage (use it with a portable fish finder). But I've invented a number of them. Not quite your question, but might be relevant if mounting a transducer on a small boat.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Google "Sternmate"...

 

[MTboatguy]

I just bought the manufactures kit and mounted mine to my trolling motor, works great and does not stay out in the weather all winter.

 

[Watermann]

For proper adhesion of anything there has to be surface area and the adhesive has to be able to work with dissimilar materials and then there's the issue of the surface being sealed by paints.

The things you mentioned being glued together don't have the relentless force and friction of water working against them.

Transducer bracket, it doesn't have hardly any surface area where it mounts to the transom.
Trim tabs, small mounting surfaces to the transom when compared to the amount of force applied to the tabs surface area by the water.

I get the fear and loathing of hole punching in the transom. When you put it in perspective though, a couple 3/16" holes to mount a transducer or speedo pitot is nothing. Look around at the transom, there's 1/2" OB mounting holes bored through, the 1" splashwell drain tube holes, the clamshell passthroughs the scores of rivet heads for the interior brackets and if you have an IO, whoa now there's a big ole hole. So all of these holes are done right and sealed so there isn't a problem.

 

[Scott Danforth]

You could adhere a large panel of aluminum to your hull with 3M VHB tape. It is used to glue semi cab panels. However only has 25 psi tensile strength. Many adhesives have up to 2500psi tensile strength, this is a pure tension rating. However with your transducer, you have a prying motion of water trying to remove your transducer. The small area of the transducer bracket really precludes adhesives and lends itself to bolts with a sealant

 

[82rude]

Lots of good answers guys.One thought I had was if you succeeded in adhering tabs or a transducer and you wished to remove them maybe that would be a pita.

 

[no704]

I might try automotive windshield urethane. With primer it has like1200 lb/si tensile holding I've used it to make motor mounts and suspension bushings.

 

[bassman284]

I have a marine grade polyester transducer mounting plate on my boat. They sell them here at iboats. They come with 2 screws to attach them to your boat, but mine was attached with adhesive, probably 3M 5200, so no holes in the boat. Mine has held up for 14 years so far.

 

[H20Rat]

First get yourself a transducer mounting plate, you can probably get them here... They are 12" long pieces of thick plastic. Then get some 80 grit sandpaper and rough up the area where you are going to be mounting on your boat. Use some 5200, and that plate isn't coming off without chunks of metal attached to it!

At that point, you are free to mount/remount whatever transducer you want, using small screws.