glue or epoxy? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 06-19-2019, 11:54 PM   #1
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Name: Mark
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glue or epoxy?

I would like to add some 1x1 or 2x2 pieces or wood to the inside ceiling of my fiberglass campster the idea is to install some runway lighting like they used to install in the old conversion vans into the ceiling of my camper. they are very light weight and small. Any ideas will be welcomed.
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Old 06-20-2019, 05:44 AM   #2
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You could use epoxy or an elastomeric adhesive such as 3M5200. It has to withstand the temperatures the roof will experience. I used 3m5200 for my ceiling fixtures. I also used screws to hold the wood in place while the adhesive cured, which can take 7 days. I was able to use screws because my Lil Hauley is doubled hulled. I glued wood strips to the ceiling and needed some time to correctly position them, 5 minute epoxy would have been set up before I was finished so I used the 3M5200. For small wood blocks I would use 5 minute epoxy and hold them in place with an appropriate length stick until bonded.
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Old 06-20-2019, 11:47 AM   #3
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GE Iron Grip silicone adhesive will work very well. Just use some masking tape to hold it for 30 to 60 minutes and it will be there tell the cows come home.
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Old 06-20-2019, 04:34 PM   #4
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thanks

I also needed this information. Thanks for the great replys!
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Old 06-21-2019, 06:43 PM   #5
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All good choices. You might also consider Gorilla Glue; although that has the disadvantage of foaming up as it cures, and leaving a knurdle of foam that has to be razored off. But it, like 5200, is elastomeric, has enough "give" to withstand vibration; and is temperature-tolerant.
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Old 07-03-2019, 07:38 PM   #6
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Velcro

I have a Scamp trailer and it has rat fur on the interior. I strung small lights along ceiling seams with 1" strips of the hook size of Velcro. Maybe this will work for you.
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Old 07-03-2019, 08:08 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Captleemo View Post
GE Iron Grip silicone adhesive will work very well. Just use some masking tape to hold it for 30 to 60 minutes and it will be there tell the cows come home.
Around here the cows come home every evening....
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Old 07-04-2019, 12:55 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AstroMark View Post
I would like to add some 1x1 or 2x2 pieces or wood to the inside ceiling of my fiberglass campster the idea is to install some runway lighting like they used to install in the old conversion vans into the ceiling of my camper. they are very light weight and small. Any ideas will be welcomed.
I have no idea what the old "runway" lighting looks like. But I do know how to get wood to stick to fiberglass. But it is not clear if you want to stick them to the original indoor outdoor carpet or to the fiberglass.

The carpet is stuck to the ceiling with regular yellow contact cement, same formula is still being sold that they used back when the Campster was new. That means you can glue some thin wood blocks to surface of the carpet with the same contact cement. You can get that glue in small bottles and cans at any hardware store. Just follow the directions on the product. Let it cure for a day before putting the lights on.
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Old 07-21-2019, 02:18 PM   #9
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Will the fiberglass epoxy be strong?
I plan to make a wooden beam to support the ceiling, glue it to the ceiling (double walled roof/ceiling) and let that maintain the curved shape since it is sunken roof now. Then it needs to hold the roof AC unit.
Is the epoxy strong enough to stick to the gel coated interior fiberglass and hold all these forces?
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Old 07-21-2019, 02:57 PM   #10
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If the gelcoated surface is properly prepared - lightly sanded, then wiped down with acetone or similar solvent - the epoxy should stick to it well enough that any failure will be within the laminate, not in the bond line.
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Old 07-21-2019, 05:20 PM   #11
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My preference would be silicone. Strong and flexible so the frame movement wont break the bond or damage the fiberglass. It has the added bonus or being easily removable if you can still slide and exacto blade under it.
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Old 07-21-2019, 10:26 PM   #12
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The problem with silicone is that it can't be painted, unless you get the special, hard to find, paintable style. Conventional silicone does not accept paint.

Second, once you've used silicone, nothing else will ever stick there unless you use silicone again. The only way to fix that is to grind down into the fiberglass to remove any residue, before trying to use something else.

3M 5200 is designed to adhere to fiberglass, is flexible enough and is paintable. The bond is generally stronger than the fiberglass. Epoxy is the same deal. Very strong bond, paintable and flexible enough.

If you're going to add a wooden "beam" to the overhead, a very good way to add a lot of strength is to add fiberglass cloth over (actually under) the wood and out onto the surrounding fiberglass roof several inches on each side. Add a nice smooth radius on the outer edges of the beam (which might just be a 2X2, or 1X2 piece of wood) and lay the glass with a small brush and epoxy or polyester resin. About three layers would be nice. Each reaching out a bit less on each side to make a nice tapered layer. Then lightly sand and paint. The beam can be mounted with either 5200 or epoxy in preparation for the overlay of glass cloth. Sticks to the floor will hold everything in place until the glue is set. Then glass it. Use a 1/2" radius router bit to round the edges. This allows the glass to lay smooth over the curved edges and make a kinder place to bump your head than a square corner. With that, you could easily stand on the roof without it collapsing.

Epoxy sticks to polyester fiberglass very well. But polyester doesn't adhere to epoxy well at all. The trailers are made of polyester. So once you start with epoxy, stay with it in future repairs. You can get different formulas of epoxy that set up at different rates. A medium is good for this kind of work in warm weather. Just don't make a large batch and put it in a single cup, or it will get hot and harden too soon. Use a paper plate and get some 1" china bristle brushes at Harbor Freight that you just throw away as you go.
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Old 07-22-2019, 12:28 AM   #13
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I use milled fibers to thicken epoxy when I want to adhere wood blocking to the ceilings surface of the fiberglass. The thickened epoxy fills up any voids and because it is thick you won't a big issue with the thinner epoxy dripping down and not properly adhering between the wood and the ceiling.



You will need to use some spring poles to put tension on the piece of wood until the epoxy is set. For a rapid set put the epoxy resin and hardener containers into a very hot tap water bath right before you mix it. That will kick the thermal reaction off in next to no time. But do leave the spring poles in place at least over night before doing any weight bearing additions onto them.



I will be doing this method in the very near future for putting in some wood backer plates on the interior of the roof at the locations where I am bolting the solar panel brackets in place. On the interior side those wood plates will have light fixtures attached to them thereby hiding their primary function but attached to allow the lights to be removed for access to the nuts on the bolt ends.
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Old 07-22-2019, 06:23 AM   #14
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The last two posters got it. I'd add two things:

Gorilla Glue (and I suppose any other moisture-curing polyurethane) is very strong and also slightly flexible. It does require a trace of water to cure fully, so you might have to wipe down one of the surfaces with a lightly-dampened towel. NOT wet, that will interfere with the bond.

When working with epoxy, it's good to keep the mix in a shallow container, and if it's warm out, to put that container in another one holding cold water. That will absorb enough of the exotherm to keep the stuff workable significantly longer. And it's also a good idea to keep a bucket with some vinegar in it, because vinegar will kill the epoxy hardener, making it possible to remove the stuff from your hands/tools/whatever. I've used plain white table vinegar but I suppose "cleaning" vinegar (stronger) would work better.

Cheers... PeteH
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Old 07-22-2019, 09:12 PM   #15
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But getting back to the root question that started this thread you would not be using epoxy to attach LED lights with a wood base to a carpet headliner cloth. There are much better choices in adhesives for that such as Goop or E6000 or even polyurethane caulk. But those all require keeping some pressure on the parts until the glue cures.

Therefore a contact cement will be more suitable as you want a fast, strong grip as the optimal choice.
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