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Attaching luan to fiberglass

redryder9
Explorer
Explorer
I have removed the rear filon sheet from Okanagan camper, repaired the rotten wood and now I'm in need of help understanding the process of glueing luan to fiberglass, I have read to apply glue to both surfaces and others have said to apply to one surface.
Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

Dan.
14 REPLIES 14

theoldwizard1
Explorer
Explorer
Check YouTube for videos on vacuum bonding. They use a special tape to seal flat sheets of plastic together to make a bag. It does require an A/C vacuum pump and special adapter. The pump needs to run needs to run until completely cured.

nickthehunter
Nomad II
Nomad II
I agree with mobilefleet, I think contact cement is the way to go, but also probably the most difficult. If you're not experienced with working with contact cement this is not the project to learn on.

mobilefleet
Explorer
Explorer
I replaced a fire damaged wall on a 5th wheel, I used Dap contact cement and a roller to apply to both surfaces. Since none of us likely have access to a vacuum bonder or pinch roller, I set the wall down on my garage floor after gluing, walked all over it, and then covered the whole thing with fairly heavy landscape bricks for 2-3 days. Worked great

HadEnough
Explorer
Explorer
DrewE wrote:
HadEnough wrote:
If you really want to get a perfect join, neat or slightly thickened epoxy, a vacuum bag and a vacuum pump.

Poor man's vacuum bagging can be done with standard home Depot plastic sheeting, a garden hose with some holes drilled in the last 6 feet of it and your shop vac. Works ok for this type of simple project.


How do you go about applying a vacuum bag to an RV wall?

For smaller items, it's a great method; I just have trouble picturing how it would work in this case. Maybe there's a way I'm not thinking of.


I had envisioned you had the sheet off the wall but given you have it on the wall still, vacuum bagging is actually going to be the most simple option, given holding the sheets together vertically will require screws driven through them, otherwise.

Really depends on the geometry of the thing you are bagging. There is double sided, removable tape to tape the bag/plastic to the wall area, sealing it off around your work area. The work area would have to be fairly airtight. If say, there's an electrical outlet, you'd cut that rectangle out of the bag and tape around the outlet, leaving the outlet exposed. But in any case, you use double sided tape to tape the bag to the vertical wall.

If you were able to share some pictures of the surface I'd be happy to advise on the technique and materials. Life long boat guy here who built a 50ft resin infused performance catamaran. Way too much bagging experience. Ha ha ha. This includes bagging 50 foot hulls (for epoxy resin infusion) and doing them in a single shot... Also vertically like your application.

DrewE
Explorer
Explorer
HadEnough wrote:
If you really want to get a perfect join, neat or slightly thickened epoxy, a vacuum bag and a vacuum pump.

Poor man's vacuum bagging can be done with standard home Depot plastic sheeting, a garden hose with some holes drilled in the last 6 feet of it and your shop vac. Works ok for this type of simple project.


How do you go about applying a vacuum bag to an RV wall?

For smaller items, it's a great method; I just have trouble picturing how it would work in this case. Maybe there's a way I'm not thinking of.

HadEnough
Explorer
Explorer
If you really want to get a perfect join, neat or slightly thickened epoxy, a vacuum bag and a vacuum pump.

Poor man's vacuum bagging can be done with standard home Depot plastic sheeting, a garden hose with some holes drilled in the last 6 feet of it and your shop vac. Works ok for this type of simple project.

gbopp
Explorer
Explorer
Dick_B wrote:
Note sure but I'd look at the tube of construction adhesive for their recommendations.

Make sure the adhesive is for fiberglass or whatever you are gluing.
One time I used construction adhesive to attach a bathtub surround. The glue bubbled the surround.

DiskDoctr
Explorer
Explorer
Following!!! I am starting a similar repair this week ๐Ÿ˜ฎ

ksg5000
Explorer
Explorer
theoldwizard1 wrote:
While we are taking about this, does anyone know of a good non-wood (synthetic) backer (like Azdel) that can be used in this kind of repair ?


West Marine was a good source of info/products when I had minor delam issue - worth a look.
Kevin

theoldwizard1
Explorer
Explorer
While we are taking about this, does anyone know of a good non-wood (synthetic) backer (like Azdel) that can be used in this kind of repair ?

theoldwizard1
Explorer
Explorer
Use epoxy, the same thing they use in boat building and repair. The process is the same/

Lightly sand the old fiberglass back. Remove all dust and and just before applying the epoxy wipe down the fiberglass with acetone. Only the wood needs a first coat of unthickened epoxy. Do not let that first coat fully cure because you want it to chemically bond with the second coat.

Thickening the epoxy is a good idea for the final bonding, but they you might need a notched trowel to get even coat. Clamping the fiberglass to the wood substrate is important. This will be difficult on a large are unless it is laying flat and then you can just use weights.

ppine
Explorer II
Explorer II
the strongest way to join dissimilar is two coat them with expoxy. Within several hours join them with fresh epoxy. You can use micro-ballons or wood dust as a filler to thicken the epoxy first.

DrewE
Explorer
Explorer
It depends on what exact adhesive you use. I'd follow the directions supplied with the glue, not some random directions found elsewhere that may be for an entirely different product.

Epoxy with thickener would only need to be brushed on one surface, and then the two put and held in good contact until it sets. Some sort of a contact adhesive usually gets applied to both surfaces and partly dried before they are united. Probably there are other reasonable options as well, and they would have their own procedures.

Dick_B
Explorer
Explorer
Note sure but I'd look at the tube of construction adhesive for their recommendations.
Loctite Power Grab or PL Premium have good specs. Watch for the amount of time you have to move the item around before it sets up.
The demo videos indicate to put the glue on one side.
Dick_B
2003 SunnyBrook 27FKS
2011 3/4 T Chevrolet Suburban
Equal-i-zer Hitch
One wife, two electric bikes (both Currie Tech Path+ models)