Sikaflex

[Baz]

Hi all, am I right in thinking that Sikaflex-221 is the one to use to stick my solar panel supports to my cabin roof. To be honest I've looked at quite a few others, but Sikaflex seems to be the one. Many thanks.

 

Baz

[quo vadis]

Don't get any stuck on a blanket

[Vaughan]

Sounds good to me.

Some people swear by Sikaflex as a mastic (which it is) but it is also a glue, and a strong one. Never use it for fitting windows, for instance, or you will never be able to remove them again.

If you use it, then think of it as a permanent job.

[Baitrunner]

A heat gun will soften it if you need to remove small items. 

Large areas and you will be scuppered so to speak. 

[Guest]

I used Sikaflex a few years ago to bond a 12" by 12" by 18mm plywood backing pad to a fibreglass hull.

Big mistake, because I needed to remove it a few months  later.

The only way I was able to get it off again was to router the wood away, strip by strip.

[quo vadis]

With one of these

[Baz]

Many thanks all. I'm beginning to think that maybe it's not such a good idea after all i.e., just in case I need to remove it at a later date. Maybe I should revert back to my original plan to use screws to hold down the supports, at least I can always fill the holes after, or, is there something else that you can come up with.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, quo vadis said:

With one of these

 

No,  one of these....    (much faster in rural Norfolk too...)

 

[Vaughan]

if you are screwing into a fibreglass cabin top, make sure your drill is the right size for the screws or you might craze the gelcoat.

Don't forget to always coat the screws in waterproof mastic first.

[Liberty]

Also can use a countersink bit to stop cracking.  

[StillCruising]

Hi Baz

We fitted a 100watt solar panel last year. To an extent it was an experiment and I did not want to make anything permanent. The panel originally came with metal brackets but I did not want to make any holes in the glass fibre so I purchased a set of four ABS solar panel corners from e-bay and used strips of 3M's 'Dual Lock'  to stick them to the roof.

Edited May 30, 2016 by StillCruising
Typos Corrected

[Baz]

Hiya StillCruising, Your fixing sounds pretty good to me, and tell me, is all still ok with the strips, haven't pulled off etc ? The corners that you mention are the same as I have, albeit the solar panel is only a 40W unit.

 

Baz

[StillCruising]

Hi Baz.

The Dual Lock tape sticks like sh.. well you know .... I have used miles of it in various applications at work and have never had a failure. The tape is 25mm wide so is just right for the corners. Its construction is probably best described as double lines of slightly flexible 'mushrooms; that when pushed together interlock, it takes real effort to separate them (unlike Velcro). I used the clear version and as I fixed it to the 'inside' edges of the corners you cant see it. Another advantage for me was that the tape lifts the corners by around 5mm which helped to maintain the correct clearance between the panel and the curved roof.

[Liberty]

There are different grades of Dual Lock - the difference being the number of 'mushrooms' per given area.  The higher the number, the more difficult it is to get them undone.

[StillCruising]

Hi Baz

I can't remember the part number but the tape that I use has double lines on 18 projections across the 25mm width which works out to around 270 per 25mm square. As I have already said the installation was an experiment so I just ran the cables along the hand rail an into the cockpit and straight into the regulator. If you do this you must use a proper all weather cable (you may have got some with your panel).

Best Regards

Bob

[Baz]

Hiya Bob and Liberty,

Certainly seems to be the way to go, and the best so far. At the moment it's a toss up of either the Dual Lock tape, or the silicon filled screw through the cabin roof. Decisions decisions eh. Many thanks to you all.

 

Baz

[StillCruising]

Further to my earlier posts the 3M's part number for the clear Dual Lock that I used is SJ3560

Regards

Bob