- Joined
- Nov 16, 2023
- Messages
- 55
- Reaction score
- 36
- Location
- Oregon City, OR0
- LOCATION
- Oregon City, OR
Man this stuff is finicky!
I purchased 4 metal hatch lids from Nate's Hatches for my 93 Lund Tyee restoration with the intention of using cheap "Seadek" from Amazon. I have installed the 4 hatches and here is what I learned:
For my metal hatches I simply wiped them down with acetone to prep the surface. I watched the various videos showing how to remove the adhesive protective barrier incrementally as you apply the seadek so it doesn't "grab" as you are positioning the piece(s). Well, for my hatches that means the entire outer hatch flange needs to be applied in this fashion and in one go. That is just incredibly fiddley although the actual hatch itself is pretty easy.
I did it like this for the entire hatch flange:
I scored the protective backing so that I could remove the protective backing from any side of the flange from end to end without disturbing the other 3 sides of the backing. By doing this, you can FOCUS on just positioning that one side. This is huge because this hatch flange cutout is floppy with a slippery mind of its own. Then, you simply repeat for the other three sides. This method is vastly superior for precision placement of the seadek.
I also bought the Seadek Bevel knife to cut 45 degree bevels on the outer edge of this foam. I agree with the thinking on this and it should help greatly with preventing the corners and edges of the foam from curling over time. Having said this, I DID NOT use my bevel knife as my foam has high and low spots and the bevel knife was difficult to control through these "highs and lows". I practiced on several feet of test material and felt it would work for "flat" topped foam but too unpredictable for my foam. BTW, if you want one, I will gift it for postage.
The other thing I did to promote best adhesion is I used "BondSeal" upholstery spray right before I laid down the foam. It definitely makes an even more aggressive "grab" and that is saying something! I had to reposition a portion of my first flange and with only 3 seconds of contact, it took ALL my strength to remove that section!
Anyway guys, just some insight and I will give a review at the end of this season...
I purchased 4 metal hatch lids from Nate's Hatches for my 93 Lund Tyee restoration with the intention of using cheap "Seadek" from Amazon. I have installed the 4 hatches and here is what I learned:
For my metal hatches I simply wiped them down with acetone to prep the surface. I watched the various videos showing how to remove the adhesive protective barrier incrementally as you apply the seadek so it doesn't "grab" as you are positioning the piece(s). Well, for my hatches that means the entire outer hatch flange needs to be applied in this fashion and in one go. That is just incredibly fiddley although the actual hatch itself is pretty easy.
I did it like this for the entire hatch flange:
I scored the protective backing so that I could remove the protective backing from any side of the flange from end to end without disturbing the other 3 sides of the backing. By doing this, you can FOCUS on just positioning that one side. This is huge because this hatch flange cutout is floppy with a slippery mind of its own. Then, you simply repeat for the other three sides. This method is vastly superior for precision placement of the seadek.
I also bought the Seadek Bevel knife to cut 45 degree bevels on the outer edge of this foam. I agree with the thinking on this and it should help greatly with preventing the corners and edges of the foam from curling over time. Having said this, I DID NOT use my bevel knife as my foam has high and low spots and the bevel knife was difficult to control through these "highs and lows". I practiced on several feet of test material and felt it would work for "flat" topped foam but too unpredictable for my foam. BTW, if you want one, I will gift it for postage.
The other thing I did to promote best adhesion is I used "BondSeal" upholstery spray right before I laid down the foam. It definitely makes an even more aggressive "grab" and that is saying something! I had to reposition a portion of my first flange and with only 3 seconds of contact, it took ALL my strength to remove that section!
Anyway guys, just some insight and I will give a review at the end of this season...
