attaching stuff to cabin interior

M

Mike_J

New member
I am wanting to start attaching a few things to the cabin interior and don't want to drill through the cabin roof...
What are people using to attach stuff to the ceiling and other parts of the hull?
Once example is I would like to install an overhead rod holder in the cabin.
Thanks in advance.
Mike
 
I clean the fiberglass surface with alcohol, then typically use a block of Mahogany with a liberal coating of 4200 adhesive as the base. Sometimes I drill holes partway into the wood base and fill them with adhesive to give more gripping surface. Press the base onto the desired location and use hot glue drops at the corners to hold until the 4200 has cured then screw whatever it is to the mahogany block. This has worked well for me.
 
I might add - use the 4200 and NOT 5200. 5200 will put it there forever. With 4200, it will hold fine but it can be removed without destroying anything.
 
Couple of ideas (some of which may not be suitable for your specific item, but I can't see it right now to know how it attaches):

1) Epoxy some sort of mounting block to the cabin surface and then mount your item to that. This could be a pre-formed fiberglass block, or a wood block, for example. Note that Starboard type material will not epoxy well.

2) Use Weld Mount* studs (or stand-offs) and then mount your item with those.

3) Use 3M VHB tape.

Sunbeam

*Weld Mount is a company that makes metal studs and standoffs, and also things like footman loops, wire-tie and cable holders, etc. The bases attach with very strong methacrylate glue (which they also make). The main limitation on them (for heavier items) is what you are attaching to. Because, for example, if you are attaching something heavy to gelcoat, and the gelcoat doesn't have a really good bond with the substrate, they can just pull off the gelcoat. Of course one can potentially remove a "loose" surface in a small area underneath them, but the main idea is to just consider the weight and force (tension, shear, peel) you are putting on them (i.e. trim tabs would probably not be a great choice to use them on). Quite a few boatbuilders are using Weld Mounts now to mount things such as fuel filters, wire runs, etc. in new construction.
 
Depending on year, some parts of the roof are cored. In our 2006, the lower outer section of the roof is cored, which I could verify by looking up into the holes where cables go into the radar arch. It's about 1/4" of coring. All the ceiling hardware (dome lights, cable clips) goes into this core.

But I've heard the roof was built differently at different times, so you'd want to verify this somehow before drilling!
 
Thanks all for the good ideas. I will go out and look for some block material and adhesive. The weldmount system looks good too. I will also check to see if there is a core to the ceiling for short screws!
 
One tip I got from Larry Pardey years ago was to install the item temporarily with tape or velcro or something and live with it there for a while. What looks great at first may be really wrong in use. The 2011 I have is cored in the roof inboard a ways. I have used 4200 as well as marinetex in some areas. On smooth surfaces like slider box I used Industrial 3m velcro and works well.
 
Thanks again. I will look for some VHB tape. Good idea George about not making a permanent mount at first.. Some strong double sided velcro might do the trick temporarily.
 
Resurrecting this....is VHB still considered a good option for mounting items (gear hammock, etc?) Is it removable? I use gorrilla's double sided tape at home to install security cameras and it works great but haven't seen what's left if I try to remove them.
 
curioustraveler":l3gb21ka said:
Resurrecting this....is VHB still considered a good option for mounting items (gear hammock, etc?) Is it removable? I use gorrilla's double sided tape at home to install security cameras and it works great but haven't seen what's left if I try to remove them.
Click to expand...

A lot will depend on the temperature and use. I have found that in higher temps the tapes tend to fail earlier. In the Florida or Az sun, the interior of the boats in storage may reach well into the low 100's

The epoxy (I prefer) or 5200 will stay in place. I always use hot glue to hold the material in place until the bond sets well.
 
thataway":1y4dwuom said:
curioustraveler":1y4dwuom said:
Resurrecting this....is VHB still considered a good option for mounting items (gear hammock, etc?) Is it removable? I use gorrilla's double sided tape at home to install security cameras and it works great but haven't seen what's left if I try to remove them.
Click to expand...

A lot will depend on the temperature and use. I have found that in higher temps the tapes tend to fail earlier. In the Florida or Az sun, the interior of the boats in storage may reach well into the low 100's

The epoxy (I prefer) or 5200 will stay in place. I always use hot glue to hold the material in place until the bond sets well.
Click to expand...

What Bob said
 
thataway":r9xxa0so said:
...

A lot will depend on the temperature and use. I have found that in higher temps the tapes tend to fail earlier. In the Florida or Az sun, the interior of the boats in storage may reach well into the low 100's

The epoxy (I prefer) or 5200 will stay in place. I always use hot glue to hold the material in place until the bond sets well.
Click to expand...

I checked my boat once when stored under it's cover (green sunbrella) on a sunny summer's day in No. VA. The temp was over 130 deg F in the cabin.

The PO on my boat installed rod holders in the ceiling of the cabin. He drilled through bolts from the outside. Sealed and secured them very well. I took the rod holders out but have not been able to remove the bolts. Since they don't leak, I've just left them in place.
 
Thanks all. I think I'll give the double sided tape a try until we figure out where we permanently want to mount items. I'm planning a little trip for our anniversary and need to rig up some extra storage with gear hammocks and the like.
 
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