Edge trim

J

jep111

New member
The edge trim on my 16 Cruiser was looking pretty uneven and pulling away in the inner radius curves, so I take it off... and under it is silicone sealant. Was this done by the factory? And is there any easy way to get it off? It didn't stick to the edge trim, but it sure stuck to the fibreglass!

All I can think of is to use a razor blade and try not to scratch the gelcoat. The backside is pretty rough, though, and I don't think the razor blade will be too effective.

And lastly, why would anyone use silicone on a boat?

John
 
yes, cutting the worse off with a razor blade, and then using one of the Mr Clean erasers is the best way to get rid of the silicone.

Why use silicone? Good question--and for the most part silicone is not a good bedding compound (although it appears that many of deck fittings on the 2006 C Dory 22 had silicone used). In the trim case, it is used as a "glue"--and fairly effective as that. The problem is that once you have used silicone, it is difficult to get other adhesives or more silicone for that matter to stick to it. Silicone or Silicone/urethane combo is used under plastic hatches on a regular basis. Structural silicone adhesives are used for many applications, including bedding windows. Some of these commercial products have far greater adhesive properties than what you might get from West Marine or Home Depot. I had used it for bedding lexan windows on the Cal 46. 20 years later, these windows are still in place, and not leaking. I accidentally got a "glob" on some SS rigging. Even after 6 years of sailing and over 30,000 miles, that glob was still there. It would have to be cut off at some point.

To rebed the trim--I probably would use silicone adhesive again.
 
Thanks for the replies!

I do mean the black (pvc? vinyl?) push-on edge trim that C-Dory used to finish the fibreglass edges.

Bob, are you saying the factory would have done this? Like I said, it didn't stick to the edge trim, so it didn't succeed as an adhesive. I was under the impression that this type of trim wouldn't need bedding or glue...

Trim-lok just seems to show it being pushed on or hit with their expensive pneumatic hammer...

Thanks again!

John
 
Yes, I suspect the factory did this. They used silicone and Bostic sealant of rmany uses. The problem with the trim is that it is made for one width of bulkhead--there are several different widths available. But often glass is not uniform thickness--especially near the edge of the mold. If properly used, and the proper silicone, it should stick to the trim inside.
 
Good product. You still have to have the appropriate size (measured) with calipers--and hope the glass is consistent size. One problem can be if the edge is tapered, rather than square--ie narrowing as it comes to the edge.
 
I've noticed a lot of silicone used on my 2006 tomcat. Had a leaking front window in the bunk, pulled it out, just bedded with a bunch of silicone. In this application it appeared rather shoddy.

I like 4200 for stuff that might be removed and 5200 obviously for more permanent stuff when bedding.
 
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