• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

Hard to reach places - there's a thousand of them onboard

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Anyone ever use this Flex Seal stuff around the boat or around the house? I might try it on the floor of the little plastic storage space there in the cockpit. I've used duct tape which gets old fast, and epoxy doesn't stick much. I'm not going to take it out anytime soon to rebuild it or repair it. It's in a painful spot to work on. Just wondering if it is any good at all. Maybe it melts plastic? As seen on TV!

20180701_Storage space-small.jpg
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Plastic cubby insert gets destroyed by UV.

I covered the underside with fiberglass and resin, then cut a plastic mesh dinner-table placemat to fit.

1-Ericson 32-3 coaming pocket trim.JPG
 
Last edited:

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
No, but I think I've used similar products - though not in the form of a spray. Sealed up some seams and gutters on a metal roof about 15 years ago. So far so good. I did recently buy the companion product, "flex tape" for the boat's repair kit. It appears to be identical to the waterproofing membrane that I used on the foundation of my house. Peel and stick. Except the roll was four feet wide instead of four inches. I wish I had saved the butt-end of that roll. It would have been the equivalent of a fortune in "flex tape." And just what Robert Redford needed...

It does get tacky in the sun. (The house stuff had a cellophane-like film over the non-sticky side to contain the tacky, but it wears away over time.)
 
Last edited:

Mort Fligelman

Member III
Coaming Storage Box

Craig: Do a google search on SSI Custom Plastics.....I got one of thier boxes 10 years ago and installed it.....was much easier than trying to repair the Ericson appriciation(sp?). I think I got it from Defender!

Has held up beautifully...one of my better decisions...

Good Luck
 

debonAir

Member III
Was thinking of tackling that box this Summer as something that could be worked on while motoring about. Is the box that fits there just "flat"? It seems the coaming is a bit curved perhaps? Does the teak trim screws hold the box in or is it glued to the boat? Seems it would be easy to build/buy a box of the appropriate size with a flange that the screws bite into?
 

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Based on the comments the Flex Seal needs to be tried somewhere else to see if it stays sticky/tacky. If it doesn't dry or if it softens in the heat, it might not be a good pick unless it is covered with some nice mat material, as Christian did. A very 80s decor choice. To get cloth/resin to stick I'd have to spend some time really sanding that floor in there. UV protection for the bottom is probably a very good idea, even up here in the sunny Northwest.

I will check out SSI Custom Plastics, thanks. I would still have to dive in there and somehow get the box out, something I've started to do twice before and gave up. I've spent too much time working on other things in that lazarette to look forward to chopping it out of there.

The teak trim ring screws on. The box is sloped down towards the opening where there are drain holes for the water that might get inside. The box is glassed to the boat as I recall, which is what stopped me before.

Anyway, the can isn't going to be a fix without knowing more about how it comes out and how it cures.
Thanks!
 

Mort Fligelman

Member III
More Coaming Box

Craig: IIRC the box was glassed in, and it was a matter of hammer and chisel, and messy getting it out.

The flange of the SSI box fits over the old holes, and I drilled the ones needed for the new box. I put the box up against the coaming and outlined it in pencil......blue taped it off and flooded the surface with caulk (sikaflex to the old 3M 100...can't remember which....but today would be butyl tape).

Nothing is ever easy on these old boats.....but another headache out of the way is sometimes really worth the effort....

BTW....the new box does not have a drain....but I do not don't find that a problem....it is easy enough to hose out if it gets dirty, and a quick swipe with a sponge empties it.....

FWIW

Best
 

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
I ended up using Flex Seal Tape to try to seal the storage compartment. I cleaned all the old epoxy and duct tape from the inside of the plastic box. I think it is made of some kind of resin, but without any cloth for strength. I aligned the cracked pieces of the bottom to help make the floor one level. Inside the lazarette I put a 20 inch length of 4 inch wide Flex Seal Tape on the outside of the bottom and wrapped it an inch or so up the ends. The 4 inch width is perfect for the depth of the box.

The plastic box is so cracked, even the top surface is compromised. I wrapped a 6 inch piece around the aft lower corner where there is a significant crack at the radius. To strengthen the floor, now that it is held together with the tape, I may use 4200 to put a new floor inside, maybe out of 1/4 inch Starboard.

The tape's sealing side is very sticky and hard to reposition as you apply it. It reminds me of black butyl sealing material, but the sticky stuff doesn't shed itself onto your fingers. That's nice. It has a thin plastic cover to protect the sealing surface while you test fit and cut it to the proper shape. It is non-stick on the back side which makes it easier to smooth out and move the bubbles around. We'll see how it goes, but I like the tape for now. We'll see how long it lasts after it "cures," which can take 24 hours.
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
Be sure to post your results.

My coaming storage box is intact but still leaks badly. The drain holes are slightly higher than the seam where the box is glassed into the boat. Water has managed to separate the layers of FG cloth and drains from the box into the boat. I hung a plastic cup from wire to catch the leaking water.

My thought was to fill the leaking seam with "flowable" automotive windshield silicone to see if that will fill the seam.

Interested to hear how the FlexSeal works.
 

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Be sure to post your results.

My coaming storage box is intact but still leaks badly. The drain holes are slightly higher than the seam where the box is glassed into the boat. Water has managed to separate the layers of FG cloth and drains from the box into the boat. I hung a plastic cup from wire to catch the leaking water.

My thought was to fill the leaking seam with "flowable" automotive windshield silicone to see if that will fill the seam.

Interested to hear how the FlexSeal works.

I will post my results when I apply a water hose. I don't think Flex Seal tape would help with what you describe, if yours looks anything like mine under there. If your box has broken loose you might consider 3M 4200 or similar polyurethane sealers. Silicone residue will likely interfere with future repairs using epoxy or polyester resin. That is if you ever have to actually remove the box, or try to reattach it. Although it is an area you can sand enough to get rid of the residue, it does make it a little harder to prepare.

If you clean out that gap reasonably well, and find a way to get the 4200 in there below the drain holes, it doesn't need a perfectly clean surface to seal up. You can also pack it and sculpt it with your fingers or small tools to make sure you cover the gap. Inspection mirror needed!
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
I think I have the access to work 4200 in that corner, I'm just skeptical that anything will stick to that slick plastic that the box is made out of.
 

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
You might try 4000UV, which is better on plastics. But if the box is made of polyester resin, either 4200 or 4000UV will bond to a reasonably clean surface. It's pretty sticky stuff. Here are pictures of the box after the Flex Tape was applied. Note the cracks. The plastic is very brittle and scraping it causes it to shed granules. I plan to sand it gently and then I'll fit a 1/4" piece of starboard inside, bedded/glued in with 4000UV (which is about $5 per tube cheaper than 4200).


20190521_Cockpit_storage02-small.jpg 20190521_Cockpit_storage01-small.jpg
 
I used resin and fiberglass cloth, sanded and coated with two-part paint.....has lasted a long time.

Will admit using the Flex spray on our black concrete pool. It has stopped leaks and has stayed strong.

Hilco on Sketcher
 

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
I used resin and fiberglass cloth, sanded and coated with two-part paint.....has lasted a long time.

Will admit using the Flex spray on our black concrete pool. It has stopped leaks and has stayed strong.

Hilco on Sketcher

Finally, a Flex Seal testimonial! Thanks.

After yesterday's rain, there is a leak at the aft corner. I think that is where there are cracks that are not covered by the tape. The cracks are almost against the coaming. Now I notice the gray/black stain on the underside picture. So, I'll try sealing from above with 4000UV, since I have an open tube. I will hold off on putting in the new floor for now as it will be easier to get sealer into the proper place so close to the inboard part.
 

Glenn McCarthy

Glenn McCarthy
I don't know if Flex Seal and Flex Tape have the same properties or not. If you plan on NEVER removing it, NEVER having to repair or replace it EVER again, have at it.

Last year my dad put Flex Tape over two windows on the boat. He took a week with every chemical ever thought of to remove the tape, called the manufacturer, etc. and then left for Florida for the winter. I spent 8 hours on each window and finally got it all removed.
 

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
I don't know if Flex Seal and Flex Tape have the same properties or not. If you plan on NEVER removing it, NEVER having to repair or replace it EVER again, have at it.

Last year my dad put Flex Tape over two windows on the boat. He took a week with every chemical ever thought of to remove the tape, called the manufacturer, etc. and then left for Florida for the winter. I spent 8 hours on each window and finally got it all removed.

Excellent feedback, thanks Glenn. What solvent worked best? I'm not planning to remove it and with that recommendation maybe I'll put some more on it!

Anyway, today I probed the valley at the bottom of the inboard side, where the drain holes are located. I took the wood ring off to get somewhat better access. I found another place where some PO had used silicone. It was high quality silicone, though, and therefore hard to remove much of it. I dug out about 1/4 inch and then sanded the exposed plastic areas and the inside coaming surface. Cleaned up the dust and dirt with acetone. I spooned and slathered and puttied the 4000UV into the crevice in an attempt to fill the valley and then re-opened the drain holes. I went about halfway up each side. I spread some of the excess on the bottom, but I think I will cover the bottom with something structural to increase the strength of the floor.
 

Glenn McCarthy

Glenn McCarthy
Took a heat gun on pretty high heat, hit an area about 2" X 3" at a time, heated it until it turned pumpkin brown, scraped with small spatula. It would cool quickly and I would re-heat, there would be a fine film left. On the second heat, I would turn the blade 90-degrees to the surface, press strongly and scraps sideways. Most would come off. But there is still a little left. One more heating (these took time, and was not quick to assure the hull was heated, not just the surface) and rub with a paper towel with lacquer thinner.

Imagine 2 large windows on an E35 covered and overlapped on all sides onto the doghouse - 2" X 3" at a time.
 

Tin Kicker

Sustaining Member
Moderator
That much heat is real easy to brown the paint. Try soaking the FlexSeal with a paper towel wetted with mineral spirits which is covered with aluminum foil or saran wrap.
 

Glenn McCarthy

Glenn McCarthy
That much heat is real easy to brown the paint. Try soaking the FlexSeal with a paper towel wetted with mineral spirits which is covered with aluminum foil or saran wrap.

It did brown the paint, the paint lifted and laid back down. As I was rebuilding the windows anyway, sanded all of the paint and put new paint on before reinstalling the windows. I'll never get near Flex Tape myself ever again!
 
Top