Best Metal Sealant? Adhesive?

[TheThom]

Hey guys,

I've spoken before about my lack of skills with metal work.

I'm building a camper and I have sheet aluminum panels over a wood frame. I'm trimming it with aluminum angle and channel. What's the best way to assemble this? I picked up some JB weld, but I'd also like to seal these joints to prevent moisture from wicking in. Any preferred brands of silicone sealant out there? Can they be painted over with monstaliner?

I plan to use screws to secure the trim as well, but a good glue and/or silicone sealant would really toughen the thing up.

Thanks

Thom

 

[12husky]

Sikaflex seems to be recommended quite frequently, but I don't have any direct experience with it.

 

[Borrego60]

Look into a marine sealent as the 5600 stuff made by 3M. Bonds and seals great, Boaters use it on threw hull installs. Got to be good if drilling a hole in the hull putting in a drain or intake and sealing it so it will not leak. Home depot carries it.

 

[TheThom]

Look into a marine sealent as the 5600 stuff made by 3M. Bonds and seals great, Boaters use it on threw hull installs. Got to be good if drilling a hole in the hull putting in a drain or intake and sealing it so it will not leak. Home depot carries it.

I have some of the marine adhesive and it's super permanent. It's amazing stuff and it painted well. I had 2 boards glued and my buddy and I couldn't pull them apart with vice grips, pliers, etc.

But for trim around doors and panels, I feel like that might be too strong- what a panel catches a rock, or I back into a tree and need to repair a corner? Like I said, I'm using screws as well so something that's strong is nice, but a strong sealant is the primary goal.

Thanks for the replies so far!

 

[goodtimes]

If you're goal is to keep moisture out of the joints, putty tape is your friend.

Any decent RV supply will have it.

Cool it off in you're refrigerator before you use it -- it isn't nearly as sticky then, and makes it much nicer to work with. When it warms up (room temperature) it's sticky and harder to work with.

 

[Captm]

Sikaflex

My preference is Sikaflex, which one depends on the application, although it is usually 292. They have an excellent web site - go to Products & Solutions; Industry. A cordless power caulk gun makes life easy, use vegetable oil and paper towels to clean hands (and to get it out off your hair). Use a heat gun and putty knives to separate if needed. I use 3M 5200 on thru hulls below the waterline, but I always get the ******** everywhere:Wow1:
Cheers.
Just read your build thread - looks great! Sikaflex 292 is the way to go, super strong yet will allow for the difference in expansion/contraction between the different materials, in your case aluminum and wood.

 

[mhiscox]

Another similar thread here:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/85352

 

[Woods]

People have provided some good info. here. Here's some more on how join metal panels to metal frames with Sikaflex (I'm a big 5200 fan too).

Info. stolen from RobGray.com ONE OF HIS RV BUILDS - SICK!

We'll be using Sikaflex with no mechanical fasteners and in the past I would just have bought some tubes from the nearest hardware store, cleaned the areas to be glued with a cleaner like PrepSol, and stuck the sheets on.

This time however we decide to get some advice on the correct method. I ask several people which Sikaflex to use for truck bodies, and they all say 227. But why not go to the source, sika.com? On the manufacturer's web site we find that 227 is called an adhesive/sealant and the recommended product for adhering panels to truck bodies is in fact 252.

So far so good, we'll use 252, but how to we prepare the areas to be glued? Unable to find any info I phone for technical advice. Here are some tips from Sika.

DON'T clean with PrepSol, it leaves an oily residue.

DON'T undercoat the welds with Red Oxide primer, Cold Gal, or any other zinc-based primer. The Sikaflex will not bind to these paints.

With galvanised steel and aluminium DO abrade the metal with sandpaper or other abrasive.

DO use Sika 205 cleaner.

DO use Sika 210 primer, it's resin-based and designed for the job.

 

[FredB]

I used this when I welded in a new floorboard into my XJ. It's the same stuff OEM's use to seal metal seams. Don't know if it'll work for aluminum and wood. The 22 year old stuff in my cherokee is still flexible and seals.

http://www.eastwood.com/ew-brush-on-seam-sealer-quart.html