Removing seat moulding / Sikaflex

[Searider]

Evening all,

Took the screws that hold my bench seat in place out this afternoon in order to remove it.
Couldn't budge the seat - must be held firm to the sole with sealant / Sikaflex.

Any top tips - or is it just a case of prising blades along the bond line.

I've heard about using a cheese wire - but where do I get one?

Regards

[jwalker]

You could try a guitar string. They come in various thicknesses. Jono suggested a piece of welding wire a while ago. I've never tried either of them.

Good luck.

[Searider]

Sorted out the seats today.

Found that the best way was to drive wedges in between the sole and seat moulding putting the sikaflex in tension - it was then relatively easy to cut with a £1.46 Tesco carving knife.

Made a cheese wire from Monel seizing wire but it was crap.

Just need to figure how to peel the residue from the sole!

[jwalker]

Just a thought for you. If there is a windscreen replacement depot near you, it might be worth a chat with them. Car windscreens are glued in using sikaflex and I'm sure they'll know all the ways and dodges.

[arn.george]

Tried a cheese wire from a car windscreen place - problems of cutting into fibre glass and very slow - ended up using a reciprocating saw and wedging plus a bit of hacking with a stanley knife - not a quick job

[Searider]

I knew there'd be an answer outside of the marine industry. Still, seats out now with the help of Tesco knife.

If anyone's interested - swearing a lot also helped.

Now, that residue on the deck.

Duncan

Originally Posted by jwalker

Just a thought for you. If there is a windscreen replacement depot near you, it might be worth a chat with them. Car windscreens are glued in using sikaflex and I'm sure they'll know all the ways and dodges.

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by Searider

it was then relatively easy to cut with a £1.46 Tesco carving knife.

Used the same technique for removing the old plywood seat bases from the foam padding - that was surprisingly well adhered.

Also agree about the swearing... a broad, diverse and colourful vocabulary can beat many problems!

[Daniel]

Petrol disolves it i think.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Searider

Now, that residue on the deck. Duncan

Used a wood chisel and a B&Q flap wheel on my Ribtec with the same problem, and if that doesn't work then JWs favourite tool

Pete

[Andy Stevens]

I find hitting things with tree branches helps, scares the stuff off!

[Mark Halliday]

I took my witches hat/cable exit thingy off yesterday. It was screwed down and glued with Sikaflex.
My solution, which worked well, was to use a stiff paint scraper and a rubber mallet. Start by bashing it into the joint at about 45 deg until it appears on the inside, and then follow the joint around.
The scraper has to be a stiff one (as always) not a flexible filling blade. Also a rubber mallet seemed to be better than a hammer.
I cut through about a foot and a half length in a couple of minutes, no swearing at all.
Magic.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Pete7

... and if that doesn't work then JWs favourite tool

I was just about to suggest it.....

[Mark Halliday]

:d :d :d

[mike]

I have had the same job to do on my old rib.
after speaking with silkaflex was sad to hear they do not market a solvent but amazed to find that double glazing cleaning spirit (avaiable from double glazers) at £4.00 a bottle made it soft and allowed the whole lot to be removed just by using a scrubbing brush.

all I did was work on 6-10 inches at a time with a cloth wipe it over then agitate it before another wipe with the cloth.

it worked well but don't get it on your tubes and do not leave puddles of it about as it has to be an on and then off operation to prevent damage,.

you will need the solvent cleaner not the cream cleaner. good luck.

mike

[ScottyDog]

I have used silicon removal paste on sanitary silicon sealant and it works a treat, maybe worth a try. It's available from plumbers' merchants. If I get a chance I shall try it and post the result.