wipe down 5200 or Silicone ?

[offthefront]

When installing any fitting or thru hull and you seal it with 5200 or Silicone ......what is good for wiping the excess around the Gelcoat? Also which is best 5200 or Silicone ? Mucho Gracias' .....

[Knot 4 Me]

I use Acetone on paper towels to wipe away excess 4200 or 5200 and make a nice, clean edge.

[fast one]

wd-40 its a trade secret,it works great to wipe excess 5200 from fittings or anything else!!!

[Geronimo36]

I don't use 5200 on fittings.

I'll use Life Seal, Life Caulk or 4200.

Same here with the acetone or even just some spray nine or greez off. Basically anything that can remove grease/oil.

[old377guy]

I too, think that 5200 may be a mistake. I'd like to be able to remove a thru-hull without having to air hammer the damn thing off.

[Griff]

5200 is for PERMANENT installations. Use 4200 and actetone.

[insanity]

Wrap blue tape just around the diameter of the fitting/fixture. Wipe everything off good, then pull the tape up. No muss, no fuss.

[Lakeside]

lifeseal caulk & adhesive remover works well. I dont like acetone as it can be harsh on finishes. Also the masking method works well on some applications as well as mentioned earlier.. Jamie

[Knot 4 Me]

lifeseal caulk & adhesive remover works well. I dont like acetone as it can be harsh on finishes. Also the masking method works well on some applications as well as mentioned earlier.. Jamie

Good point. I should clarify I use Acetone on gel coat and 3M spray adhesive remover on painted surfaces.

[2scoops]

4200 for sealant, bristle paint brush and a cup of paint reducer. Zero trace of caulking around nuts and on threads. Much easier than trying to towel the stuff off.

[offthefront]

great input Guys!

[Lakeside]

Good point. I should clarify I use Acetone on gel coat and 3M spray adhesive remover on painted surfaces.

No problem everyone does things a little different.. This is safer on gel, but you still need to be careful as it can still dull it, especially fresh gel.. Laquer thinner & mineral spirits are safer, but again I prefer the adhesive remover for most of the time.

[Knot 4 Me]

No problem everyone does things a little different.. This is safer on gel, but you still need to be careful as it can still dull it, especially fresh gel.. Laquer thinner & mineral spirits are safer, but again I prefer the adhesive remover for most of the time.

Thanks for the tip!

[Lakeside]

Thanks for the tip!

Youre welcome.. J

[FULL FORCE]

Silicone is no good for thru hull stuff, 4200 or 5200

There is a product that will remove 5200 so you can get things back off, I will try to get the name from my buddy, he used it and his exhaust tips came right off!

[Geronimo36]

I say lifeseal, lifecaulk or 4200 only, that's what it's designed for. the 5200 is more of a permanent bond and next to near impossible to get apart unless you buy the release agent.

LifeSeal:
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...ct.do?pid=1536
BoatLIFE LifeSeal Polyurethane/Silicone Sealant is a one part, fast curing, low odor, high adhesion, non-sag compound. LifeSeal is excellent for sealing decks to hulls, underwater thru hull fittings, vinyl ports, windshield setting glaze and the bedding of marine hardware. It retains excellent adhesion and elasticity under all weather conditions.

LifeCaulk:
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...fe+Life-Caulk+
BoatLife Life-Caulk is a long lasting, permanently flexible marine polysulfide sealant which can be sanded, painted and used above and below the waterline. Tack-free in 1 to 3 days, Cures in 7-10 days (weather dependent). Excellent resistance to teak oils, gasoline and diesel fuel.

4200:
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...ct.do?pid=2004
4200 Fast Cure is a one-part general purpose Polyurethane selant with a good adhesion to wood, fiberglass, gelcoat, plastics and metals. Forms watertight, weather-resistant seals on joints and boat hardware above or below the waterline.
3m 4200 fast cure is ideal for hardware and bedding applications. Paintable and sandable. This product is approx. half the strength of 3M Marine Adhesive/Sealant 5200, which allows for disassembly of parts.

Your three choices are; Polyurethane/Silicone blend, Polysulfide or Polyurethane. 4200 is the strongest, followed by lifeseal, then lifecaulk. They all have their places depending on the application.

[Knot 4 Me]

I've always had good luck with 4200.

[customryder]

my question is how you get it off when it dries..any majic formula?

[Geronimo36]

which stuff are you referring to??? Lifeseal will come off with some moderate pressure using a terry cloth and some spraynine or greezoff, worst case some acetone. 5200 comes off with the release agent but it doesn't penetrate well so if you have it on say a trim tab, good luck! Had someone put on an outboard brakcket with 5200 once and we lifted the entire boat by the bracket and it didn't come off... 4 guys jumping on the back finally ripped it off and took all the gelcoat with it.