Has anyone used glue to install plugs and fin boxes instead of resin? I thinking about doing this in eps to avoid melting issues. Then laminating over the top as usual. Elmers? Polyurethane glue? Wood glue? Should I just suck it up, don’t be a pussy, and use the epoxy resin with the wet towels? I already ruined a board. Mike
i’ve heard of people using 3M #5200 Marine Adhesive/Sealant to set fin boxes…should work like a charm.
EDIT: just read the fine print: tack-free after 48 hours, 5-7 days for a full cure. should still work, but give it plenty of time to firm up before slapping in a fin and thrashing it around.
Get 3m 5200 fast cure, the red one.(24hr cure)
It’s made for below the water line, sandable, and stays slightly flexible.
Ian
yeah…that’s the stuff. tack-free in 1 hour, cured in 24.
get some slow epoxy putty…sold in most marine suppliers. They come in buckets or cans. if you cant find that any slow epoxy will do.
5200? wouldnt go there if I were you…but its very useful elsewhere.
5200 works great,I’ve installed many different boxes with it,and none have come back.GOOP would do it too.The easiest and fastest,w/o much troubles is 99cent store 5min. epoxy.
5200 is great for some box applications, but dont use it with Probox, I’ve had 2 blow outs (cracked boxes) due to flex. You really want the boxes to be in solid, and covered with a glass patch too, then there bullet proof.
I haven’t tried the proboxes,but out of curiosity I set a board w/ 5200/side fins using fcs plugs…no problems yet,been a few weeks and watched the person that owns the board get some great surf over the last 4-5 days…yesterday, I checked them and they are in there solid,w/ no signs of cracking/pulling out,same goes w/ my Red-X set-up,and 2 Future sets…Futures were done in poly/poly.The rest in epox/styro-eps.All set in 5200 quickset.
If I’m doing something wrong…I’m doing it right?..lol.
Thanks for the responses. I used the FH aluzine epoxy with the slow hardener. I’ve gotten some bubbles during leash plug installs, but they seem to be pretty solid. I don’t know if it was melting or foam releasing gas. The plugs have not been put to much of a test, however. I always put a glass patch over plugs and boxes, too. I did not consider the flex of the material causing problems. I’ll try the 5200. I got a few blanks from the eps I bought with Benny1 and I want to use lokbox fin system. Fun, fun, fun. mike
Mike,it should work great w/ lokbox.
Checkout Greg’s tip on 5 min. epoxy in the thread,“55xcelerator” I think that’s the title,it’s here one the first page.
Is there any technique to dealing with putty rather than resin? I put some fcs plugs in using putty, and it seemed to be nice and strong, but it was really tricky trying to get just the right amount of putty in the hole before putting the plugs in. A bit too much putty and it’s very difficult to push the plugs down far enough.
Also how would you fill the cylinders (made with the H-cutter or core drill) that go down to the deck? Could you just stuff the putty down?
Try the 5min. regular stuff it’s easier to work with.
You can heat the putty up before mixing it…like 2-5 seconds should do it.
For things like finboxes, I actually like to split the difference…ACE Hardware usually has some 30 or 90 minute 1:1 epoxy too. The 5 minute stuff (especiallly for longboard center boxes) just isn’t long enough. And the laminating epoxy either exotherms or takes so bloody long. But the 30 or 90 is great, and typically eventually achieves a greater strength than the 5 minute stuff anyway. It’s a little goopy, but can easily saturate cloth, and it also takes tint well.
For a 10.5" center box, I generally mix up almost the whole package. Then add white tint. Lay out 2x 6 oz cloth, cut to 10.5" x 3", and wet out the cloth on a flat piece of plastic. Put the rest of the epoxy in the routed out hole, wrap the cloth around the finbox, and push it in. Put in a fin or a couple 3/8" pieces of wood, square it up & tape 'em down. An hour later, you’re grinding. 
I use the same stuff for the leash string hole, BTW. Drill out through the box with an 1/8" bit, come back down through the deck with a 3/8" bit. Tape off the deck side & back it up with a taped-on piece of wood. Mix up some 30 minute (or 5 minute, its fine for this), add some white tint, shove it into the hole from the finbox side. An hour later, drill it out with multiple bits, increasing in size up to 1/4". Shove the string through with the knot in the back end of the box. Works like a dream & looks clean too…
The putty isnt any better to work with, just different. With fcs, it isnt easy to get the right amount of putty in there. The reason I mentioned the putty was b/c it is slow cure low exotherm. I also did mention that any slow epoxy would work for low exotherm. The stuff at hobby stores is thicker slower than typical laminating resins so that works also.
Btw, I’ve used 5200 in fin sets. Didnt work well for fcs (cocked the plugs on first surf) but worked good for lokbox. Box type fin systems are better suited for it I think. Lokbox design in general has a strong interface.
Ya I agree with you.
The fcs I installed was for a XL sized man (for a friend).I put them in his longboard and his favorite fins are the G-3s or 5s.
What I did differently was cut the holes with a 1" saw,and barrel sanded to fit,no slop.I “H” cut the base and filled it w/ 5min epoxy.
Another thing I do that probably really makes a difference is to score the rim of the holes.Herb
Thanks guys,
I’ve got a few boards to put plugs in next week so I’ll try the 99c epoxy. I was sort of interested in the putty cause I’ve seen quite big tubs of the stuff for a reasonable price. Seemed better than using the expensive, slow, exothermic laminating resin if it could be made to work.
Mark