Skiff re-building...

[Adam]

I’m finally getting around to working on that little wood skiff/dinghy I picked up last year. I have a complaint. 5200. The stuff is tenacious. I mean must builders use the stuff everywhere as a glue? It just takes hours to remove. Seems to re-appear even after scraping with everything from razorblades and sandpaper, to pry-bars. I swear I’m gonna break out the metal grinder next. It’s like duct tape and chest hair. It just shouldn’t be. Sigh.

[Steve]

I feel your pain.  When restoring ELF, we had to re-do some of the crappy work I had paid for by a well-known firm.  They had laminated two-pieces of mahogany with the stuff, and we literally had to grind it away.

[John Hutchison]

I think you'll find that heat is the trick to soften and remove the stuff.

[cinqueneuf]

Judicious use of a heat gun will aid you immensely. If it is a matter of separating two objects stuck togethr,  the best method I've found is (if possible) to use the finest gauge piano wire as a "garotte" and pull it throuh the joint. Generally , attempts to pry pieces apart will mean the ultimate destruction of at least one of the pieces! On refabrication, in most cases, I've found 4200 to be a more agreeable solution that "kicks" faster and has ample holding power. Good luck!

[Adam]

Colin / John - Thank you - now why didn't I think of that. When in doubt Duct Tape, Yankee Screwdriver or a torch can fix anything...