Transducer plate screw or glue?

I’m putting one of those plastic transducer plates on my jon boat. Anyone have any luck using epoxy or 5200? I’ll run a couple screws in it if I have to but prefer to just glue it.

I used a 3/4" think piece of polyethyene plastic and glued it onto the back of an older fiberglass boat about 4 or 5 years ago. It went on easily, and I had no issues with it coming off. The hardest part was finding a way to jig it in place so it stayed there for the 7-day cure time.

I also used 5200 to seal a piece of 1/2 aluminum onto my Tracker for a tranducer about 6 or 7 years ago. That one's on my boat to this day. The funny part is, when I went to replace the trandsucer about 3 years ago, the 5200 under the screws was still wet. So the outside skinned, but the inside hasn't cured to this day.

I am planning on doing the exact same thing (3/4 poly with 5200) onto my Bluefin build later this year. I'm not worried in the least bit. I think I prefer the 5200 over the epoxy because of the long-term flexibility of the 5200 adhesive.

Good luck!

*EDIT*

Found an ond picture:

I would suggest using the 5200 also, good stuff! I had a transom with holes already in it for the transducer, when I switched FF's the transducer holes were different, so instead of drilling more holes in the transom I made a plate, matched up the holes with the plate, drilled the plate, countersunk the screw head area, applied 5200, and screwed it on using the holes already in the transom, then drilled and mounted the transducer to the plate.
That isn't going anywhere and I can still remove it if needed.

To help also achieve a 'mechanical' bond I use a keyway cutter in a router ( cutting tip shaped liked this "/_\" ) to mill some slots in the back of the poly board.

DaleH said:

To help also achieve a 'mechanical' bond I use a keyway cutter in a router ( cutting tip shaped liked this "/_\" ) to mill some slots in the back of the poly board.

Click to expand...

Yeah I was reading that. I don’t have a router but I was going to do what I could with a dremel. Thanks

Bradh said:

Yeah I was reading that. I don’t have a router but I was going to do what I could with a dremel. Thanks

Click to expand...

One can use a drill, just drill holes into poly board, but not through it ... at various angles all over and leave the holes or edges 'rough' inside, gives the goop something to stick to. Make sure to goop those well 1st before adhering, so the goop on the hull mates with it.

I have saltwater boats and once 'glued' a piece of untreated mahogany to the hull of a plastic boat using 5200, for xducer mounting. It lasted 16-years before I replaced it (and yet it was still OK!), and had survived being out of the water from NOV to APR every season too!

Bradh said:

DaleH said:

To help also achieve a 'mechanical' bond I use a keyway cutter in a router ( cutting tip shaped liked this "/_\" ) to mill some slots in the back of the poly board.

Click to expand...

Yeah I was reading that. I don’t have a router but I was going to do what I could with a dremel. Thanks

Click to expand...

Also known as a dovetail bit. Like DaleH says, main thing is to give the epoxy a "mechanical bond" so that it cannot pull loose even if it doesn't stick to the plastic board.