Carpet glue will not dry

I am using rubber backed carpet (for boats they said) from Lowe's, Henry carpet glue, and fiberglass resin coated exterior plywood. Three days and the glue partially dried about 1/4 inch around the circumference but is still as wet as when applied elsewhere. Wrong glue? Is it because of the resin coating? Maybe no air penetration because of the rubber backing? Thinking about trying contact cement. All suggestions are welcome.

What is the temperature? Also, did you apply lotsa pressure, ie with a rolling pin, or 23 pound round steel billet, that makes a nice 4 inch wide roller (worked just fine for me).

Same things I was going to ask. Temperature?, and did you use a notched trowel to apply the glue, then use a rolling pin or other device to even the glue out? I used the rubber backed marine carpet from Lowe's and the outdoor Henry 663 glue on mine. Haven't had any problems.

Waterwings said:

Same things I was going to ask. Temperature?, and did you use a notched trowel to apply the glue, then use a rolling pin or other device to even the glue out? I used the rubber backed marine carpet from Lowe's and the outdoor Henry 663 glue on mine. Haven't had any problems.

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As did I. Only problems I had were when I didn't prep the aluminum. Wire brush to get the corrosion off and walla, it stuck the second time around.

I didn't have bare aluminum to deal with, but rather the painted from factory application. It's not what you would call glass smooth, and all I did was wipe it down real good with a clean rag and some plain water. Maybe the not-so-smooth paint worked to provide some "grip". I'm still wondering about the resin-coated plywood. I wonder if that would cause some type of reaction between the resin and the glue?

Hey guys to answer your questions, yes I used a notched trowel (1/4") and rolled it with a wood rolling pin temp was consistent 72 because after I glued it I have kept it in the house.

Dang, I sure wish I had an answer/fix for you. :-k

I am leaning toward it being the resin?Was is polyester,vinylester,or epoxy resin?Epoxy would not react with the glue but polyester or vinyl would have if it wasn't cured properly.

Forgot to add.Adhesives are solvent based and rely on the evaporating solvent to help cure the glue.Solvents dissolve certain resins.Epoxy isn't as prone to this but it can happen if not cured correctly.

The resin is a polyester base made by Bondo used mostly in the auto industry. It says it is good for wood also. If it was not cured properly wouldn't it be soft or tacky? When I found the glue did not cure I took rags and wiped the glue off leaving the cured resin intact. I an baffled at this but you guys must be right. It has to be some type of reaction from the resin. What are your thoughts on trying contact cement? Do you have another type of glue you might suggest?

I don't know what glue would work over poly resin.The resin shouldn't be tacky.It should be stiff like plastic.If the resin has sit on a shelf for a while it may have went bad.I know guys with home built boats that have had that happen.If the resin is/gets hard you could possibly use a water based paint and then glue it.Look for these solvents on the glues contents label.MEK,methelethyolkeytone(spelling isn't right but close)ethanol,methanol,alcohol,mineral spirits,acetone,petroleum distillates.There are more but these are all I can think of off the top of my head,that will react with poly/vinyl resins.

This is a safety tip for resins.If the resin gets hot to the touch,move it outside and run cool water over it.Resins give off heat while they are curing and can cause flash fires.This is because of the reaction between the resin and hardner.Also,when resin is curing, especially with polyester and vinylester resins,they give of fumes that can cause sickness and death.The warmer the resins gets during the curing,the more fumes and vapors are given off.

Thanks. It did cure hard I will keep your info on the solvent reactions in mind as I look for another type of glue.

I used the rubber backing carpeting from Lowe's and found it to lift easily even after using adhesives.....the backing simply pulls off. In order to counteract this, I used the spray adhesive to attach the carpet on the top of the plywood, but when getting to the rounded edges and the inch and a half underneath, I used liquid nails and staples.....the liquid nails waterproofed the painted edges and the staples helped greatly. I remember somewhere along the way I saw carpet that had no backing, just a random flat mesh on the underside with very small openings....would have worked better, even on paste type adhesives. Just had forgotten about it when shopping Lowe's.

thanks Mac I may try the liquid nails on the fold over. If I had known of the problem I am having I would have bought the carpet you mentioned. Lowe's had that type in almost the same color as the rubber backed I bought. It was quite a bit less money also. I just thought the rubber would keep some of the water from the deck boards. Now that I think back that was fairly dumb because I knew I was going to coat the wood with resin and that would protect it.

I used the same reasoning you did, about the backing being waterproof, and to a degree it is....it also feels a tad nicer to walk on....not really a mistake, just doesn't hold up well. I'm also not forseeing any real problems with it, just learned there is a better way to go next time. Good Fishing, Mac