An Amazing Development

Word around the docks these days is that, still, there’s no way to easily bond King Starboard—a poly product popular with today’s boat builders and restorers—either to itself or to other surfaces, whether wood, metal, fiberglass, or whatever.

- Capt. Bill Pike

Oh sure, there are a couple of adhesives kicking around these days that will actually bond Starboard to itself but, prior to using them, extensive preparations are necessary. More to the point, the surfaces involved must be first abraded with medium-grit sandpaper. Then they must be thoroughly cleaned with a solvent like acetone, Toluene or alcohol. Then finally, they must be flame-treated, meaning a propane torch must be applied in a highly specific and complicated way. Scorching (and possible discoloration) is always a possibility and the bonding process has to occur less than an hour after the flame treatment.