Re: 3M 5200 - Any equals for less $ ????
Years ago I trash picked an old aluminum 10' V hull row boat, it had been dropped on the highway and abandoned and had one lower rear corner of the stern smashed in and ground away leaving about an inch wide opening about 10" long. Not having any means to weld or properly repair this with, I used the first super adhesive that I was familiar with. I hammered the opening closed to form two parallel edges, cut and shaped a piece of wood to fit into the lower transom to bottom seam, and sealled it with automotive windshield urethane prior to bolting in the wood brace. I then coated the entire repair and all seams in the area with the same sealer. It wasn't pretty but it was water proof. I only used that boat for dock maintenance since it let me get up around and under the docks and pilings on the lake, but it lasted at least 8 years, and is most likely still being used today. The total cost of the repair was about $4 at the time and one trash picked table leg which I used for the wood filler.
If you ever tried to remove a car windshield or the sealer from the glass or metal, you know what stuff I am talking about. It also takes paint well.
At the time, I had never heard of 4200 or 5200, and was no way spending the money on getting it welded. I can only picture what it would take to remove that stuff if someone ever wanted to do a proper fix on that boat. These days there are epoxies and all sorts of adhesives to choose from but 15 years ago, the automotive windshield urethane was the best I could come up with and it worked great. (It wasn't the prettiest repair, the stuff is a shiny black color that looks about like black RTV when dry).
