Will vinyl decals stick to King Starboard?

mako172

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Sep 25, 2009
Messages
30
I just constructed two new hatch covers out of king starboard. I want to put custom vinyl decals on the covers but I don't know if it will stick. Starboard has a mild texturing and I'm told resists some adhesives. Does anyone have any experience with this?
 

JoLin

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
5,146
Re: Will vinyl decals stick to King Starboard?

If you go to Starboard's own site, you'll find that the material is hard to glue and requires special adhesive.

My guess is that decals won't last very long.
 

Knightgang

Lieutenant
Joined
Oct 6, 2003
Messages
1,428
Re: Will vinyl decals stick to King Starboard?

If you go to Starboard's own site, you'll find that the material is hard to glue and requires special adhesive.

My guess is that decals won't last very long.

Agreed.....
 

reelfishin

Captain
Joined
Mar 19, 2007
Messages
3,050
Re: Will vinyl decals stick to King Starboard?

I ran my first boat for 4 years prior to painting it with the numbers affixed to a starboard panel hanging in the side of the cuddy cabin. They stuck just fine to it. I'm sure they would peel off if I tried but they never washed off or came unstuck on their own. Just make sure you clean it well before applying your decals.
The adhesive warnings are most likely meant for structural joints, in which case you would need to either use a mechanical fastener or heat to properly join the stuff.

Think of it this way, they make sign panels from similar plastics and apply vinyl to them. Also, many of the lighted signs you see are made from Lexan or Plexiglass which are lettered with vinyl lettering.

If your using a textured version, I'd apply some heat when applying the decal then make sure the surface is super clean. No textured surface is ideal for vinyl application but it can be done with some success.
 
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