Laminate fading

S

SLW

Active member
exMember
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
RO Number
2186
Messages
1,372
I've looked at 3 4260's recently, and on all three examples, the cabinetry and bulkhead laminate is fading.

Here's an example:

1989929_12_thumb.jpg


I've heard a few theories to explain it, but I'm not sure I believe them. One is that the laminate is sensitive to sunlight, but the position of many of these panels is such that direct sunlight would never hit it. Another theory was that the glue used to adhere to the laminate to the structure bleeds through. I'm not sure about that either. I wondered if they were confusing this issue with SeaRay's glue problems with Vitricore.

Has anyone else dealt with this? What's the cause, and is there a remedy?
 
this is classic failure of the finishing. moisture is making its way into the finish and turning it milky. its happening to my boat now and i'm told from my cabinet maker that there is nothing i can do about it short of replacing the wood. :-(

i think keeping the a/c on to reduce humidity will slow it down, but not prevent it.
 
thanks Vic. Do you know what the finish is? It appears to be a synthetic laminate, glued to panels, but the edges have a slight countour to them that complicates covering over it. I wouldn't be concerned if it were only the door and drawer facias - those would be easy to remove and repair, but the bulkheads and built-ins could be a real challenge.

Since I have your attention, is there anything else you would tell someone looking at '03 and '04 4260's? Can the dash accept large displays?
 
I'm wondering if a product such as Liquid Gold might make the panels look better? It is worth a try and if you see improvement, then reapply the LG every 4-6 months to help maintain them.
 
the lamanite is real cherry over plywood and there's nothing you can do when it turns like that except replace it. because of the intracy of the layout, i would suggest contacting regal to purchase this type of cabinentry as their supplier will have the jigs to make it up and it should be alot less than having it made just for your boat. still a big ticket. if you are looking for a raymarine C or E series plotter, no it won't fit in the older style of dash. you would have to replace the whole dash with the newer style and i think that means re locating the some of the bridge switches to the gunnel. some things are better left on the list of features the next boat will have.
 
Liquid Gold is made for real wood. Give it a try. It might save you a ton of $$$$$$
 
the finish on the wood is a heavy polyester resin that creates a closed grain high build finish. the milky appearance is moisture in the resin not the wood. i don't believe there is anything that can undo this process other than replacing the finish which in this case is nearly impossible without enormous effort. i would suggest two things to try and manage the process, keep sunlight and moisture at bay. use canvas hatch covers and draw the curtains and run the a/c units to hold the moisture down. the good news is the problem generally seems to be with the plywood not the solid stock that is finished by the fabricator. the plywood is a metric size thickness on my boat as it was fabricated in italy. very hard to source here in the states. but you can buy prefinished cherry plywood and replace the doors and flat areas. the hard part is the curved rail under the counter top.
 
If it is just the finish hire out a wood refinish kinda guy. Commonmedic just had an issue with his 4060 and they sanded down the cabinets and refinished them. Word has it they turned out really nice. You may want to PM him and find out the scoop.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top