1 minute ago, plonkster said:

Then again, Sikaflex is over R200 a can! But it is excellent and worth what you pay for it. The only place I have not had success is with a plastic shower base. The Sikaflex won't bond to it.

I have a shower upstairs on top of my garage, sitting on a wooden floor. The floor flexes slightly with the weight of the occupant, so a flexible movable seal is required between the base and the tiles on the wall. I've tried many products but none of them last more than a few months. Then the water starts leaking through into the garage. If you have advice with that... that would be greatly appreciated :-)

I mainly use Sikaflex FC11 and that is around R120 for a 300ml tube IIRC. It is strange that it does not stick to the shower tray - is daar nie dalk van die vorige probeerslae se silicone ens. wat aan die shower tray vassit en dat dit dalk die rede is hoekom die Sikaflex nie wil kleef nie? Only other thing I can think of which might do the trick is ABE Laykold - it should stick to the shower tray and the surrounding area and also stays flexible - you might have to apply a few thick coats though.

3 hours ago, superdiy said:

is daar nie dalk van die vorige probeerslae se silicone ens. wat aan die shower tray vassit

Nope, cleaned it, even used a bit of sanding paper to make a rougher texture to aid bonding. In the beginning it seems to work but then it breaks away.

I'll try the Laykold. Thanks :-)

4 hours ago, plonkster said:

Nope, cleaned it, even used a bit of sanding paper to make a rougher texture to aid bonding. In the beginning it seems to work but then it breaks away.

I'll try the Laykold. Thanks :-)

Hey where is the pictures? Come ouens we need more ideas with all those fancy glues 

On 11/2/2016 at 8:11 PM, PaulF007 said:

Hey where is the pictures? Come ouens we need more ideas with all those fancy glues 

The okes in the US of A have something called sugru, which seems like it could stick to just about anything. 

And then we have something called "sticks like shit!", and it reall does stick that well

On 10/28/2016 at 8:13 AM, superdiy said:

Here's mine. Unistrut connected with stainless steel angle brackets. I had the brackets lasercut and bended. Sikaflex in-between everything.

 

Panels secured with standard mounting hardware, but I've added stainless steel angles and ball-bearings in the heads of the cap-screws to prevent easy removal of the panels - the allen key won't go into the head of the cap-screw and if you try to use pliers or a vice-grip around the head of the cap-screw, you won't be able to turn it.

Looks impressive and secure! I am curious though to know if you will be able to remove the panels yourself with the ball bearings?

On 10/28/2016 at 0:15 PM, plonkster said:

I did the first frame using Duram P5 as primer and 3 layers of P4 on top. That worked very well. Then the local hardware store didn't have any P4 on that day and I bought DTM instead. Same manufacturer... but complete rubbish.

Duram poly urethane also is unbeatable! I used it on a homemade pipe-on-plate water heater encased in a wooden box with shatterpruff glass etc. This paint just lasts and lasts, despite direct exposure to the most harsh climatic conditions.

11 hours ago, SOLARWIND said:

Looks impressive and secure! I am curious though to know if you will be able to remove the panels yourself with the ball bearings?

If I need to remove a panel there will be ways, e.g. cutting a slit with a 1mm blade on an angle grinder into the head of the capscrew etc. etc. The idea is to make it more difficult to remove, but if you want to there will always be a way to.

 

2 hours ago, superdiy said:

If I need to remove a panel there will be ways, e.g. cutting a slit with a 1mm blade on an angle grinder into the head of the capscrew etc. etc. The idea is to make it more difficult to remove, but if you want to there will always be a way to.

Prestik?

With the ball in the cap, assuming it's held in by gravity (smaller than the hole) and not jammed in with a hammer, can't you use a magnet to remove it, for example one of those things you use to scavenge dropped bolts from the engine bays of European cars... :-)

6 minutes ago, plonkster said:

With the ball in the cap, assuming it's held in by gravity (smaller than the hole) and not jammed in with a hammer, can't you use a magnet to remove it, for example one of those things you use to scavenge dropped bolts from the engine bays of European cars... :-)

That ball looks non-ferrous and so a magnet may not work but we will wait for SuperDIY's definitive reply.

Press stick ?

Those pictures were taken soon after installation. They are standard mild steel balls which started to rust after the first shower. I then took them out one-by-one, using a magnet, and "properly" coated them with some gp grease and put them back in. There will be ways to get them out, their purpose is to deter and to slow down the removal process.

My panels are fixed using clips that byte into the panel and metal. You have to use a special tool to remove them. When we moved 3 of my panels it was very difficult to get them loose even with the tool. I will have to get on the roof to show them but they look something like this.

 

 

 

they are a british make by a company aRaymond -  the clip is called " powerSnap" it is meant to be an antitheft device as well. just do not use them in high wind areas....i had the misfortune of using them in the early days on a roof in Camps Bay, they stayed clipped to the galv roof frame but sheared right out of the aluminium of the pv frame leaving nice square "bite marks" out of the frames....

We use these brackets for IBR roofs. It's aluminium, so no rust or corrosion. Will probably outlast the panels  

On 11/7/2016 at 10:55 AM, Chris Hobson said:

 

Prestik?

Magnet?

Just now, DeepBass9 said:

Magnet?

some grease on a stick will work as well.

 

Thieves would probably not carry any of these with them so just hide all your prestik, magnets and grease at night

Just now, SilverNodashi said:

some grease on a stick will work as well.

 

Thieves would probably not carry any of these with them so just hide all your prestik, magnets and grease at night

The problem is from my own and others experience with borehole solar panels is that the thieves bugger up the panels trying to get them out.

1 minute ago, DeepBass9 said:

The problem is from my own and others experience with borehole solar panels is that the thieves bugger up the panels trying to get them out.

Well, those who want to steal them, will, no matter what! This just deters them a bit

Next time I have panels in the celd on my borehole I'm going to paint on the back in big neon orange letters "reward offered for return of this panel contact ....."

19 hours ago, DeepBass9 said:

Next time I have panels in the celd on my borehole I'm going to paint on the back in big neon orange letters "reward offered for return of this panel contact ....."

One of the electric fence companies sell a product called a "shock box" which can house your batteries and an electric fence energizer, which can then be mounted below the panels, so would be thieves will be shocked if they try and steal it. 

Look here: http://www.nemtek.co.za/security/enclosures/aluminium-shock-box/enclosure-shock-box.aspx and 

The feet are isolated so as not to cause an ground fault. 

You could probably build one yourself?

Or it would be quite easy to hook up an alarm and lights. 

Just now, DeepBass9 said:

Or it would be quite easy to hook up an alarm and lights. 

Yup. 

Decided to expand my PV by taking advantage of a north-facing wall. This called for some creativity on the mounting structure. The 6x JA Solar array turned out very nicely and well ventilated compared to the East-facing roof mounted Canadians.

For the support structure weilded some 50x50mm angle iron and fixed to the wall with some robots. 6m mounting rails with aluminium end clamps and mid-clamps hold the panels together neatly I think. The mid clamps leave nice spaces for ventilation

1 hour ago, Kalito said:

50x50mm angle iron

I have two frames made out of 40x40 angle iron. That stuff is insanely useful. The important thing is to treat them with the right kind of paint/covering. My one frame is holding up very well. The other one is rusting and I plan on replacing it with an aluminium frame.