Repair of an inflatable dinghy

[pinayreefer]

We bought one of these for a dinghy
West Marine HP-275 and unfortunately scraped it against a piling with oyster shells and got a leak. Twice I’ve tried to repair it with this,Inflatable repair kit according to instructions, recommended by West and have not had success. The leak in the material is small, but when I add a patch it always leaks around an edge. Twice I’ve tried and am now asking if anyone has any “secrets” to success or should I be using some other kind of patch material.
Thanks in advance for any assistance!

[kd3pc]

either the boat is not PVC, or you are not cleaning/abrading well enough... either way, I would contact NRS (NRS - Kayaking Gear, Rafting Supplies and Boating Equipment) and ask them for the correct patch/adhesive materials...

[hellosailor]

West shows the boat as PVC, which indicates the repair is not being made correctly.

A PVC repair patch is a fusion weld. Both surfaces (boat and patch) need to be clean, preferably surgically clean, and the patch preferably clamped or weighted while the glue is curing, so there is 100% solid-to-solid contact and the two pieces of PVC can fuse.

If it is done properly the new material literally melts into the old and the leak is fixed. There are plenty of above-ground pools made from PVC that are repaired the same way. If all else fails, take it to West or a swimming pool store and pay them to fix it while you watch & learn.

Odds are, the surfaces aren't clean enough, or the patch wasn't clamped/weighted for full contact.

[HDChopper]

+1 hellosailor.

Secret is just old scool...if no way to "clamp" or like hello said "weight it" use the old roller method.

A " rubber " patch roller is just a screwdriver handle with a knerled 1" wheel mounted on the end to roll from center out to edge once all the way round you can just roll all over it till you see the edge is down then weight it down and let cure...I can't see any reason it shouldn't work with PVC....

[Thestar]

Make sure the damaged area is sanded with fine grade sandpaper wet & dry type best. Then use nail polish remover to clean the area acetone type NOT the oil type repeate after it has had ten mins to dry in the air then Re-clean it again. Apply the repair adhesive to both damaged area and patch then clamp for 24hrs.

Tried and tested by meself this works.

Hope you have some joy from it too.

Kindest Regards

Will

[pinayreefer]

The original instructions didn't mention clamping so I'll try that. I used acetone but not the two step cleaning and I'll use the fine sandpaper too.
Thanks so much. I feel confident that with those extra steps it'll work this time, but if not, then I'll get out the blowtorch and fuse it! Actually I remember as a kid helping my dad patch car tire tubes with a method that involved lighting the glue on the tube!

[HDChopper]

Ya the sanding & acetone is paramount , belive it or not I still have an old camel hot patch clamp in my tool box lol (haven't used it in many years)

Good luck...

[Thestar]

Your most welcome Pinayreefer the adhesive under the patch needs a spotless clean surface the sanding gives a flat surface and a key to bed the stuff down clamp keeps it all in place and the 24hrs ensures the adhesive is dry from edge to center.

I wish you every success.

Kindest Regards

Will

[hellosailor]

If anyone used ArmorAll or a similar product on the dink within the last six months? that would probably stop a patch from bonding. You'd need to solvent clean multiple times to get that out of the surface, not just off of it.

With sandpaper, it is important to solvent clean BEFORE sanding as well as after. Because when you sand, you embed whatever was on the surface, into the grooves you make with the sandpaper. And I'd use a wet-or-dry type sandpaper, which tends to leave less residue from the grit.

Surgically clean.

[UPHILL]

Ok,

The secret is:

Use MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) it is the solvent to clean and prep the PVC.

When applying "glue" (NRS uses LA4123 from Cliffton Adhesives, Inc.) Put thin layer on both patch and boat, let dry. 20 min. or so.


Put thin layer on both patch and boat, let dry. 20 min. or so.

not a typo.

Now that you have done the 2 coats, put last coat on and wait till almost dry, say 15 to 18 min. Now apply together using any tool that will mush the two parts together, as said before.

The thought is, not to trap the VOC/fumes in "glue" or the reaction of the PVC and "glue" between patch and boat.

I say this because I have a PVC and a Urethane 13' white water raft. I have glued in some extra D rings and that's how I was told to do it. Never had a hole in one so far.

Hope that helps,