PVC Dinghy repair
- Thread starter Ken13559
- Start date
You stick patches with inflated and rub down real hard then suddenly deflate to draw the glue into the patch
We've been very successful in gluing lifting points to the inflatable and extending it's life by a bit after similar problems.
The most important thing to understand is that both surfaces must be absolutely clean and that there can be no shiny surfaces where you glue, which makes what you are attempting almost impossible. We sand so that there is little grey left and we can clearly see the cloth, then wipe with acetone, insuring even our fingerprints are wiped off.
Then on the inflated dinghy, we use 303 epoxy and manually hold the parts together for an hour or so (bring your IPod). Generally our lifting tangs last 4 to 5 years (250# Zodiac with the engine on) in the tropical sun and hanging on the davits every single night and underway. Then when they do come loose, we just clean all the old glue off all the surfaces and reglue, for another 4 to 5 years of use and hanging on the davits, which is pretty much the end of the dinghy's lifespan, in the tropics with no special care at all.
All that said, with the incredible difficulty of getting the parts you need to glue clean enough for any glue to hold, if the dinghy is worth anything to you, it would behoove you to have that job done by the professionals.
The most important thing to understand is that both surfaces must be absolutely clean and that there can be no shiny surfaces where you glue, which makes what you are attempting almost impossible. We sand so that there is little grey left and we can clearly see the cloth, then wipe with acetone, insuring even our fingerprints are wiped off.
Then on the inflated dinghy, we use 303 epoxy and manually hold the parts together for an hour or so (bring your IPod). Generally our lifting tangs last 4 to 5 years (250# Zodiac with the engine on) in the tropical sun and hanging on the davits every single night and underway. Then when they do come loose, we just clean all the old glue off all the surfaces and reglue, for another 4 to 5 years of use and hanging on the davits, which is pretty much the end of the dinghy's lifespan, in the tropics with no special care at all.
All that said, with the incredible difficulty of getting the parts you need to glue clean enough for any glue to hold, if the dinghy is worth anything to you, it would behoove you to have that job done by the professionals.
Capta, I had my WM RU3 repaired under warranty once. Some years after, the agent suggest I buy new and not repair again 'cos it's more than 10years old. More business for them. The dinghy is still good and only see sun twice a year. Looks great except for the glued corners. So I'm determine to fix it myself.
I'll give it a shot. Thanks for pointers.
Ken Y
I'll give it a shot. Thanks for pointers.
Ken Y