How many owners of inflatable boats in the world, the same number who want to know what to do in case of damage. How to glue the formed cuts and punctures, how to do it qualitatively? Well, there is nothing impossible if you know what properties glue for repairing a PVC boat should have , as well as some methods of its use, without which you can not achieve a good result.
Based on the experience of experienced "boat piercers", we can say the following:
- In an effort to save money, you should not buy cheap glue for repairing a watercraft. Obviously, the substance contained in such a tube cannot be glued at all. On the other hand, it is also irrational to acquire unjustifiably expensive glue for a PVC boat, there is no need to pay more.
- For high-quality and durable repair of an inflatable boat , Superglue from the cyanoacrylate series is not suitable. With it, you can instantly glue anything, but, alas, not for long.
- In the composition of some types of glue there are special resins that increase the stickiness, but worsen the quality. If the dried adhesive film sticks strongly to the fingers during operation, it is better not to use this tool for repair.
- The glue for the PVC boat must be heat-resistant (information is indicated on the tube). The fact is that the polyvinyl chloride material is very hot under sunlight, so that the patch can inadvertently "float away" from the boat at the most inopportune moment. The higher the temperature that the adhesive used for repair can withstand, the better.
- Special glue is always preferable to universal, because it better takes into account the characteristics of glued materials.
- The surfaces to be bonded must be absolutely dry, even air humidity matters for the bonding process.
- To obtain greater strength, the glue for a PVC boat in the bonding area is recommended to be heated to 70 degrees, for example, with a hairdryer or a warm iron. Warming up increases the plasticization of surfaces and effectively activates the adhesive composition, and also avoids micro-gaps in the seam. Note that some types of glue do not require heating.
The range of specialized adhesives of domestic and foreign production is very diverse, and the quality of the product is praised in every tube and bottle in the most excellent degrees. However, it must be borne in mind that the ideal adhesive for the PVC boat is polyurethane, it is with the help of it that the repair work can be performed most qualitatively and durable. The strength of the connection, if used, sometimes even exceeds the strength of the fabric itself.
Good performance is given by
two-component glue for PVC boats, especially the one that sets during heating. It is these compositions that are used for gluing boats in production. As the repair work experience shows, Desmokol, Vinikol-1520, 900I, Moment, Kristall, and Winstik adhesives are especially effective.
The gluing technique algorithm: prepare the glue ( mix two-component in the right proportion), degrease the gluing area and the patch with acetone, apply a layer of glue on them and withstand the period of time specified in the instructions. Then attach the patch in place and carefully roll it, while warming up. After that, the boat should be inflated without creating excessive pressure, but only until it takes shape, and left for 1-2 days so that the adhesive joint gains full strength.
That's all the basic wisdom of a small current repair of PVC boats.