C-Forum

gotta a small crack ~2" under the pedestal in a WS y. what's the best way to repair? thanx. jet

Depends on who you talk to - folks here have used a lot of different approaches to this and on a whole seem to have had good results.
Approaches span duct tape to plastic welding. I've used both of those approaches and like welding better only because I have a welder and also know I can go duct tape if the weld fails!
Try to do a search on "welding" in the forum - there are a number of good threads on the issue. Good luck and let us know as to questions!

I have had some luck with repairing polyethylene hulls with the two component urethane resins used in tandem with "blue flaming". The two urethane resins that come to mind are the 3M Scotch Weld Urethane Adhesive and the Old Town Discovery Repair Kit. I have used both.
The 3M Scotch Weld Urethane adhesive (Part # 3532 B/A)(2 components) can be purchased from many kayak dealers (Zoar Outdoors for example). You can probably Google it and find a number of adhesive dealers who sell it. The trick to getting urethane adhesive to hold to polyethylene boats is that the kayak hull has to be "blue flamed" immediately prior to applying the adhesive. This is done with a propane torch, moving the blue part of the flame very quickly over the entire surface of the plastic area to where the adhesive is to be applied. You are not trying to melt the plastic, you are just chemically changing the surface of the plastic so that the urethane adhesive bonds with it. I have made repairs on polyethylene hulls with this method that are now 10 years old and there is no sign that the adhesive is coming loose. I repaired a crack in the bottom of my son's creek boat with this method on a kevlar patch, and he has been bouncing down Class 5 creeks for 2 years now with no signs of it letting go. Old Town Canoe also sells a Urethane 2 component adhesive that is basically the same adhesive as 3M's. Old Town advertises it on their web site as their "Discovery Repair Kit" and/or their "Polyethylene Repair Kit". The directions that Old Town provides with the adhesive are excellent and describe the Blue flaming procedure in detail.

I tried to use the plastic welder, but it didn't hold. I now use the duct tape method. Works like a charm. My somewhat hastily done job (I did it as I was running a rapid one time . . . such is the level of patience I have for boat repair) (joking) lasted for like six months dry. I just redid it.

Check out the follow website. That's what I used:

http://kayaking.peak.org/public_html/ho ... epair.html

Better luck than the Pistons,

Alden

good ideas, will look for the 3m repair kits or old town. the whaley welding technigue is probably in line with my capabilities. will keep you posted and probably come back for help. thanx loads. jet

We have filled in bolt holes with those vinyl sticks that you melt. I just can't remember what the sticks are originally made for.

If the boat is old, I would work from the inside out and then place another patch on the outside. Anything that holds and is water tight including a water proof adhesive product made by the Shoe Goo folks.

Chuck