C-Forum

How do the pro boat converters fill unused holes in their hulls?

Is there a more elegant solution than bolts and rubber washers? I've found these to be snag-prone (on the interior of the hull, that is.)

Dumb question, I know . . .

A quick DIY for plastic boats is to take a clear/ white plastic cutting board and slice it into thin strips. Take a soldering iron and melt those strips into the hole (dam the inside with tape).

You can also have most shops weld it for you, anyone selling good poly boats should have some type of equipment.

Duct Tape

Eric Nyre wrote:A quick DIY for plastic boats is to take a clear/ white plastic cutting board and slice it into thin strips. Take a soldering iron and melt those strips into the hole (dam the inside with tape).

Perfect! That's the kind of quick and dirty fix I was looking for.

Use a P-tex stick (polyethelene stick) purchased from a ski/snowboard shop. A 12" stick sells for $3:00, sometimes you can color match the hull. Back with tape as well.

I always liked backing with tape on the inside and filling with hot glue (hot glue gun). I did it once as a temp fix, and it worked so well I've continued on plastic boats (particularly at or above waterline).

That said, I like the Ptex idea too, though I suspect the Ptex flexes less than the hull, while the hot glue flexes more than the hull (less likely to chip out), BUT, Ptex might actually bond better. I'll have to keep thinking about that one.

Goop. The do it all glue. I have used it to make "grunch pads" on royalex, quickly bond minicell (as a contact cement), to fill bolt holes big and small (duct tape on the outside, lay it on thick on the inside), patch defects in rotomolded sit-on-tops (holes near the seam lines in the drain holes), etc.

Lay it on in thin layers and you can build up to 1/4" or better. Tough stuff. I put some as a stop gap on my flat water canoe where the end was wearing thin about 8 years ago. Haven't needed to replace it...

Goop - it's the duct tape of the glue world.
Works great on flotation bags too. Slather a gob on the leak. Lasts for years. I keep a tube in my boating bag.

And I was just thinking that we haven't had a single adhesive post on this board in quite a while. Nice job!

I've duct taped over the inside of the holes in my Atom, filled the hole with caulking, and duct taped the outside of the holes. No great vapor factor there and it does remain pliable, but like Scott B. says, "Haven't needed to replace it...".

KNeal

wait, if you plug the holes, how are you going to use the boat to pour your beer at a party?
the p-tex/inside duct tape usually works.
-isaac

bearboater wrote:wait, if you plug the holes, how are you going to use the boat to pour your beer at a party?
the p-tex/inside duct tape usually works.
-isaac

That's what the drain plug is for... ...Cheers!

martin a.k.a. the great gonzo!