C-Forum

Is it bad to apply it when it's about 30 degrees F?
Or does temperature not affect contact cement?
It's my first time using it so i don't want it to go the way of my 3M 5200 tube.

also-does contact cement work well on plastic boats like the spanish fly?

I really doubt it would work at 30 degrees. I've had trouble even at about 50 degrees.

Thanks. Guess I'll be working with duct tape for a while still.

Aaron:

Bring the boat in the house and turn up the heat, then you can make your repairs.

Do this now, while you are young. If you try this when you are married you will be in big trouble. Turning up the heat for your boat when you would not turn it up for your wife is a dangerous thing!

Regarding ducks: they know their whitewater. At Satan's Kingdom I have seen Merganser ducklings, really tiny, zip right through all in formation and make every move clean. I have also seen mergansers mating as they paddle right through the main drop.

Good luck with your repairs.

I think I'll have some trouble bringing the 14' whitesell inside. It'll take me until next summer to rearrange everything in the house. Thanks for the input though. I think I'll just wait until the next freakishly warm day, gonna guess...March 12? Yeah, March 12 sounds like a decent guess.

The duck we saw was screaming down lower crystal when it was at about 2800.

Usually those adhesives will have a note somewhere on the can that gives a temperature range for ideal bonding.

I got a 3 oz. bottle from KayakOutfitting. The only labels on the bottle say how explosive and poisonous it is.

Another option that would work in cold weather, depending on what you're gluing, would be to use hot glue. It works well for gluing foam to foam, but I'm not sure about foam to Royalex. Might be worth a shot though.

Contact cement won't work in cold weather.

I found that once applied, I let dry completely, then heat up with heat gun to reactivate the glue and this has provided with the best bonds. (try contact gel, it will fill the voids better then just regular glue).

Obviously if it's really cold...this will impact the heat up part and efficiency of the glue.

BTW I would drop the idea of gluing inside you house...unless you want to recreate the ''Rock Show feeling ''.

Have fun with your duct tape for now...

This might work. Prep all of your foam parts inside where it is warm.
Meanwhile having taped a sheet plastic covering over your canoe with a hair dryer duct taped or clamped to a thwart so it does not directly shoot right on the hull, get it nice and warm. Stick a thermometer in the boat to monitor the temp. When it is warm enough apply the contact cement and then use the hairdryer or a heat gun to force dry the contact cement (about 1 min) until the wet shine goes away. Then you are ready to stick you foam on.

You could probably get away with just locally heating the areas you need to glue to with a heat gun. But be careful not to get it too hot and cause a delamination of the hull.

Meanwhile having taped a sheet plastic covering over your canoe with a hair dryer duct taped or clamped to a thwart so it does not directly shoot right on the hull, get it nice and warm

Sounds like I could get it to work, but everything would probably fall off a million times until I got the setup right. Plus, I don't think I could borrow my mom's hair dryer and get away with it.

The second way sounds easy but I don't like the "delamination of the hull" part.

Thanks all, guess I'll just keep waiting for that next freakishly warm day.[/quote]

Yes, I think that is your best bet, unless you know someone whose garage you could borrow. I personally would never, ever use contact cement in the house. The fumes are terrible...

I had to do some outfitting work on my open boat a couple of winters ago and ended up putting the boat in my garage raised up about 3-4 ft. (the ends were supported by various objects) and stuck a space heater underneath the boat for about an hour. Made the hull nice and warm.

Two words...heat gun.

Work lights work as well to produce heat for a smaller area.

Regardless of the heat method - BE CAREFUL - remember, if you're using the "good stuff" it's FLAMMABLE!

Another option for outfitting, which I like the more I use it - a hot glue gun. Yes, it's not as permanent as contact cement, but for a season or so it'll hold, and then you know if that's where you want the foam or not:)

I've use small electric heater(s) w/thermostats and laid cardboard across gunwhales... have glued parts - as well as cured fiberglass using this method ... best ones were small heaters with a blower (fan) and using a lower-to-middle heat setting - not really trying to bake things

In my old glass boat days, this was the only way to keep boating all winter long.

you must provide ventilation for the heater, or they will overheat kick off... usually just don't cover entire boat with cardboard.

and remember that with contact cement - you want parts to be almost dry before, putting together...this will work to your favor... let parts dry to the point that you can touch without glue sticking to finger, but not dry ... SO DRYING TIME once parts are together - will be minimum

Also if missing directions... when using Contact Cement... the porous materials will need to be coated twice (once then dry, and then a second)