C-Forum

Is it true that it's next to impossible to glue anything on the hull of a L'Edge? I'm thinking of buying me one (open L'Edge ) and would like to glue D Ring Anchors on the hull underneath the airbags so that I can attach gear for overnight trips. Is there a special glue or should I forget the whole idea?

Haven't people had success with Gflex?

gflex has instructions for gluing with plastic, Ive known people who iys worked out well for foam

Thanks guys. Looks like G-Flex could do the job! You can even use it to fix ABS! Nice.

If using G flex make sure to allow proper curing time as per the directions.
It makes a big difference of how will it would.

Pop rivet and weld over the rivet head...

TheKrikkitWars wrote:Pop rivet and weld over the rivet head...

Yep. That is exactly what I would do to a brand new boat.



Gflex works for basically everything, but it would be easier to just stuff things under the bags and inflate them.

TNbound wrote:

TheKrikkitWars wrote:Pop rivet and weld over the rivet head...

Yep. That is exactly what I would do to a brand new boat.

You've got a 9'2" x 1'4" hole in the top, two 5mm holes which have been properly riveted and welded over smoothly aren't likely to make any tangable difference...

This said, I agree that just stuffing whatever under the bags (or under the lacing on the bags), inflating and saving all that time, money and and effort seems much more logical.

TheKrikkitWars wrote:

TNbound wrote:

TheKrikkitWars wrote:Pop rivet

Yep.

two 5mm holes which have been properly riveted and welded over smoothly aren't likely to make any tangable difference...

I think it could be a weak point to start a crack, especially since it is a location that L'edges seem to have had problems. I don't think I could bring myself to drill through the bottom of any boat, especially a new one I just dropped $1700 on.

Glue a large piece of thin minicel to the bottom of the boat with good old red can Weldwood, then glue a daisy chain to the minicel.

What I've been doing for over a decade-

Take a piece of 3/4" or 1" Schedule 20 PVC and punch a hole near the bottom of the saddle at either end you prefer, cut a piece of the same pipe to fit, tie a loop in a piece of parachute chord, polypro, 1/4" spectra, whatever, in a loop through the tube, clip whatever you want to it.

Also, I believe Wayne (creeker) has some experience packing camera stuff without using d-rings, maybe he could post

TNbound wrote: just stuff things under the bags and inflate them.

This is what I would do.

G Flex works fine on polyethylene, but you must prep the surface exactly as West Systems describes by flame treating it. Poly is non-polar and chemically inert and adhesives won't bind to it unless flame, chemical, or plasma pretreatment is done first.

A handheld propane torch will work. First clean the hull well with denatured or isopropyl alcohol and allow to dry. Then pass the torch over the surface. You need to have the inner blue cone of the flame just contact the hull. You can move the flame over the surface fairly quickly as you don't want to melt, or even heat up the plastic much. What you are doing is temporarily oxidizing the surface. You can actually check to see that you have done this by putting some water on the flamed hull. On the untreated hull water will bead but on the flamed hull it will sheet. Make sure you don't miss any areas with the flame tip.

Try to do the epoxy work as soon as possible after the treatment since the oxidation process is temporary.

TNbound wrote:I think it could be a weak point to start a crack, especially since it is a location that L'edges seem to have had problems. I don't think I could bring myself to drill through the bottom of any boat, especially a new one I just dropped $1700 on.

Well pretty much every kayak I've seen has two holes at the waterline which are expected to deal with being shock loaded with several hundred kilograms of force; yet it's rare for them to split there even when people put person (and boat) breaking forces onto them.

I hear you about the intimdating nature of taking a drill to a new boat though...

Alternatively bend a piece of metal to have a u-shape with two flanges, then place a d-ring in the u-channel, set it on the floor of the boat where you want it and contact-weld two squares of plastic over the flanges to attach them to the hull.