Dissolve/dismantle.

Ivan Flex · 01 April 2020, 11:55

Hi guys,

I've got a PVC boat that has developed a leak where two independant tubes are glued together from the factory. I'm guessing it has been exposed to stress that has torn the tubes apart and because of the strong glue the material has damaged.
I tried to add a patch but it's nearly impossible in the seam between the two tubes.
Therefor I was thinking if I can dissolve the glue between the two tubes to get more space and add a patch to each of the two tubes.
Is it possible to dissolve the factory glue without damaging the PVC?
It seems very strong...

brveagle · 01 April 2020, 12:28

What boat is it? How old?

I had a pvc zodiac grand raid mk3 that had the same leak. Once those older PVC boats start leaking there, everything i read, and experienced first hand was that it was not worth fixing. I struggled with getting it to seal before just trashing the whole boat.

Fenlander · 01 April 2020, 12:43

Hi Ivan and welcome to the forum.

A photo would help loads but as said above this may be the end of the boat. You can peel apart seams with solvent and blunt scraper then clean up the old glue but it can be a dreadful job and then you have to wonder if your gluing skills are enough to trust on the water??

Also if you get the solvent anywhere near seams you are not repairing it can cause their glue to degrade after a period.

https://www.ribstore.co.uk/collectio...cleaner-primer

Ivan Flex · 01 April 2020, 13:07

It's actually a kayak - only a year old.
Can I use Acetone?

Quite a picture...

Fenlander · 01 April 2020, 14:04

Has that been repaired before with "blue gunge"?

It looks a fiddly place to repair but I think I get your theory... get the two tubes apart then repair each to hold pressure then glue them back together??

But only a year old... is it a low price item not worth repairing?

Ivan Flex · 01 April 2020, 14:15

Yes, I did initially and naively try to patch it up with the repair kit that came with it.
Ripped it off 2 days later when I realised it wasn’t sufficient.
I now got the tubes further apart with a sharp knife, a lot of patience and a steady hand.
Time to sand off the old glue now.
Acetone?

lightning · 04 April 2020, 09:56

If it’s only a year old and that has happened, l would be returning it to the supplier for a warranty claim.