How to repair PVC / Glue (Zodiac Futura)

[shaun2020]

Hi all,

Could someone please point me in the right direction where & how to start preparing & remove old glue from my Zodiac Futura so I can re-glue the bits that need repaired,

I have been advised to purchase Acetone & MEK, I have 1 litre of each now, but not sure where or how to start, or which way around to use the MEK / Acetone, and will I have to scrub hard etc to remove the old glue, do I use a brillo pad or similar or will the old glue just easily lift off with the MEK or Acetone?

Thanks to all in advance

[Rogue Wave]

The two things will do the same job so just use one. I'd use MEK but only cos its easier to source in a hurry

Try using a lint free cloth to apply the solvent and see how things develop. At a push I would use a Scotchbrite pad but carefully and finish with a cloth. Keep at it until its clean and old glue free then your ready to glue. do not use heat or abrasion

if the glueing happens at a later date re apply the solvent prior to gluing. I'd advise using two part glue.

Plenty of info available on the RIBSTOR,, IBS AND POLYMARINE WEBSITES

To be honest I find repairing PVC easier as a process than Hypalon , the thing to remember is that the preparation is done by solvent and not abrasion

[shaun2020]

Hi Rogue Wave,

Thank you for your quick reply, I plan to do all the preparation while the weather is crap if I can bare the cold and then I will wait for a break in the weather when it is a bit milder before I start gluing,

I take it I will need two days for the two part glue to dry fully to be on the safe side,

any idea what sort of temprature would be ok to start gluing, 10 degrees ish? I am trying to repair the bits and pieces I need to do before the weather improves, so I don,t loose valuable time out on the boat,

When you advise to re apply the solvent if I am gluing at a later date, which I will be due the heat wave we are not having, is this just to clean the PVC before the actual glue is put on, and I take it after I put the MEK on before I glue, do I make sure the MEK is wiped off & cleaned off fully with water before applying the glue?

Thanks again,

[Peter_C]

I use Acetone to clean and MEK for a pre-glue wipe. The MEK softens the PVC to allow the glue to stick better. Acetone is not as harsh on the PVC. For removing pieces still glued heat is your friends. As mentioned above the coarsest Scotchbrite pad, which is grey, works wonders on removing the old glue. I dip it into a small container full of Acetone. Make sure to wear gloves and work in fresh air. A respirator is a good thing. The glue comes off with some scrubbing.

A two part glue is the only way to go. You need to scuff the material before beginning. This can be done with a special tool or course sandpaper. You are not looking to remove material, just rough the surface up a little. Wipe the piece being glued with MEK and glue away. You want the MEK to soak in some, but it will flash off fairly quickly. It needs to be tacky when you set the pieces back together. Temperature is critical as is humidity. If they are not right, wait for another day.

What year is your boat?

[shaun2020]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your knowledge once again

I did locate the serial Number on the boat eventually, It would help if I opened my eyes earlier prior to finding it recently,

Off the top of my head ( as I am at work at present) I believe it is a 1997, I would have to verify that, but I am almost certain it is a 1997

Regards Shaun

[ncp]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

The two things will do the same job so just use one. I'd use MEK but only cos its easier to source in a hurry.

That must be nice - it's gotten really tough to get in California.

[shaun2020]

I managed to locate both no problem at all, that was the easiest bit for me, I was expecting it to be expensive and I was surprised how cheap it was, (hope it's not bottled water)

[Rogue Wave]

Originally Posted by ncp

That must be nice - it's gotten really tough to get in California.

Don't you guys got no plastic plumbing over there. that's why its easy to get here because its a solvent used with older types of plastic plumbing so they sell it in plumbers merchants pretty cheap.

re living in California.........Stop boasting

[shaun2020]

lol, we dream about going to California, I wonder how many people dream about coming to the UK

[ncp]

There's an MEK substitute available. I believe that Peter_C has tried it and said it doesn't really work. The government (State government) has deemed it dangerous so we can't have it. I still have a half gallon left from the good old days. I use it sparingly and use acetone the rest of the time.

I only dream of going to the UK pick up a used rib - more options and a whole lot cheaper! What most people don't realize is that California isn't always sunny and 72F - we have 5 - 10 drastically different climates. I live on the coast in the southern portion of the state - Mediterranean climate. About an hour drive inland, I can be in complete desert. Two hours north, pine forest and I can go skiing. Peter lives up north - lots more rain, beautiful forest, great diving in some of the best kelp forest anywhere. Very diverse - it's not all blonds in bikinis.

[jyasaki]

In CA; MEK is still available (quarts and gallons) from TAP Plastics. Also via the web. I don't think the state has banned it (yet); it was the manufacturer not wanting to deal with the fallout from health issues from use.

jky

[shaun2020]

Hi all,
That break in the weather has actually arrived, I have started doing the list of jobs I need to do on the boat yesterday, I have to admit the MEK scenario is a bit of a tidious & boring job, I only started a little bit yesterday due to other bits and pieces I was doing, the neigbours must of thought I was bonkers hoovering and washing the boat, lol,

I plan to do some more work on the boat in a minute after I have finished writing here,

The straps that secure the flooring to the tubes I believe, one of them that is glued to the floor has slightly split in the middle when I was bending it back slightly to take the old glue off with the MEK as much as I could, thing is I was no no where near where the split is,

I wasn't being rough with the rubber when I was slightly moving it so it had came to a bit or a suprise when it had split in the centre, this has lead me to the conclusion I want to reinforce all of the straps that secure the tubes to the floor (I think there is six in total) I will take photo later if I get a chance,

How will the best way to basically secure and reinforce the straps to the floor and tubes? should I glue a bigger patch straight over the original straps? but slightly larger bit of PVC material?, or in one complete piece from the floor to the tube?, or two separate pieces? I am not bothered about how it looks as long it is safe and sea worthy? I can see slight signs around the boat where the glue has started to come away or I will need to make a slight repair so I want to fix all the bits and pieces the best I can no matter what it looks like, safety is more important to me, I spent a lot of money on the boat and I dont think i would get my money back now so I have to have some use out of it as I have only been on it once, I didn't buy the boat it until late August last year so I am trying to have it all ready for the beginning of May, I didn't think of looking under the aliminium flooring before I purchased the boat, Learning curfew I suppose, so I may as well repair the best I can, I dont think it is that bad, could be a lot worse, so I am trying to catch everything now ore reinforce to get me through a couple of years at least, the boat is mainly going to be being used for sea fishing, and the odd family day out down the coast where it will be just cruising around, I wish I didn't live 65 miles from the nearest seafront, or 75 miles from launch site,

This might sound a dumb question but what is my black floor made out of? PVC? or what do I need to purchase do the odd patching on the floor inside and outside the boat? I am now thinking of the reinforcement of all of the straps on the boat from the floor to the tubes, it just seems to be a different material, please correct me if I am being dumb?

I was also thinking of putting a new PVC seam in from the flooring to the tubes so it is sightly overlapping the old PVC seam with the tube, just for more reinforcement, what do you think?

I plan to go several miles out to sea so I want to be safe as I possibly can, and more piece of mind as well when at sea,

well, I best go and get the MEK out, thanks to all once again,

Shaun

[jyasaki]

Pics would be good.

I admit I'm not all that familiar with Zodiacs, but don't remember the floor being secured in any way other than the tubes being inflated and pinching it between them and the floor (and secured front and back by the bow and transom.)

I would expect all the fabric on the boat is PVC.

jky

[Peter_C]

The entire boat is PVC. I think by straps you mean the reinforcement fabric? If so you MUST remove them all and reglue them AFTER putting the floor back in. There is nothing wrong with replacing any that are not in excellent condition, just use the old piece as a pattern.

Pictures would be helpful.

[shaun2020]

Hi all,

Please see a selection of photos of these strap things I am on about, there is four of them at the front of the boat, I have cleaned a couple of them, they do look a lot better than they were,

I also discovered when I was under the boat taken photos of various other patches that are already on the boat,I seen speckles of daylight through some of the flooring, not what I want to see, so now I have more gluing and patching to repair underneath,

I nearly packed it in and was going to cut my losses and stick it on flea bay, but my daughter is telling me just to think positive and repair it, i dunno

[shaun2020]

more photos

[shaun2020]

more photos, think I got ripped off! Think I might chuck more than a rotten fish through his window, think I will need a new floor the way this is going, I paid £1100 for this, tell me people, honestly did I get ripped off? That might be a dumb question coming from me and is it worth repairing and cutting my losses and f, iing the boat off!, please put me out of my misery fellow forum members

[Landlockedpirate]

Its easy for all of us to be wise after the fact, worrying about whether you've been ripped off wont change anything and ultimately leads to feeling even worse. To try and give you some guidance I sold a spares or repairs 2001 Futura Mk2C FR (3.8m Airdeck) for nearly £500 on Ebay with a 99p start, it needed a lot of gluing too.

Futura's are expensive boats and although it looks like its had a hard life , IMHO its worth repairing.

However you need to make a decision, either bite the bullet and repair it properly or sell it for spares and repairs on ebay and replace with something new. A HonWave T40 is a great boat (but not as good as the Futura ) and can be bought for £1k.

[kaman]

Originally Posted by Landlockedpirate

Its easy for all of us to be wise after the fact, worrying about whether you've been ripped off wont change anything and ultimately leads to feeling even worse. To try and give you some guidance I sold a spares or repairs 2001 Futura Mk2C FR (3.8m Airdeck) for nearly £500 on Ebay with a 99p start, it needed a lot of gluing too. Futura's are expensive boats and although it looks like its had a hard life , IMHO its worth repairing. However you need to make a decision, either bite the bullet and repair it properly or sell it for spares and repairs on ebay and replace with something new. A HonWave T40 is a great boat (but not as good as the Futura ) and can be bought for £1k.

If it were me............. I would cut my losses!
Sorry but sometimes you just have to think with your he'd over your heart!
I'm all for making improvements / modifications to my sib, but when integral parts of the structure are in such a state of disrepair / decay you are going to be wondering what's going to fail next????
You don't get second chances when out on the open waves!
I have a 3.5m Honwave aluminium floor.
It cost £800 new in 2010 and if it started failing like yours I would not consider myself short changed!
I would wave her off and thank her for the wonderful memories,
I've had countless hours of fun fishing and pleasure boating in it!
As it stands it is still like new and shows no sign of its countless hours in salt water.
It is washed down thoroughly after each use.
It is stabled on a trailer and kept outdoors under a hefty cover.
I would buy something like this with a warranty and use it with relative peace of mind that it ain't going to fail in the imminent future.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[kaman]

P.S forgot to mention the biggest killer of sib material / structure is UV rays which undermined the fabric and the bonding agent.
Add salt water and it's a recipe for disaster.
Aerospace UV protectant, fresh soapy water baths after use and dense cover to protect from the sun is the way to treat your Sib.