I just grabbed this zodiac c285 off of a local guy for a decent price ($129). I was told that it manufactured in 1978 so it pretty old. Came with a pair of oars in brand new condition, foot pump, some its and bits plastic pieces etc. He explained that the bottom is seperating from the tubes and he bought all the materials to make the repair but no longer interested, so long story short i took possession of all that stuff. i understand that it s going to be a time consuming work with no guarantee in the end but still, it may serve to me.
One thing i would like to ask is that he was very certain that it is a hypolon boat and therefore the glue he bought is made for hypolon. I thought this boats are all PVC and required glue which would work on the pvc. So once i find out, i will gather the equipment, pick a right day, do the prep work and go for it.
To check the material you can get some MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) on a rag and wipe the boat. If PVC it will go slightly sticky, if Hypalon it will just go a little dull but not react. Or in a place that doesn't matter get some medium/fine sandpaper on the material. PVC just scratches and keeps its colour, Hypalon can be sanded to get dust and make it go dull.
To check the material you can get some MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) on a rag and wipe the boat. If PVC it will go slightly sticky, if Hypalon it will just go a little dull but not react. Or in a place that doesn't matter get some medium/fine sandpaper on the material. PVC just scratches and keeps its colour, Hypalon can be sanded to get dust and make it go dull.
I've read somewhere that the inside of hypalon is black/dark grey whereas pvc will be the same colour on both sides.
So if you can look through the inflation valve to the inside of the tubes and it's black/dark grey and not red, then it is hypalon.
There's some very useful info over here: RibStore: Identifying fabric, but a quick and easy indicator is to look in through the valve or at the edges of the fabric and see if it's the same colour on both sides. Hypalon is often black or grey internally.
If you don't speak Italian this might be a little hard to follow but Boat Masters is a great source for tips/techniques.
Re-gluing the floor isn't actually a hard job but it's time consuming and there's a fair bit of manual work. The best advice I could give is to have plenty of space, a clean work environment and try to do the whole floor in a single go instead of glueing it back in stages. You won't waste so much glue and you'll be less likely to have any pockets where water can get through. You'll also be able to reposition it more easily if you get near the end and find it's not lining up properly.
Thank you. The sandpaper test indicates it is hypalon. I also bumped into a thread on the internet, a gent claiming to be a inflatable repair tech remembering his factory tour days and witnessing that back than the hypalon was the only material zodiac was using. Another thing is, this boat being 46 years old and still be in this shape? Gotta be hypalon. The bottom is separating as you can see in the pictures, but i m hopeful that following the available instructions and materials, it can be remedied
1988 model year, manufactured in December of 1987.
__________________
Richard
Gluing geek since 2007
Opinions and intepretations expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer
1988 model year, manufactured in December of 1987.
Thanks. Is that a solid info? was expecting it to be hypalon It important for me to be certain cause all the material i have on my hand is made for hypalon
Thanks. Is that a solid info? was expecting it to be hypalon It important for me to be certain cause all the material i have on my hand is made for hypalon
Cadet model series was not available in CSM/CR material until about 2008.
The model name was implied as an entry level low cost tender.
The Grand Touring, Grand Sport, Grand Raid, and Futura were the CSM/CR models in the 80s, although the Futura started to phase to PVC in about 1987.
__________________
Richard
Gluing geek since 2007
Opinions and intepretations expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer
Thanks. Is that a solid info? was expecting it to be hypalon It important for me to be certain cause all the material i have on my hand is made for hypalon
Nowt wrong with PVC. Get some 2-part PVC glue, right ambient temperature and prep and it will last another 30 years!
Cadet model series was not available in CSM/CR material until about 2008.
The model name was implied as an entry level low cost tender.
The Grand Touring, Grand Sport, Grand Raid, and Futura were the CSM/CR models in the 80s, although the Futura started to phase to PVC in about 1987.
I guess you are right. I mean, even today; zodiacs are pretty much known to be PVC if i am not mistaken. The gent that i bought it from was pretty sure that is hypolon, he said he did a lot of research and concluded that it is indeed and hypolon and purchased all the repair materials made for hypolon. Doesn't matter, since the material in my hand is 7 years old and well beyond the shelf life. Cn you recommend a where should i aim to source my repair stuff for PVC? i will need the glues and also small roller looking hand tool to press and work the air bubbles out. Wiating for warmer days to start
I guess you are right. I mean, even today; zodiacs are pretty much known to be PVC if i am not mistaken. The gent that i bought it from was pretty sure that is hypolon, he said he did a lot of research and concluded that it is indeed and hypolon and purchased all the repair materials made for hypolon. Doesn't matter, since the material in my hand is 7 years old and well beyond the shelf life. Cn you recommend a where should i aim to source my repair stuff for PVC? i will need the glues and also small roller looking hand tool to press and work the air bubbles out. Wiating for warmer days to start
It important for me to be certain cause all the material i have on my hand is made for hypalon
Sula
