Tornado 4.5 tube repairs - Whats the tube made of?

birdman · 03 June 2009, 14:31

Hi Guys,

My first post, so sorry if this has been asked before... I did have a quick search around, but didn't find the answer.

I have an old ish Tornado 4.5m. I need to do a few tube repairs, but I'm not sure which adhesive to buy - is it hypalon or PVC?

Thanks everyone...

bazza · 03 June 2009, 14:43

I think you'll find Tornado tubes are Polyurethene.

Pete7 · 03 June 2009, 14:44

Unfortunately it could be either, post some photos and see if we can identify the tube material. Tornado did make a lot of ribs with PVC but RN ones I think were specified with Hyperlon. Also it may have been re-tubed in its life.

Pete

paul tilley · 03 June 2009, 15:09

if the tubes are original they are most likely to be polyureathane and if the seams are leaking you will repair one leak today only to find it will leak further along the seam in a week or two as the glue breaks down .we refuse to repair any tornado seam leaks and advise customers to retube in hypalon ,preferably with our tubes .

birdman · 03 June 2009, 15:55

Thanks for the replies... I will post a few pics as soon as I can. Out of interest, roughly how much is it to re-tube?

Jizm · 03 June 2009, 17:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul tilley

if the tubes are original they are most likely to be polyureathane and if the seams are leaking you will repair one leak today only to find it will leak further along the seam in a week or two as the glue breaks down .we refuse to repair any tornado seam leaks and advise customers to retube in hypalon ,preferably with our tubes .

Exactly what happened with my boat....:

Ribshop · 03 June 2009, 18:45

Have to agree with Paul on this one, if you get it fixed you could be throwing good money after bad, but if you wanted to give it a go yourself before paying out for retubing you can find all the glues and and repair kits on our web site.

birdman · 03 June 2009, 21:24

To give a bit more detail, the repair is a patch on the front. When I got the boat, the old owner did a very dodgy repair which did cause the tube to deflate over a period of days. I have now removed that patch, and plan to replace. I will post pictures tomorrow, then maybe one of you guys might be able to identify the material.

Thanks.

birdman · 04 June 2009, 15:36

First picture, I will post another one later when I get home.

Ribshop · 04 June 2009, 16:06

They are the original Tornado tubes so you will need PVC fabric and glue.

Ian Shaw · 05 June 2009, 13:35

Hi Birdman,
If the tubes are less than 11years old they will be made from Chiorino polyurethane.
We can supply you with the same material in either orange or black, as you prefer.
Usually this can be easily bonded on using exactly the same type of Neoprene-based adhesives used to repair Hypalon, it's just a matter of technique - contact me by email and I will provide full details.
Even if the tubes are over 11 years old they will still be polyurethane and we can still provide you with material should you so wish.

ianshaw@chiorino.co.uk

bazza · 05 June 2009, 14:40

I patched a hole in the front of my Tornado. Followed the instructions on the tin and found it fairly straight forward and easy. It loses no air at all now.