rub rail reattachment

[salty_dog_68]

the rub rail is coming lose from my inflatable dingy. what do i use to glue it back on? it is a force 4 dingy.

[hellosailor]

Dunno if that's PVC or hypalon, but there are special adhesives for most of these materials and the folks who sell the dinks sell them too. A hypalon adhesive/patch kit isn't cheap, and has a limited storage life once the glue is open.

You might try calling the people at "Amazing Goop"
www.amazinggoop.com
their adhesives are mainly urethane based, sold as low-tech old fashioned products like "Shoe Goop" at non-marine prices, but the products themselves are quite modern and top quality. If you tell them what materials you are bonding, they'll tell you for certain if Goop will work. (It works on a number of products that everyone says "can't" be glued.)

Surface prep (cleaning and sanding) are crucial.

[Sunspot Baby]

I haven't tried it, but on the Cruiser Net in Abacos this year I heard that both Super Glue and plumbers goo work fine on either Hypalon or PVC for patches. The next day a cruiser reported they successfully patched their Hypalon dink with plumbers goo.

Sunspot Baby

[GordMay]

ABS & PVC Solvent Cements (if this is what you mean by "plumber's goop") are primarily Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), with admixtures of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) or PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride).
MEK acts as a solvent on both Hypalon & PVC.

Glue Procedures for Hypalon/Neoprene Inflatables:
http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/INFO/INFOHYPNEO.html

Glue Procedures for Zodiac Inflatables Strongan (PVC type):
http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/INFO/INFOGLUE.html

[hellosailor]

I have no idea what plumbers' goo is, but SuperGlue is NOT FLEXIBLE and using it on "fabric" that is flexing can't be a good long-term idea. When the farbic flexes or folds, the superglue will crack. Oopsie.

Maybe not in six months, or a year, but I'd be very surprised if it held for five years, the way any good adhesive can hold.

[Sunspot Baby]

Gord:

Patches I have done on both PVC and Hypalon recommended cleaning the area with MEK, so the solvent in plumbers goop shouldn't be detrimental.

As I said, I hadn't tried either but heard from other cruisers that they work.

Sunspot Baby

[GordMay]

Sorry, I wasn’t clear on the implications of MEK being a solvent.
As I understand it, you don’t “glue” PVC & Hypalon - you “Solvent Weld” (fusion?) it, hence the plumber’s solvent cements might work.

I’ve used cyanoacrylates (“super glue”) on pinhole leaks (PVC Zodiac), with mixed results.