Re-glue tube on rib

[AST]

Hi.
I just got a Caribe c10x rib which needs some restoration. I was wondering what would be the best method to re glue the tube to the shell (see pics). Some part of the tube is glued but some us not. Can I simply use 5200? I realize it might be permanent but I just need the boat to be functional.
Also the tube has few small holes. The tube is hypolon. Can I patch it with pvc? Can I use 5200 to patch?

If not what would be your advice? Thanks in advance

[Sailorman Ed]

I used some 5200 to reglue a patch. took longer than I expected to cure but did work but not pretty. Don't know about glueing the tube to the hull.

[Franziska]

I'd use West Epoxy G Flex if you are not working in a climate controlled workshop.
I did fix up a RIB on a beach with it. Works well if you prepare properly.

The usual PVC glues are finecky about humidity.

[ggray]

I've used two part hypalon adhesive, but also gotten good results using this to bond the hypalon tube to the RIB hull.

https://shop.inflatableboatparts.com...le-1-2-pint-3/

[David Mathis]

We have a 10' Hydro-Force inflatable with an aluminum floor. After four years the transom came off so it was repaired with 5200 and screws. It held but the next year an oarlock and a couple other parts came off then by the end of the season a seam came loose allowing the forward section to deflate. We bought the boat for the grandkids but now conclude that it isn't safe for them. The boat is rated for a 15hp but has had a max 9.9 on it. The fabric and the other parts are good, it's the glue that has failed. Trying to chase failed seams then repair them as they come apart is too unsafe for the kids. The boat is junk. If you're finding failed seams, the recommendation is to retire the boat. All your glue is the same age and it's all prone to failure. Do you trust it when heading back to your mooring on a stormy night or even a bright sunny day?

[Bycrick]

I did some wear patches on an Achilles dinghy in 2006. They’re still there. But I can’t guarantee that they’d still be holding air pressure.

[Bycrick]

Oops. I used 5200. Took days to cure up.

[pbiJim]

PVC and Hypalon use different adhesives & different cleaning/prep solvents. I have had poor results using the 2-part adhesives, but I know someone else who had success with them.

I normally use Clifton Hypalon adhesive, which is basically a glorified rubber cement. There are different Clifton adhesives. You need the Hypalon one. I don't remember the part number, but there is only one that is recommended for Hypalon.

The Clifton has worked best for me on that type of tube, but it doesn't keep very well, even in the sealed can. You need to get it when it's fairly fresh. & you need some pretty mean solvents to thin it. I think it was toluene with a little hexane mixed in.

It's not easily available & neither are the solvents, but with a little research, they can be found.

Repairs can be water ready in an hour or so if all goes well, but 24 hour wait time seems to give the best results.

There is also an "accelerator" that can be used with this adhesive. I don't use it. If you don't use the accelerator, then you can debond the repair with the solvents & start over, if the first try didn't turn out the way that you wanted.

If you are chasing a separating seem, peel back as much of it as you can before starting to reglue, then add an extra strip of new material over the entire length of the seam to add strength. Don't be shy about pulling hard to peel the old seem back as far as you can. The ocean isn't going to be shy about pulling on it when you are in choppy waters.

If the boat is 20 years old, or the material is chalky, I would replace the boat rather than repair it. Having a shop retube a basic dinghy, generally costs at least as much as a new boat. Repairs to oxidized materials are like chasing your tail, at best

The Shore adhesive that ggray listed is probably similar to the Clifton adhesive that I use. The instructions are the same.

You will need to sand & clean all surfaces before gluing, to get a good bond.

[Jim Cate]

Having a shop retube a basic dinghy, generally costs at least as much as a new boat.

Has not been so for us. We've had the tubes replaced twice on our 2003 Gemini and in both cases the cost was about 50% of the cost of replacing the dinghy. Both jobs done in Queensland, Australia by pro shops.

Jim

[pbiJim]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Has not been so for us. We've had the tubes replaced twice on our 2003 Gemini and in both cases the cost was about 50% of the cost of replacing the dinghy. Both jobs done in Queensland, Australia by pro shops.

Jim

That's good to know. Prices in Fort Lauderdale are very different.

The only reasonable prices I have seen on tubes are for boats that are designed to have them changed by the user, like some Zodiac boats with bolt ropes in the tubes that go into slots on the hard hull. Those pre-made standard tubes can be had off the shelf from mail order houses like Defender for a reasonable price.

Having a local shop here glue newly fabricated tubes to an old RHIB hull has not been cost effective for me so far. The only reason why I would find it desirable is if I have a PVC dink that I want to convert to Hypalon because a Hypalon version of that specific boat is not available new. If the RHIB hull is a complex hull with a center console & other expensive features, then retubing is cost effective. To be clear, I was speaking only of basic tiller controlled RHIBS when I made the comment

I'm glad to hear that better values are available in your corner of paradise. I'll keep my eyes open when traveling.


Thanks,
another Jim

[JPA Cate]

Just to mention that we've had success with dinghies like the OP is talking about. You do have to be careful, and I completely understand if the OP thinks it would be unsafe for grandkids, though in all honesty, we've never had a dinghy fail catastrophically. We even know some guys who had a shark bite their tube, and still made it safely back to the boat. The other tube plus the bow kept it on top the water. And the shark wasn't hunting.

It is true that if all the glue is failing due to overly humid conditions where it was manufactured, it will continue to fail, in its own time. I would try the 5400, for the patching and seam, though. I believe it to be compatible with both PVC and hypalon, because of our experience with the 5200. Not too many glues are.

Ann

[donradcliffe]

There was some stuff you could get in Australia called sc2000, which was 2 part glue for conveyor belts that worked very well on Hypalon. The main selling point was that the glue had a shelf life that was many times whatever West Marine sold, and wasn't so fiddly about humidity control.

[Jim Cate]

^^^^^

Yes, that's what we have used as well. Now it is mostly SC4000...essentially the same stuff with a different solvent. The 2000 uses toluene which has a bad cancer connectivity and is outlawed in many venues.

And the shelf life is great: more or less forever if you thin it out a bit after a few years. The catalyst also lasted well, especially if kept in the fridge. Very good glue!

Jim

[pbiJim]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

... in all honesty, we've never had a dinghy fail catastrophically. ...

...I would try the 5400, for the patching and seam, though. I believe it to be compatible with both PVC and hypalon, because of our experience with the 5200. Not too many glues are.

Ann

The most catastrophic failures I have seen rendered the boat unusable, but did not sink the boat. one was a PVC boat that belonged to me. The bond between the starboard tube & the fiberglass hull failed & formed a scoop that sucked water into the boat as it moved forward. The other was on a soft bottom boat with inflatable keel. The soft bottom separated from the tubes near the bow, then 90% of the rest of the bottom tore off within about 100 yards of forward motion. Both boats were over 10 years old.



After speaking with applications engineers at 3M, I found that they had limited data available on the bond strength of 5200 with specific plastics, so I did some of my own tests. I found that 5200, 4200 & UV 4000 all adhered well to PVC sheets that were 1/2" thick. I did not test them on PVC cloth. I did not test them on Hypalon. 5200 is more stiff when cured compared to 4200. 4200 remains more easily flexible. Both are rated for below the waterline use. The fast cure versions of both require a few days to fully cure when more than an inch deep between air tight materials. The non fast cure versions take weeks to cure in that situation.