Raft Repair ?????

[jahmon77]

My buddy's dog has torn a hole about the size of a quarter in his STAR PVC Raft.....any suggestions starting from scratch on how to repair.....any suggestions would be greatly appreciated....thanks in advance for your time......

[mania]

that 'should' be easy. just get some pvc and some pvc compatable glue and go to town. sandpaper is a good idea. follow the instructions on the glue. two part glue is stronger since you have the time and its not an on river repair. its really just like fixing a bicycle tube.

[bkp77]

this for hypalon but just swap out hypalon glue and solvents for pvc stuff(ex- mek for a solvent/cleaner). everything else is the same.

http://www.nrsweb.com/repair/hypalon_repair.asp

[liquidchaos]

nrsweb.com has some good advice. make a patch with no corners ( round) then sand it with 100 grit or so until the 'shine' is gone. then two or three THIN layers of glue. between layers let the glue sit for about 5 min. or until tacky ( so your finger in almost sticking to it) then put the patch on and use a good roller so that all air bubbles are out and it is firmly pressed. then put some weight on it overnight and you should be good. if oyu patch it flat you will have a lot less air bubbles. good luck! dont forget to breath deep. oh and wipe the surface after you sand it with MEK or acetone to clean the dust off.

[madriver]

You might want to check with "John" at Inflatable Technologies in Aurora. He does great repairs and gives great advice on his web page, raftrepair.com. hope this helps.

[raftus]

One other thing to remember - do this in a very well ventilated area or wear a mask that is rated for solvent and glues. Both MEK and Toluene are nasty - i.e. can cause birth defects, brain damage, headaches, dizziness, nausea, tiredness, confusion, and coma. The headaches, dizziness, tiredness and nausea can come on after working with the stuff for as little as 15 to 30 minutes.

It isn’t a big deal for a one-time thing, but at least get some good ventilation where you are working. Otherwise you might turn into a degenerate raft guide with a partly functioning brain.

[COUNT]

Raftus said:

degenerate

raft guide

partly functioning brain

Isn't this a bit redundant?

Just joking. I managed to avoid the brain damage (I think) last time I patched a raft but I did get a little buzz off of it .

COUNT

[Andy H.]

John Sells at Inflatable Technologies here in Denver is one of the best raft repair men in the region.303-619-3328.

Also, if you don't want to drive the raft over to the Front Range, you may be able to get a professional repair job from one of the outfitters out there in GJ or Glenwood Springs.

Good luck!

[cayo]

Ditto Liquidchaos,and yes John at Inflatable Technologies is The Man !!,Woody too.I have patched up some nasty tears on duckies and they have held up extremely well ,maybe stronger than the original.