How To Repair Raft In Raft

How to Repair a Worn Spot on a Raft

Over time, the wear and tear of boating tin can cause worn spots on the boat's fabric, sometimes becoming a "scrim shot." A scrim shot is a place on the material of an inflatable gunkhole where the outer blanket has been worn off, exposing the woven supportive fabric or "scrim." The inner coating is still intact, so yous're not leaking air. This sort of harm is probably nigh common on the bottom of your gunkhole, from scraping over obstacles. You can also get them on the sides and tops of the tubes from hitting stuff and from frame wear. The object of this repair is to protect that woven fabric from farther wear.

Before this year, as I was cleaning up my E-150 raft after a trip, I noticed some places on the frame article of clothing patches where my frame had rubbed off the outer coating. Of class, this is an extra layer of material, over the air-holding bedroom, but I wanted to protect it anyhow.

Outset, I took some sandpaper and buffed the coating right around the damaged areas. I also removed a bit of blanket that had lifted away from the cloth, and so I was back to solidly continued blanket. I and so cleaned the expanse with some rubbing booze. For this task, any solvent that can remove oils or other contaminants will work.

Then, I got to thinking… always a dangerous affair for me. 1 time when Beak Parks, NRS founder and President, was talking to me almost this type of repair, he told me about the trick of using a permanent marker to color the scrim the same colour as the outer coating. I idea, "What the hey, I'll give it a go." I took a blue marking and doctored upwards the threads. Hmm, not exactly the aforementioned shade, but what the hey. This would probably work great when you've got a black coating.

Blue marker used to color exposed scrim.

After the marker ink was good and dry, it was time for the last step. I took a table knife out of my kitchen box (don't worry guys, I cleaned it off well afterwards) and spread some Aquaseal Agglutinative over the scrim and onto the coating around the spot. When first spreading the adhesive, information technology may not await smoothen, just gravity will accept over and cocky-level the adhesive for a shine finish. Keep the repair area level overnight, or 10-14 hours, for a complete cure. Another awarding method is to mix the Aquaseal with some Cotol Accelerator to thin it. Then, you lot can even utilise information technology with a brush. Using Cotol also shortens the cure time to about ii hours.

Aquaseal is a polyurethane (PU) adhesive. PU'southward outstanding properties for a repair similar this is that it dries clear, stays flexible and is extremely chafe resistant. Aquaseal is a tool that belongs in your repair kit. 1 of import use for boaters is attaching latex gaskets to dry out wear. Information technology besides adheres to neoprene, nylon, vinyl (PVC), GORE-TEX and other laminates, many fabrics, foams, composites, and many plastics.

Now, this is a swell, simple repair method where the damaged area is Non leaking air. If y'all've got a leak, even a pinhole in a boat, put on a patch.

Simple repair, easy to do-it-yourself. Just role of the "Joy of Fixing Your Own Gear."

Boat Often, Boat Safety!

-Clyde

The next time you use Aquaseal try heating the tube kickoff in a cup of hot water. This thins out the glue which allows better penetration. A smoother, thinner patch cures faster. This way y'all can avoid having to mix in a thinner on the river. I comport a couple of cheap plastic knives so at that place is nada to clean upwardly. Although not necessary, information technology besides helps if the surface area to exist repaired tin can be warmed from the sun beginning.

Scott Brunk

Hi Clyde,
I enjoy reading your lines on repairing your gear. Apparently, we have both grown up during times when self-repair was the only style we had.

My grandfather once told me while building skirting around a mobile home (back in the early 70s), "If you don't have time to do it Correct now… when are you going to observe time afterwards?" Those words take stayed with me for over 40 years. It may take longer than you had planned to complete your project, just will be more than worth it in the long run.

I am curious about your Stanley thermos. If you turn it upside down, on the bottom it will be stamped with the twelvemonth information technology was built. I take two that were manufactured in "72". They oasis't had near the use that you have described but are still working well.

I will be watching for your tips on repairs to come up. While the youngins are away from the river the next few months, we will be in the repair mode getting ready for another bully float trip.

Thanks for sharing,
Marco

Thank you, Scott and Marco, for writing. One of the real benefits of my task is getting to communicate with fellow boaters. I learn a lot from you.

Scott'due south input on using Aquaseal for repairs is spot on. Heating the agglutinative definitely improves spreading. And a thinner application will certainly cure faster. But recollect, for a actually quick cure, mixing in Cotol (~ i function Cotol to 3-four parts Aquaseal) is the way to get.

I got a kick out of Marco's email. The way I've heard the quote is "You lot can't find the time to do information technology right the first time, but you tin can always find time to practice it once again." Either way, it'due south wise words to live by. Taking a bit of extra time at commencement saves a lot of fourth dimension in the long run.

His mention of the thermos reminds me of a fun story. Before I bought my thermos, I worked on a wild fauna refuge in Oklahoma. Ane of the maintenance men, running a bulldozer missed his stainless thermos and walked back to find information technology. It had tumbled off the dozer and the track had run over the bottom half, reducing it to a pint capacity. But it still kept his coffee hot.

Thinking he could go a new thermos, he sent it back to the manufacturer with his testimonial. He never heard back from the company. Non only did he not get a new thermos, he lost his pint one! Needless to say, he was pissed.

Beneath are some tips from the manufacturer on using Aquaseal.

Aquaseal Instructions

Make clean damaged surface area with Cotol-240™ Cure Accelerator/Precleaner or solvent (pigment thinner, smash smoothen remover or similar).
Trim loose threads. Non-textile surfaces should be roughened with sandpaper, then cleaned. Apply Aquaseal® to surfaces direct from tube or with knife or flat stick. Go along repair level overnight. Avoid contact with other surfaces.
Virtually repairs reach total strength overnight (ten-xiv hours). Allow longer for thickest repairs. For fastest cure (2 hours or less), mix in Cotol-240.
HOLES AND TEARS: Create backing with removable record. Fill void and ane/four" beyond border with Aquaseal. Remove tape after full cure.
SEAMS: Utilize one/16" thick bead overlapping seams edges by at least one/4". Employ with slight pressure to saturate textile surfaces.
Loftier WEAR AREAS: Use thin coat with knife for flexible abrasion resistance.
WARNING: FULLY CURED AQUASEAL IS SLIPPERY WHEN WET. For added traction on footwear, sprinkle sand on uncured Aquaseal 1/2 hour after applying.
CLEAN Upward: To remove Aquaseal from hands, buff with cloth soaked in paint thinner, smash polish remover or 99% isopropyl booze.
STORAGE: Advance contents to tube neck. Wipe clean and cap. Continue in cool, dry place; for extended life, place in freezer. To thaw or for easier-flowing contents, soak tube in warm water for fifteen minutes.

What is it?

When cured (dry) Aquaseal is a thick, clear, elastic urethane rubber.

How it works?

Aquaseal is applied to a hole or tear and immune to cure over a menstruation of hours (usually 8-12).

When applied, Aquaseal cures past reacting with humidity in the air. It doesn't "dry" the mode other glues do. It changes from a thick liquid to a thick, flexible, elastic rubber.

Once cured, it's permanent. The repair will generally terminal the life of the item.