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PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:31 pm 
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Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:59 am
Posts: 4
Plastic welding
Need help, in regard to repair of leak (mostly due to wear). The leak is in the keg? area. Have used PVC glue with limited effect. I search the site and read about plastic welding and some type of wear tape? Looking for long term fix.


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 8:55 pm 
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Location: Central Florida
go back to your dealer and see if they can plastic weld your skeg. that would be your best bet i think.

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 20, 2010 9:09 am 
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Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2009 10:33 am
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Hobie sells a welding tool/kit: 72097001 KC WELDER PRO

It's basically a soldering iron with a hollow tip that you can shove poly "rod" through. It's on page 31 of this catalog:

http://www.hobiecat.com/media/pdf/eKayak_2010Spring.pdf

A really quick search seems to indicate that it goes foor 60 to 80 US$. I don't know how much skill it requires. For that reason, I'd go with the $25 solution: fill it with West Sytems Gflex epoxy:

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/g-flex-epoxy

You'd want the "thickened" kit (comes in two tubes rather than squeeze bottles). I've only used it once, but it seems to work. The trick is in the surface prep: wipe the area with alcohol and then wave a propane torch over it for a second or three (not enough to melt or toast anything - just to change surface chemistry). Abrading with sandpaper doesn't help. Flame treatment is key to getting glue to stick to poly, but even then it's an iffy prospect. Gflex is designed for poly and, just as important, is "toughened" so that it flexes like poly (most epoxies are brittle). I got mine at West Marine. If it was me I'd tried to apply it inside the hull if possible - it'd look better.

If you need proof it works, watch this wild video:

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/g-flex-torture-demo/


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:12 am 
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Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:15 pm
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I'm an adhesive chemist and I can tell you for sure, that epoxy will not stick to the hull. Epoxy is a lousy adhesive for plastics in general,..but the polyolefin that the hull is made from is particularly tough to bond to. Plastic-welding is the way to go for this one! If you do not feel comfortable doing it yourself,..get your dealer or someone else to do it for you. I haven't looked,..but there are probably videos on you-tube for it.


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:03 pm 
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Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:25 pm
Posts: 2863
Location: Central Coast NSW Australia
Have you seen this review by Roadrunner?
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12550
He has repaired cracked cam columns successfully with Scotchweld DP8010.
Also see
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12525&p=69758


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