DIY rubber boat repair

In detail: do-it-yourself rubber boat repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

When acquiring a valuable and useful thing, any owner undoubtedly wants it to serve him as long as possible. In particular, lovers of fishing and hunting in open water, happy owners of rubber boats, treat their floating craft with trepidation and monitor their condition.

It's no secret that rubber is a special material, often susceptible to damage. To prevent the money spent on buying a boat from going down the drain, proper care and repair of personal water transport is necessary.

The most reliable means for repairing rubber boats is undoubtedly glue. The correct choice of it, in terms of composition, characteristics and purpose, guarantees the quality of the repair and the service life of the boat.

Consider the most popular brands of glue that have positively proven themselves among boat owners:

This brand is considered the most effective for the repair of all rubber products and, in particular, boats. Possesses high strength. A distinctive feature from other adhesives is that it does not require heating the product during work. If you use it in tandem with hardeners ("Leikonat or" Dismodur "), the wear resistance of the composition increases significantly.

Polyurethane, as a substance, has special adhesive properties. In addition, it is flexible and does not lend itself to mechanical stress.

The adhesive withstands low temperatures, pressures and loads is adapted to seawater.

This glue contains natural rubber. A distinctive quality is the increased water resistance of the repaired product.

It is a solution of rubber and nefras. Bonding is carried out using the "cold" method.

Video (click to play).

These grades are suitable for bonding rubber surfaces, but are used in relation to a specific problem.

To eliminate defects on the surface of the hull of a rubber boat, it is best to use glue 4508. Natural rubber and resins, which are part of it, become elastic when hardened, therefore this glue can withstand loads and pressure well, and has high water-resistant indicators.

Also, rubber glue and polyurethane adhesives are well suited for repair work.

In order to start repairing the boat with your own hands, you need to correctly identify the problem and its location.

holes;
tears on surfaces and at the seams;
damage to oarlocks;
bottom defects;
damage and deformation of the tapes.

If insignificant damage to the case or bottom is not visually possible, it is necessary to inflate its compartments in stages and treat the surface with a soapy foaming solution. Bubbles will form at the rupture site, indicating the location of the defect.

glue and instructions for it;
gasoline "Kalosha" (automobile will not work, as it contains oil);
material for patches;
self-adhesive tape;
sandpaper (fine-grained);
marker;
brush;
scissors.

Significant damage, such as holes, cuts, and tears, can be detected by visual inspection. If the boat allows air to pass through, but the place of the defect was not found, as mentioned above, you will need a detergent that covers all the chambers in turn. Inflated.

Having identified the defect, its size and location, before proceeding with gluing, the edges of the damaged surfaces are processed.

A fine-grained sandpaper is used to clean the area of the intended gluing. This is necessary in order to increase the quality of adhesion of materials and glue to each other. The fragment cleaned with the help of "skinning" is processed with "Galosha" gasoline for a degreasing effect.

If additional components are used for gluing surfaces, such as hardeners or similar substances, the adhesive mass must be prepared in advance.

In some cases, after applying the glue, it is necessary to withstand a certain temporary exposure, for better contact between the adhesive fragments.

Fishermen and hunters using rubber boats are well aware that an element such as seams is the first to fail. What does it look like? The special tape that protects the seam begins to flake off over time, allows water to pass through and can contribute to rotting of the suture material.

Boat repairs along the seam should be carried out in a dry, ventilated and warm room. Initially, the boat should be inflated, but not too much. Then, determine the location of delamination or damage. Sand it lightly, degrease it and apply directly the glue itself.

Make sure that the adhesive is evenly distributed over the entire area. Further, the surfaces are pressed tightly against each other and fixed with fingers or a press, for a few minutes. To fully achieve the effect, the boat, with glued seams, is left inflated for the time specified in the instructions.

The transom of the boat is a special section that can withstand the highest loads, since the motor is attached to it. Under the pressure of the weight of the motor, this element often fails and requires constant repair.

Rubber glue is a popular rubber glue, which contains natural rubber, urethanes, various specific additives, and has proven itself as a means for repairing various surfaces and materials, including rubber.

Due to its increased viscosity and increased elasticity, this glue has the following positive effects:

corrosion resistance;
vibration resistance;
resistance to mechanical damage;
resistance to abrasive materials;
resistance to deformation.

Based on practice, experts and seasoned fishermen do not recommend using Moment glue for repairing boats. This adhesive reacts to high temperatures and dries when exposed to sunlight.

It should be taken into account that when the glue comes into contact with the rubber surface, a vulcanization effect occurs, in which the glue itself seems to be embedded inside the rubber. Therefore, it is not worth peeling off by hand or removing with solvents and other aggressive substances, as this can cause damage to the tissue.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you that gluing a damaged boat at home is one thing. But in the event of a breakdown in nature - not an easy task. Therefore, when you go fishing or hunting, keep a boat repair kit with you.

Many fishermen have boats. And sometimes troubles happen and it does not matter what it is made of rubber or PVC, and how the owner takes care of it.
I also have a boat "Vega-2" and it banged along the side, at the stern. I fished in the fall on the Ob, swam, anchored, threw the feeders and began to catch bream on the rings.

The sun has warmed up, the bream bites like a bleak on a Kondoma, just have time to pull it out - okay, lyapotaaa. The sides of the boat are hot, but I didn't have enough air to bleed off the air a little, and then I hear shhhhh bang and the stern at the moment became flat like a pancake. And under the boat the depth is 10m and the current, at the first moment, of course, I was frightened, but I look at the vessel afloat, the front compartment and the inflatable bottom are kept, it does not overwhelm with water. I slowly overloaded things on the bow, exhausted the tackle, though I cut off the anchor and feeders with weights, and slowly went to the shore ...

As it turned out later, the tape inside was defective, and at this point it burst.

I thought the boat to be repaired . I started looking for rubber glue and tape, and the tape has a peculiarity: it is not rubber, and the fabric is not fabric. It is soft and does not allow air to pass through. Well, with glue it seemed to be easier, I bought "3 whales" rubber, but with a tape a complete ambush, they offered the wrong thing and expensive. I ended up having to cut the rubberized mine jacket. advised both "moment" rubber and "88" nothing helps. I went to the tire changers and no one is taken there, I asked on the forums, in the fishing shops advice where to stick it and you can THROW out one answer for all. By that time I bought good glue and decided to try my luck again.

About glue, I remembered that a long time ago, I came across TIP-TOP glue for conveyor belts, which glues rubber tightly. They don't carry this to stores - it's expensive. I started looking on the Internet, found it and already decided to take it, but then I drove to the rubber engineering base near KMK, and it is there and the cheapest.

Well, then everything is strictly according to technology. There was such a hole.

Pressed the board with an old vulcanizer (instead of a clamp)

I smeared the tape and the balloon from the inside for 2 times and pasted the tape, and then rolled it with a can

Then he glued the skirt, also 2 times. And under the press for a day.

After the repair, two seasons have passed, I fished both in local reservoirs and on the Ob.

I hope my experience in boat repair will be useful.

The boat requires constant personal care. Only in this case will it serve for a long time. Extending the life of an inflatable boat is not so difficult.

RUBBER BOAT ANNUAL PREVENTION

Every year, before launching into the water, you should carry out a simple surface treatment with an adhesive solution. The solution consists of one part No. 88 rubber glue and two parts of aviation gasoline. The components must be thoroughly mixed and applied in a thin layer to the rubber surface. Thus, microcracks are closed, through which air escapes imperceptibly, the joint seams are strengthened, the old rubber absorbs the amount of liquid rubber it needs and becomes elastic.

Prevention should be carried out at least once a year.

RUBBER BOAT DAMAGE REPAIR
During the operation of inflatable boats made of rubberized fabrics, various damage to the bottom and sides are possible. Sometimes the place of damage is outwardly invisible, but the sides bleed air. In this case, the surfaces of the filled compartments of the boat are covered with soapy foam, preferably with a sponge. The location of the air leak is determined by bubbling of dusty foam and marked with a ballpoint pen so as not to look for it after removing the soap foam. It is advisable to start the search for damage with the valves. If a leak is found in one of the valves, dismantle it, clean it, rinse it with clean water or replace the gaskets.
If water enters the cockpit of the boat, and the sides do not bleed air, then the bottom or the junction of the bottom with the side is damaged. In this case, the place of damage is found by carefully examining the bottom and its connection to the sides. Moreover, it is necessary to inspect the entire plane of the bottom and joints, since the boat can be damaged in several places, have seizures, scuffs, peeling of sealing tapes or press parts. Only after the whole boat has been inspected, you can start repairing.

There are two main repair methods: cold and hot.

Hot repair is mainly used in case of violation of the tightness of boats at the place of docking of the boards and gluing of partitions, in case of delamination, displacement or formation of folds on the tape (regulator) of the boards. Such repairs are carried out mainly in special workshops equipped with the appropriate equipment, and at manufacturing plants that have the ability to select adhesives and unvulcanized rubber plates from rubber-compatible rubberized fabrics of boats.

For example, the elimination of the leakage of the boat "Dive" at the place of joining the sides in a hot way is carried out as follows.

It seems interesting to carry out temporary repair of inflatable boats with the help of special aerosols based on synthetic rubber, which can seal the damaged shell from the inside. To do this, it is enough to attach a can with a chemical vulcanizer to the valve of the boat and send a stream of aerosol there.After a couple of minutes, the aerosol will self-cure and seal the boat for a while.

Every avid angler needs a rubber boat. Here, more opportunities for fishing open up, and it will help out if you do not get close to the water from the shore. It fits easily in the trunk of a car, floats inaudibly, so that the fish will not scare away.

One trouble she has - hooked on with a hook - a hole; ran into a snag - a cut. Slightly pumped, again a problem. Therefore, every fisherman should be able to do routine repairs of a rubber boat with his own hands, and it will not hurt to learn how to carry out preventive measures.

Every spring, before launching a boat into the water, and in autumn, when it is placed for long-term storage, its surface must be treated with an adhesive solution.

Thanks to this preparation, the rubber, absorbing this liquid into itself, will become elastic, microscopic cracks that contribute to the loss of air will close, and the seams at the joints will become much stronger.

Preparing such a mixture is simple: one part of glue No. 88 and the other two are aviation gasoline. All components are mixed and applied to a clean, thoroughly washed base.

Boat rubber - material is not strong enoughtherefore it is susceptible to damage. It happens and defects are not visible, but the air still leaves. Then the location of the etching can be easily identified with the help of soap suds.

The boat is inflated, and each compartment is tightly wrapped in foamed soap, it is more convenient to do this with a small sponge. The area where the foam starts to bubble is where the leak point is. It must be marked with a pen, otherwise, when the foam dries up, as if you will no longer find the hole.

Work best start with valves... When a leak is found in one of them, then it must be disassembled, cleaned, washed with water, if necessary, then the gaskets must be replaced. When water seeps into the boat's cocklite when the sides are in good condition, then it is necessary to look for integrity violations in the bottom, or in the places where it joins the side.

This requires an extremely meticulous examination of these parts. It is advisable to take a closer look at the smallest abrasions and scuffs of the bottom, there is a possibility of detachment of press parts or sealing tapes. It is possible that there is more than one flaw.

Usually, fishermen use the cold method for repairs, it is the simplest and no special special knowledge or complex devices and tools are needed here. It is easy to carry out it not only in a home workshop with your own hands, but also directly during a fishing trip.

Where do you start glueing the boat? When repairing damage, particular importance is attached to the cleanliness of the place where the actions are performed. In principle, in order for it to be clean and smooth, for this it is necessary to constantly remove the adhering glue residues.

What you need for repair:

Scissors.
A disc and roller for rolling, when they are not available, any object in the form of a cylinder will do.
Sandpaper, it will clean the rubber layer of the fabric.
A brush is indispensable for applying glue.
The glue itself, preferably a part of the boat's spare parts and accessories, is also suitable on the basis of rubber, corresponding to the structure of the boat's material. You can use self-vulcanizing glue, which, by the way, is stronger than rubber.
Suitable solvent.

In case of punctures, small tears, and other minor defects, it is enough to do with the application of patches on them. It is preferable to choose a material identical to that of which the floating craft is made. It is important that they corresponded to the shape of the gap, but always with rounded edges, for example, in the form of a circle or an oval.This is done so that the corners of the patch do not pick up or come off during use. In addition, it should be 30 millimeters larger than the gap itself. When applying patches, especially for large sizes, it is necessary to ensure that the direction of the threads, both longitudinal and transverse, coincides with the fabric base of the boat.Actually, a prudent fisherman will always carry several patches of different shapes and sizes with him. And in case of unforeseen repairs, he will use them. Just keep them in a clean plastic bag.When the gap is long, then it must first be stitched with a nylon thread. Then sandpaper, ok wipe with thinner or gasoline... This will clean the rubber from dust, degrease it, and promote the swelling of the gasket. All these manipulations are needed to maximize glue and surface adhesion.In extreme cases, if there is no way to find a solvent, it is allowed to rinse the area to be repaired and the inner side of the patch with clean water, then dry it well, but this will certainly affect the quality of adhesion.And when sandpaper is not at hand, then these actions are performed with a knife, but very carefully so as not to tear the material. After all surfaces are processed and dry well, you cannot touch them with your hands. It must be lifted carefully by the edges.

It is recommended to carry out work with glue in sunny weather in the shade, then a film does not form, which will complicate the gluing. And when it is raining and windy, it is preferable to hide in a tent, then moisture will not get on the glue and spoil the whole work. It is better that the temperature during the repair is not lower than 15 degrees, otherwise there is a threat that it will not seize at all.

If a speck gets on the glue, it is carefully removed with the tip of a knife.

There are subtleties here too: it must be stored in an airtight container, and if it thickens, then dilute it with a suitable solvent for the required consistency, otherwise the layer will be unnecessarily thick and uneven.

The glue is carefully applied with a brush to the patch itself and to the part of the boat being repaired. Then he should be allowed to dry a little, about 15 minutes, no more, and spread on the second layer. And again, let it grab a little. It is easy to check readiness with a knife: its blade should stick a little.

Blow on the glue in the hope that it should not evaporate faster, moisture will settle on it and only harm its adhesive properties.

Then the patch is carefully taken strictly along the edges and precisely applied to the place of the defect. You can also overlay it from one end and direct it to the damaged fragment. Another version involves the imposition of its middle on the repaired area, followed by expansion in all directions.

Then it is carefully smoothed from the middle to the periphery, pressed with a palm and rolled with a roller. Then the air bubbles accumulated there will be removed. When the patch is put in poorly, then the repair will be appropriate, and it will be very difficult to move it in the right direction. But if the first time it did not work out successfully, and you have to redo it, then you need to tear it off sharply, pulling the edge.

In case of depressurization, peeling and displacement of other parts made of rubber, the cold method is also suitable.

The hot repair method is usually performed in specialized workshops and factories that produce such products. There is also suitable equipment, and they will be able to pick up glue and materials competently, therefore, they will make everything better than its artisanal version. Usually they are addressed when it is required to glue partitions, side joints, for various problems with the side adjuster.

For example, when on the "Dive" boat the joints of the sides were depressurized along the seam, the process proceeds as follows:

Directly the joint is coated with gasoline, and using a metal ruler, the layers are carefully separated from each other. The surface is cleaned and the joint tape is cut approximately 10 or 15 mm from the edge of the adjuster. It is cut out, the stratified places are roughened, then they are washed with gasoline.

Further, covered with glue, as in the first case, twice. The docking unit is sequentially assembled, an unvulcanized regulator and sealant are applied.In the place where the joint tape was cut, a fabric patch is applied, its width is 5 cm. And a thin (0.4 mm) patch plate is applied to the tears of the lining rubber. The assembled unit must be rolled with a high quality roller.

In order for the surface to be smooth, pieces of mylar or cellophane film are applied to the edges of the area where the repair is taking place. Under it are boards with spongy rubber. A metal plate is placed on top and heating plate, and everything is fixed with clamps. This is followed by vulcanization for 30 minutes.

Tile temperature 135 to 145 degrees... When the specified time has passed, the tile turns off and cools down to 90 or 80 degrees. The clamps are loosened and the tile is removed. You can test the boat and the integrity of the seams after 4 hours.

From the above, it is clear that at home it is not always possible to seal a rubber boat and pick up the necessary tools and materials.

There is one more original method of repairing inflatable boats with your own hands, and although it is temporary, it will help to urgently seal the boat while fishing for a while. Exists special aerosol cans on the basis of artificial rubber, it is enough to attach it to the valve of the boat and start the jet. After 2 minutes, the chemical rubber will self-cure and the boat will be repaired.

An inflatable rubber boat is a must have for any fisherman or hunter. Having such a means of transportation on the water surface, you will be able to fully appreciate all its advantages. Namely: light weight, compactness when folded, decent speed that rubber boats equipped with a motor can develop.

Not without its drawbacks. The fact is that the dense rubberized fabric from which the boat is made is not strong enough: driftwood, reeds or pieces of reinforcement can damage it. All the benefits mentioned above come at the price of periodic repairs.

You can handle boat repairs yourself and at no great expense. Let's consider various options for defects and ways to eliminate them.

For work we need:

a set of patches from a repair kit for a boat or a piece of rubber from the OZK (old thick oilcloths of the USSR period are also suitable);
fine-grained sandpaper;
rubber glue brand 4508 - a universal gluing agent or polychloroprene glue;
acetone, alcohol - for surface degreasing;
marker, pencil or chalk;
scissors;
hair dryer for construction or household;
soap solution;
roller or bottle for rolling.

Step number 1. Determine the places requiring repair.

We inflate the boat and use a sprayed soap solution to identify the damaged areas - they will foam. Mark the puncture points with a marker or pencil and blow off the boat.

Its size should be at least 2 cm larger than the damaged surface. After cutting out the patch, attach it to the area to be repaired and circle it with a marker.

Step 3. Surface cleaning and degreasing.

With sandpaper, carefully, but carefully clean the marked places and the patch itself. We remove all debris formed during cleaning and degrease the surface.

There are two ways of gluing:

The cold method is similar to the hot one, but the surfaces to be glued do not warm up during operation. They use it in field conditions when urgent boat repair is needed.

1.Using a brush, glue is applied to the patch and to the puncture site. It is advisable to put cardboard or any other hard paper under the patch and apply glue, going beyond the edges of the patch - then it does not twist.
2.We wait 10-15 minutes and apply the second layer of glue.
3.We hold the glue for the required time (usually from 10 to 20 minutes - see the instructions) and use a hair dryer to heat the surface of the boat, with the glue applied and the patch, up to 50-60 degrees Celsius.
4. We connect the surfaces to be glued together, squeezing them strongly for a few seconds, and roll them on top with a roller.
5. We are waiting for the glue to crystallize. The required holding time is indicated on the packaging and usually it ranges from 3 hours to 3 days, depending on the brand of glue.

A type: Glue
Work: Outdoor, Indoor
Application area: Universal, For wood, For furniture, For windows, For floor
Manufacturer country: Russia
Package: Box

Adhesive for boats and other PVC products is suitable for both professional and DIY repairs. The glue line is transparent. The compound is resistant to water, oil and gasoline. Suitable for gluing in various combinations of soft and hard PVC, rubber, leather, metal, fabric.

Pasting gaps

To glue the tears on the boat, we will need the same tools and will use the same glue technique. A small gap can be sealed in the same way as a hole in a boat, by gluing a patch on one side.

If a rupture appears on the boat's cylinder, then it is not necessary to sew it up, but gluing the patch from the inside will be a little problematic. You will have to peck in several stages:

1.Glue half of the patch with glue, wait the required time and carefully place it inside the gap, press and roll.
2. Then brush the second part of the patch with a brush and repeat the whole gluing procedure.

To facilitate the process, use available tools such as a ruler or knife. They will be useful to you so that the surfaces to be glued do not touch each other until the right moment.

Learn how to seal damage on a rubber boat without the help of specialists

Oarlocks are a knot in a boat that undergoes intensive exploitation and, sooner or later, requires repair.

In order to carefully remove and glue the oarlock, you must:

1.Warm up the joints with a hairdryer and slowly tear off the oarlock.
2. Thoroughly sand the surfaces of the old glue with sandpaper.
3. Degrease and apply adhesive in two steps (as described above).
4. Connect the two surfaces to be bonded by pressing them tightly against each other (the balloon must be deflated).
5.Using a small roller or bottle, roll the surface.

Wait for the time specified in the instructions and only then use your craft again.

It is very easy to re-stick the tapes on the cylinder.

remove the old tape;
clean and degrease the surface;
apply glue for repairing rubber boats to the surface of the cylinder (it must be filled with air);
wait the required time, reapply the glue;
warm up the areas to be glued and apply tape on top (it does not need to be greased with glue);
roll or bottle;
wait until the glue crystallization process is complete, according to the instructions for it.

Repairing the bottom of the boat will take much longer than all previous options, but it can also be successfully done at home. Follow the instructions carefully, apply the glue two times and you will definitely succeed.

Step # 1. Remove the tape inside and outside the boat.

To do this, we pump up the cylinders and mark with a pencil or marker the place where the tape is glued. We carefully remove the tape inside and out. All this can be done with deflated cylinders, but it is much easier to outline the contour with a marker on the boat when filled.

Step # 2. Remove the bottom.

Previously, it is worthwhile to circle the location of the bottom with a marker. Peeling off should start from the bow of the boat. If the process is slow, warm up the problem areas with a hairdryer.

Step number 3. We clean and degrease the surfaces.

We prepare the areas marked with a marker for gluing in a manner already known to you.

Step 4. Glue the inner tape.

It is more convenient to do this when the boat's cylinders are upside down. To do this, we glue only half of the area with glue, between the lines marked with a marker. Since the boat is upside down, the glue spot should start from the bottom mark. Apply glue twice and hold for the required time.

We begin to glue the tape from the bow of the boat and half of its width.The unsticked part of the tape should be on the wrong side of you.

Step number 5. Glue the bottom

Since the bonding area is large enough, the process needs to be broken down into several stages: first, glue the bottom to the stern and to the bow, and then to the sides of the boat.

Apply glue directly to the stern section, along the line marked with a marker and to part of the bottom. We maintain the required time after two applications and connect the surfaces to be glued. Here it is also necessary to take into account that the previously glued inner tape must also connect to the bottom, so adjust the width of the glue application to the bottom of the boat.

We perform the same operations with the bow of the boat, and then alternately with the left and right sides.

Step number 6. Glue the tape on the outside.

The manipulations are the same, only the width of the application of the glue layer must correspond to the width of the tape.

Repair work must be carried out outdoors or in well-ventilated rooms with an air temperature of 15 to 25 degrees with plus and an air humidity not exceeding 60%. If these conditions are not observed, then the crystallization process of the glue will be disturbed and the adhesion strength will be very poor.

It is worth noting that holes with a diameter of more than 1.5 cm, as well as a damaged valve and a surface rupture of more than 50 cm, still cannot be properly repaired at home. You will have to contact the nearest service center.

Every tackle and every detail of fishing equipment requires special attention, since there are no unimportant little things on fishing, everything must be solid, reliable, and instill one hundred percent confidence in the soul of the angler.

A rubber boat is a working fishing tool that requires periodic maintenance and minor repairs. But what if the pumped inflator “exploded” and the gap is significant in area? Throw it away? No, you can restore it yourself. Let's consider how to repair a boat of the "Dive" type, which has a welt both inside and outside, which is formed as a result of gluing the cylinders. This will require:

Glue "Neyorit", as the most affordable price, can be bought in a shoemaker's shop.
"Superglue" - universal, instant, based on cyanoacrylate - in small tubes.
Solvent: acetone, P647, P650. It is better not to use gasoline - it softens the rubber.
Wooden spacers - you can use sticks from a tree branch with a diameter of 5-6 mm and appropriate length. The ends of the sticks should be even, I don't use sticks of a smaller diameter, since they have a smaller support area - they can be unstable and fall over at the wrong moment.
A piece of oilcloth according to the size of the glued area. Medical oilcloth is sold at the pharmacy. It is better to use an oilcloth one in which one of the sides has not a smooth, but a kind of corrugated (rough) surface. I cover this surface with glue.

I lay out the boat on a firm, level surface and examine the place of the rupture. In those places of the welt, where there is a layer of rubber torn from the opposite surface of the welt, I carefully cut it off with a sharp blade so that the area is even. On the balloon of the boat (with a ballpoint pen) I put the boundaries of the gap. Then, with clean rags soaked in solvent, I thoroughly rinse the inner surface of the welts and the reinforcing tape (it is inside the cylinder and holds its halves together). I also carefully wash off the dirt from the outer sides of the welts with a solvent, grabbing a few centimeters of the cylinder adjacent to them.

Having installed the spacers inside the gap so that they rest against the cylinders, I apply a layer of Neyorite glue with a small hard brush on the reinforcing tape and on both inner surfaces of the welts. It is necessary to apply the glue to the reinforcing tape very carefully so that it does not fall on the inner surface of the cylinders. If the gap is large, then you can put a strip of newspaper under the reinforcing tape, and after the glue is applied, carefully, supporting the spacers (so as not to fall), remove the newspaper.After 20-25 minutes, when the glue dries up, I wipe the fingers of my left hand with a solvent and, slightly supporting the edge of the upper welt with them, gently lower the welt with my right palm (going from the balloon), smooth it to the lower welt.

This, at first glance, a simple operation, perhaps the most important, especially if the gap exceeds 15-20 cm. Therefore, if the gap is large, it is better to do it before applying the glue, so as to say practice and choose the most convenient sequence of actions for yourself. Otherwise, unevenly glued welt surfaces will be difficult to separate without damage.

After the gap is glued, I take an empty small glass bottle and several times, pressing hard on it, roll it over the glued area. Placing a hot iron on wooden blocks 5-7 cm high, I warm up the glued place for 20-30 minutes. I try to maintain the temperature in this area within 40-45 degrees by turning off the iron and raising it higher from the heated surface. You can do without an iron by placing the boat (with a glued area) under the sun's rays for several hours, for example, on a glassed-in balcony.

Firmware... To significantly increase the reliability of the glued area, I stitch it with a nylon thread. To do this, stepping back 1 cm from the inner edge of the welt (the edge of the balloon), use a ballpoint pen to mark the line along which I will put the seam. Having retreated 5-10mm from the edge of the gap (that's why I make marks on the cylinder), I mark the applied seam line with dots on an area of about 5cm, every 5-6mm. These will be the puncture sites. With my hands I sew with a thin nylon thread, at the ends of which two sewing needles are worn.

The thickness of the needles should be slightly thicker than the thickness of the thread. So that the thread breaks the holes in the welt to be sewn less (when tightening), I make its ends from the needles small - about 10-15 cm and then I make sure that they do not stretch out of the needles when sewing. These ends will loosen up when sewing and will be difficult to retighten. I choose the length of the thread so that its half exceeds the section to be sewn one and a half times.

By piercing one of the needles, I mark the first point, tighten the thread until its ends have the same length. Now, piercing the marked points with needles towards each other, I sew the marked area, trying to ensure that the second needle passes exactly into the hole made by the first. At the same time, when the thread is tightened due to high friction, it is twisted into a spiral at the point where the needle pierces the welt, and it will not be possible to tighten it without breaking the hole in the welt.

To eliminate this, I slightly pull the thread with a hook made of wire 1.5-2mm in diameter, the end of which is bent with the letter "G". Having pulled it to the surface of the welt, I take it out to the surface of the welt, take it out from under the thread and tighten it. Tighten the thread perpendicular to the welt surface. After the stitch is made, I tighten the threads slightly.

So, the marked area is stitched. In places of welt punctures, except for the last one, I drip one drop of "Superglue" on both sides of it. This operation will seal the welt puncture site. This glue is liquid and very fluid, so you need to adapt so that only one drop gets into the puncture site. This is not always possible. Therefore, if the gap is large, I buy Superglue with a small margin. If it happens that more glue has poured out, it must be wiped dry immediately. When it dries, it forms a hard crust, which will make the surface of the welt hard, which is useless.

Then I mark the next 5-6 cm, stitch it, drip a drop of glue and so on, until the entire damaged area is stitched. In the last stitch, I do not tie the threads, but fasten them with a drop of "Superglue" and after it dries I cut them flush with the welt surface with a blade.

Pasting with oilcloth... At the final stage of the repair, I glue the seam with medical oilcloth. If the gap is large and occurred on a flat area (and outside!), Then this is quite easy to do.But if the rupture happened inside and on the rounding of the balloon, then I proceed as follows. I put an inflated rubber cushion (or a folded coat) under the section of the stitched welt so that this section is flat and bulging outward.

Having applied the oilcloth to the welt and squeezing it with the oilcloth, I mark its outer contour with a ballpoint pen. Then from this line (on both sides) I mark the edges of the oilcloth in such a way that they also capture the balloon 2.5-3 cm (this is about 5-6 cm). I choose the length of the oilcloth 2-2.5 cm longer than the stitched area in both directions. After that, having washed the rough side of the oilcloth with a solvent and applying it to a clean window glass (in the light), I transfer the marked line to the back side. Then I apply glue to the upper side of the welt and a part (3-4cm) of the adjacent balloon, as well as a part of the oilcloth that corresponds to this part of the welt.

After 20-25 minutes, when the glue dries, carefully so that the edge of the welt coincides with the markings on the oilcloth, I glue them together. Then, removing the rubber pad, on a hard and flat surface, I roll the bottle with effort over this place several times. After that, with a blunt object, for example, the back of a tablespoon, carefully squeeze the oilcloth around the thread. After that I cover the lower side of the welt with glue and a part of the balloon adjacent to it and the other side of the oilcloth and glue them, too, squeezing the welt with the oilcloth.

If the gap is large, then due to the curvature of the welt when gluing the second half of the oilcloth to its lower side, folds are formed on it. Therefore, before gluing, I apply it to the welt and choose such an option so that there are as few folds as possible - I mark these places on the oilcloth, and when gluing the oilcloth I try to make folds in the marked places. After the oilcloth is glued, I squeeze and cut the folds. Then I glue these places with pieces of oilcloth.

Video (click to play).

I let the boat lie down for several hours, the glued oilcloth can be warmed up, but not necessary. The vessel can then be inflated and left in this position for a day. Well, then you can go to the water!