My float tube bladder and the filler tube separated at the flange. I roughed the surface with 1000 grit paper and applied 30 min. epoxy to fix this and allowed it to cure overnight. When I put air in it leaked and I removed a neat washer of epoxy. It didn't adhere at all. This floatation bladder & the filler tube is made of some high tech plastic, extremely slick. The bladder looks like the old Simms KBS waders I once had and the filler tube looks like high pressure hose. My budget says fix, not replace. Ralph, what bonds with this stuff? Thanks in advance. Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2006 03:54PM by Ralph Jones.

You might try Rod Bond, I bet it would work. I have patched holes in my waders, both breathable and neoprene and it has worked great, also broken china cups and all all kind of Honey Do projects around the house.

Never know till you try it.

Bob



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2006 05:29PM by Bob Crook.

Ralph,
There should have been a repair kit in the pockets of your float tube for repairing the vinyl bladders.

Aqua Seal, made by Trondak, is the more likely adhesive to fix this type material. You can find it at most Camping or outdoor stores, as well as at most fly shops.


.......

Personally - for waders and rubber boots I have never found anything to work better than Shoe Goo - that stuff rocks. I have lots of it in use around here and it stay flexible but is very adhesive and doesn't come loose as inferior products seem to - in fact might just have to try it for tennessee rod handles for kicks - HHMMMM! Try it for your float tube and report back your results - please, Chuck Ungs

Bob, I thought about Rod Bond but I wanted more information before I made another mess. Spencer, yes, I have a couple of short pieces of tape each wrapped around a piece of what looks like drinking straw. If there was a tear or puncture in the vinyl or whatever this stuff is I'd have used it. Tom, Chuck, I have some Shoe Goo in a drawer.If it doesn't work I'll buy some Aqua Seal and try it. Thank you all. Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.

Hiya, Ralph Jones - You said, "I have some Shoe Goo in a drawer. If it doesn't work, I'll buy some Aqua Seal and try it."

I kinda suspect that some elasticity in the glue is required, which is one reason why too thick a layer of adhesive or too stiff an adhesive is a problem.

If your Float Tube does not have a patch kit like Spencer said, splurge and buy the AquaSeal, like Tom said. If Ralph O'Quinn made it, it should hold up. ...

If your Shoe-Goo repair holds up in the test run in the house, but fails on your second trip, you'll soon be in some very deep goo-goo yourself.

Use whatever repair kit the manufacturer recommends or ROQ's AquaSeal.

Unless you're using a pair of body-hugging waders, NOBODY swims very well in a pair of waders that fills with water because your float tube let you down. ...

Check your Baptismal Certificate and Life Insurance Policy before your next "Bon Voyage!" ... Better safe than sorry, - 'could've drowned once myself - been there, done that! ...Water-filled waders SINK, and getting out of them is a job for Houdini. ... (Maybe the neoprene style waders provide some bouyancy.)

IMO, Unless you're a cat with 8 of your 9 lives left,
do it right or get a new tube.
Cliff Hall, Gainesville, FL-USA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/2006 10:33AM by Moderator.

I'm not exactly sure what your float tube materials are made of. But I will tell you that pond liner adhesive has a very stong and flexible bond to
most any vinyl and pvc type materials. I use it at work to seal pond liners around pvc and plastic pipes in storm water retention ponds. As well
as fast repair on my rubber boots and rain gear. applied like contact cement and available just about anywhere they sell pond equip.

Darin Travis

Darin Travis

Tom
The only Aqua Seal made by Trondak is manufacturted for the purpose of sealing leather boots, and making the leather completely waterproof. This technology is exactly the opposite of the technology that is used for bonding. The Aqua Seal you are thinking of is manufactured by the McNett corporation in Bellingham WA. About 100 miles north of Trondak, and it is an excellent product. I concur with your recommendation that it should be an excellent choice for this application, except that Ralph Jones must understand it will still require the proper preparation for bonding. This bond application is to highly plastisized rubbery compounds, usually neoprene, and/or butyl. The plastisizer is acting as an ANTI-Bond agent and must be removed. It can be removed by diligently scrubbing the surface to be bonded with denatured alcohol, then abrading the surface with a very rough abrasion ---100 grit sandpaper will do the job 1000 grit never. All this will do is smear the plastisizer around. After the proper surface preparation The McNett aquaseal or even rodbond will make his tube as good as new. Personally I prefer to use a good waterproof CONTACT adhesive for this application, and have performed this exact job several times with contact adhesives with perfect results.

Ralph

Right - your's is the waterproofing liquid and theirs is the "goop" type stuff. Sorry. I think you even told me this back in February.

..........

Thank you, Ralph. Thank you, other folks. Ralph, I did as you said and it's curing as I write this. The day after tomorrow I plan to inflate the bladder inside the float tube to see if I did it correctly. Even though I followed your directions to the letter I think there are Gremlins here. Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.