Advice \ How to bond Weaver rubber pads to a PVC dinghy

The rubber pads supplied with the Weaver Snap Davit kit have already been pre-sanded ready for bonding to a Hypalon dinghy. To enable them to be bonded to a PVC dinghy a priming coat of Hypalon adhesive is necessary. Our recommended procedure is described here.

MATERIALS NEEDED

• 1x 70ml tube Polymarine 2990 HYPALON ADHESIVE
• 1 x 50ml2903 PVC PRIMER AND CLEANER
• 1 x 250ml PVC 3026 2 PART ADHESIVE
• SMALL GLASS OR METAL CONTAINER
• PAINT BRUSH CUT DOWN TO 20-25MM STUBBLE
• LINT FREE CLOTH
• PVC MATERIAL
• MASKING TAPE
• POLYTHENE
• KNIFE HANDLE OR ROUNDED PIECE OF HARDWOOD

BEFORE YOU START ANY GLUEING PLEASE NOTE

YOU WORK PLACE NEEDS TO BE WELL VENTILATED, WARM AND DRY. IF THE AIR IS HUMID DON'T TRY TO USE THE ADHESIVE AS IT WILL BLOOM. HYGRONOMETRY 60%, TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 18 AND 25C. DO NOT USE A GAS FIRE OR NAKED FLAME HEAT SOURCE AS THE SOLVENT ARE HIGHLY FLAMMABLE.

1. Squeeze out contents of the tube of the Hypalon adhesive into a container and mix 1/3rd of the contents of the bottle of cure from the 3026 PVC adhesive. Apply a thin coat to the surface of the rubber pads and leave 24 hours or longer. The surface should look wet all over.
2. Inflate the dinghy until firm (slightly under the dinghy’s working pressure). Outline position for pads on the dinghy in pencil and mask area with masking tape (masking off has two advantages, restricting the solvent and the adhesive to the area to be bonded making for a clean neat job without oversmear)
3. Wipe over pads with solvent to degrease, leave for 30 minutes.
4. Prepare sufficient PVC adhesive, decant 1/3rd of 250ml 3026 adhesive and mix with half of the remaining cure. Apply solvent to cloth and vigorously wipe over the masked area on the dinghy only, do this a couple of times to create a tacky surface before applying a thin coat of mixed adhesive to both dinghy and the previously primed rubber pads. Leave for 30 minutes then apply a second thin coat to both surfaces, it is best to do one pad at a time, and leave for a couple of minutes before backing the pad with polythene. The pad can then be aligned without fear of a contact stick before you are ready. When ready gradually peel back the polythene pressing out any air bubbles to make an instant bond then consolidate the surfaces with the knife handle or block of wood by rubbing down hard working from the center out. Remove masking tape and rub off any visible adhesive. If this is left it will turn brown. Leave for 48 hours before use.