Re: [foldingboats] Keelstrips on PVC hull material

[FoldingBoats]

Erik, 

We can obtain grey PVC of suitable composition for the keelstrips for your particular 
boat. My 1968 model has not needed any in all this time though and I'm just a touch 
cavalier about my apprach to PVC skins (light, tough and cheap enough for me not to 
worry -- I have little patience for that Hype-a-Lot stuff ;-).

To effect a glued patch (or keelstrip) even the hard PVC two-part gluing system used 
by plumbers for PVC piping will probably work (I've used it for patching wth no 
trouble) ... just use a whole lot more solvent than glue because the latter is likely 
to get very hard and possibly brittle with age. The solvent will give you a good shot 
at producing a "chemical weld" with the addition of only very little glue, but you 
have to work FAST (i.e. in small increments; two-man job).

However, if you are treating the keel strips as sacrifical elements (which you might 
wish to think about), consider using contact cement to give youself a chance to remove 
them if they get too mangled (if they are not intended to get mangled, why go to the 
trouble in the first place?).

Then there is the possibility of welding. I have never welded a full strip (the 
factory does that with hot air guns). I have rewelded strips and attached patches and 
strong points (to which to fasten things) to the skin with a flattened soldering iron 
tip:

Place the tip between the patch and the skin with slight sideways pressure, pull the 
trigger. Keep moving as soon as the heat melts the PVC sufficiently to slide the iron 
along and then move it fast enough to avoid any smoke developing. DO NOT BREATHE THE 
FUMES!! A bit of practice on scraps will soon see you into the higher realms of expert 
workmanship!! ;-)

Best regards,
Ralph
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