As I got to work on outfitting the used Dimension I bought recently, I discovered that the previous owner installed a bunch of D-rings improperly. They pulled up with almost no effort and left behind a nasty, sticky, intractable mess. Not only is it a pain, but the glue appears to have degraded the vinyl - it’s soft and sticky everywhere the glue was and also delaminating from the ABS in few smaller patches (the entire circle isn’t delaminating - just a quarter sized spot).
Please tell me there’s a way to fix this! I’m nervous about applying a new d-ring over the damaged spot, in case the degeneration will continue underneath the new patch. But I need to put something there - that’s where the thigh straps need to attach unless I move the saddle.
The old d-rings have been off for a couple of weeks, but I just now got around to prepping the surface for new ones. In that time, the glue and vinyl have not changed consistenty - IE, it doesn’t appear to be drying or solidifying on its own.
gooey vinyl
Excess vinyl cement will do that, as will DEET. I’d try a hot air gun to see if it can set it off, leaving a more stable surface. Otherwise I’d probably consider scraping off as much as possible and installing a piece of fiberglass cloth with epoxy.
Any possibility you can find out the precise adhesive used by the prior owner and then contact the mfg for directions on how to remove it?
Poor application
of de adhesive (probably Vynabond). They didn’t allow de adhesive ta dry enough before they put it on, resultin’ in de solvents in de glue ta dissolve de vinyl an’ possibly some of de ABS itself. Gotta let dat stuff git dry an’ tacky first. Yer kin try a bit of scrapin’ and slight heat as mentioned, maybe use some denatured alcohol, but ah’ reckon yer gonna have ta gouge out de gunk an’ patch. Ah’ bet ya Mr. McCrea or Mr. g2d have a solution…
Fat Elmo
Not being able to see the mess, my
inclination would be to scrape it off. At least I would scrape until I could determine that the underlying ABS is hard. I would suggest extreme care in using any solvents to remove the goop. However, if it is goopy enough, perhaps you can hasten removal by rubbing in fine sand and then scraping.
Because the vinyl is compromised, you will not be able to use Vynabond to glue on new D-rings. The Vynabond solvent has bad effects on the ABS layer. That’s why I’m concerned about possible softening of the underlying ABS.
Let’s talk about the worst case scenario. Suppose that the ABS is softened under MOST of the bad D-ring spots. The only ways I know of to fix such a mess would be a) glass and epoxy or b) Kydex (a kind of vinyl) overpatches.
Because I’m better with glass, we’ll consider that first. I would clean the vinyl off each area to be patched (might not be necessary, maybe epoxy sticks well enough to vinyl) and use at least a three layer patch. Because these are interior patches, they can be Kevlar or polyester. In fact I think non-glass is better for interior work. The largest patch goes down first, then the next, and then the smallest. You might be able to glass in your connections in the same step. E-mail me if you want more detail.
Hopefully, once you get the goop off, all or most of the spots will be sound, and you won’t have to glass. One non-Vynabond glue is 3M two part Structural Adhesive, a urethane. Not as flexible, but can work with d-rings with proper prep. If vinyl is not compromised, you can use Vynabond >sparingly
current state of the mess
I’ve sanded and scraped the majority of the old glue off. The vinyl underneath where the glue was is soft, but the ABS is good. I know because a few bits of delaminated vinyl tore away during sanidng, and the ABS underneath is hard and smooth. So do I just sand away all the soft vinyl and epoxy a D-ring straight to the ABS? Or will a properly applied coat of vynabond work? I’ve used vynabond before and know the drill - thin coat, let dry, hit with hair dryer before adhesion.
Or maybe I can change the placement of the anchors slightly and be able to attach to an undamaged section. I need to do a trim check with a bow paddler anyway…