Hello! I just made a mistake while working on my Dagger Genesis. I was removing the D-Rings that attach to the knee straps. They were so far forward that the strap kept sliding down my leg. None-the-less, as I got one off,it peeled the top layer of the inside of the canoe with it. If I had to guess I am looking at the ABS layer… My concern is about using Vynabond on that. Do I need to patch it first or will i be able to glue new D-Rings over the exposed area. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks! Oh yeah, here is a link to a picture of my canoe issue.
http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr153/dommma28/Canoe/100_0811.jpg
That layer was the vinyl skin, and you
don’t want to get acetone or Vynabond on the ABS. There is no way to restore the vinyl layer.
My suggestion is to get the little 4oz bottle version of West G-flex epoxy. Costs about $16. It will stick well to both the naked ABS and to the vinyl overskin. Because it is not a contact cement, you will have to rig up a way to hold the patch down against the G-flex and ABS while it sets, which will take several hours at room temperature. It hardens further in 24 hours.
If you feel you have to remove more vinyl to put the patch where you want it, you can use a sharp 1/4" chisel held at a very low angle. It will lift the vinyl at the interface without damaging the ABS.
Your experience shows that the vinyl overskin bond to the ABS is not as strong as either the ABS or the vinyl.
What type of patch
What type of patch will I want to use with the Epoxy? Fiberglass? Kevlar? Obviously I am a rookie and quite clueless.
Are you saying the vinyl/fabric patch
you pulled up is not still usable? That could be, if there is a lot of distorted vinyl overskin stuck to it. In that case you can buy a fresh d-ring patch and epoxy that to the ABS. You should lightly sand the underside of the new patch, and clean it with rubbing alcohol.
You can probably use some moderately springy foam to hold the patch down while the epoxy sets. Put something stiff on top of the foam, and some weight on top of that. Do a trial run. Make sure the boat is positioned so the area being glued is low and level, because you don’t want the epoxy sneaking out and running where it does not belong. I have switched to this approach for D-rings, even on top of vinyl, although I know others get great results with Vynabond.
You might google and check Mike Yee Outfitting, because he has some special D-ring connection patches that allow a range of D-ring positions. He may have thoughts on attachment adhesives also.
Or, to perpetrate one of my favorite jokes, you might move up from your Genesis to a Wet Exodus.
Ohhhh…
Ok,I follow you now. I just ordered two new D-Rings and I will look into the Epoxy, too. Can I just paint over any of the exposed ABS after I apply the new patch?
Yes, you could just paint it. Or smear
the epoxy over it and let the epoxy absorb the UV. Almost any paint might serve, but you might have to do it over occasionally. Not a spray paint job, though Krylon Fusion is a spray for plastics.