Cleaning Hypalon

[Tom.B]

As an FYI... I saw this on another forum and felt the urge to share.

I am sort of fixing up our older hypalon dinghy for the season (even tough, thanks to JD, we have a nearly new Livingston 9V). I have pulled off the rub rail that was only half attached, used a air dye grinder with a Scotch Bright scrub pad to take off all the old glue. THEN, as someone on BoaterEd suggested, used Orange GoJo hand cleaner with the scrub side of a kitchen sponge to clean the hypalon to a nearly new condition. It works quite well.

Once the threat of rain passes, I'm going to spray it with 303 and paint the transom.

I was trying to decide about a rub rail. The parts from inflatableboatparts.com would be about $200, but there is a guy at Minnosott Beach, NC that would do the entire job for less than that (since I have done all the hard work already), so I need to decide if it's worth it or if I'll just leave the rubrail off for a while.

The more you know! :-D

Tom-

 

[Shoalwaters]

Tom, keep the rub-rail - it absorbs a lot of rough treatment. The recipe for successful inflatable repairs is (1) ensure the mating surfaces are clean and roughened, (2)use the right cement, and (3) apply lots of pressure while the cement cures. In the case of a patch I deflate the tube, stick on the patch and squeeze tube and patch between two pieces of plywood with one or two G-clamps. It might be worth while talking to the guy in Minnosott Beach and finding out how he intends to squeeze the rub-rail and the tube together. It will not be an easy job, and, if he has the right tools and technique, I would let him do it. Hint: I do not believe this can be done successfully with the tube inflated.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
So let me get this straight. You've cleaned the dink and the rubrail (which you'll reuse) and the "parts" from inflataboat...are going to cost you $200? WHY???? I agree keep the rubrail.

 

[Tom.B]

No... I have only cleaned the dinghy... The rub rail won't be reused (it doesn't clean as easily, if at all) and it's kind of a mess. So the parts for me to do it myself are $200... OR... I can have it done professionally for that price or less.

Sorry I wasn't clear on that. ;-)

Tom-