Maybe lwt it cool before trying to pull it apart. It should cool super fast but give it 1-2 mins to solidify.

try loctite vinyl adhesive. u can buy for relatively cheap in bulk on amz. squirt a very small bead down along seam edges, then press layers together and leave for at least 24 hours (dont cheat and test it before 24 hours... it takes time for solvent to dissipate/evaporate). the adhesive is essentially liquid vinyl with lots of solvent to keep it gooey for just enough time to lay it down (working time 10 min i think). the solvent partially dissolves the material layers to be bonded and forms a very tough seal. would it be airtight? my guess is yes for low psi (below ~ 2 psi). to get even better bond, use light abrasive light magic eraser sponges to scuff surface, then clean with alcohol wipes and let air dry before laying the loctite down...... from one creator/tinkerer to another, cheers!

Hey, Becky, your post about cat boxes showed up as recommended so I watched it, and even though I’m between cats, it was very useful. So I decided to see what you have on your channel. This one caught my eye. I’m an artist, and I used to make earrings that were clear vinyl filled with interesting stuff. I used a tracking iron to seal the edges. I’m not as techy as you, but tacking irons are used to melt a bit of the glue sheet to hold a photo in place when heat pressing it to a board, or sealing laminate sheets together temporarily when laminating something. It gets pretty hot. I used it to almost melt the edges of my earrings together. I can’t tell you what temperature I used, I just used the setting I found to work. I guess my point of telling you this long story is that heat should work. At least it did for me. I think maybe your tool wasn’t working well. I think the temperature was fluctuating wildly and it was sealing some areas well and not others. Also, you need ventilation, as you noticed, because the smell is vile and I’m sure unhealthy! Just my 2 cents on the subject. Congrats on graduating! I’ll be subscribing.

Hey, this is awesome. I'm currently working on a project recreating some IV bags that will host some shoes and become the packaging for those. I actually was able to figure out the sealing part without burning the vinyl. I have a heat press and I put a metal rod onto the heating plate and let it reach 400°F then I will have a piece of mylar acting as the teflon sheet and have light pressure for 3 seconds and that would give me a good seal. Once I let the vinyl cool I take the mylar off and everything looks great.

I love you for doing all the research to share this information. I'm doing a vinyl project myself and if it works out, it could become a good part time job.

Trying to make a prototype for an inflatable lamp for my masters graduation project. You're my absolute saviour!

I’m learning about how to make vinyl shaker bows. Trying to see how I can seal the material for making them as you do with a fuse tool for photographic scrapbooking sheets. Nice video!

You have to allow it to cool for about 40 secs or so before trying to instantly ripping it apart.

Use teflon shield between the heat source and the vinyl.

Did you ever get this to work like you wanted? I thought about buying one of these, but after seeing the results, I chose to not buy one.

Hi Becky, i'm researching building an inflatable boat. I am search for the best seal for a pvc inflatable that I can fold or roll up and transport on my scooter (I don't own a car). I live about a mile from the gulf of Mexico in western Florida. So far chemical sealing looks like the most reliable method I have found. The big inflatable companies are also using chemical bonding with multilayer seaming (in addition to the original seam an additional strip on both sides of the seam creates a high pressure resistant bond. Keep trying new things, good luck.

Hi Becky, I think you were rushing your tests before trying their strength. Try giving the material more time to cool. Hot vinyl has no strength.

Thanks for the informative video series. Sadly neither method seems to work in my case. I'm trying to build some doll sized pool toys (the manufacturers don't seem to even wanna bother talking to anyone wishing to order 10-20 pcs). At that scale using vinyl glue seems to be pretty challenging due to the scale and precision needed, basically even the slightest uncontrolled spread of the glue ruins the geometry, not to mention how hard it is to keep the amount of glue small and consistent along the whole thing. Additionally any "strands"/"hairs" of glue that inevitably happen ruin the transparent surfaces of the toy as well. For most of my attempts that kinda worked I've been using a Miniware TS100 iron set at 160-180°C (less for .15mm, more for .3mm) with a flat 45° angled tip, and tracing paper to prevent the vinyl from sticking. If doing that at around the speed of 0.5mm/s (using a metronome at 60bpm, move 1mm on even beats, do nothing on odd) I seem to get a half decent seam, but since it's a very slow process it's hard to keep the timing consistent and at least one or two weak points develop. After going over them a few times more, eventually the seam is sturdy enough, but the vinyl right next to it is probably worn out enough that, with the tight radiuses that these small sizes introduce, create too much pulling force and it just tears apart. I was thinking that if there was a way to weld the whole seam at once (most simple ones for now are a 10cm-30cm radius circles and or equivalent length lines) and make it wider than the 3mm of the soldering tip, that could help with reliability, but not exactly sure how to approach that. One idea was using a clothes iron with aluminium foil templates covering everything but what I want to weld, but somehow I think it'd end up welding through the foil anyway (don't have an iron yet to try). Other than that I'm completely lost at what to try next, if you might have some tips could you please point me in the right direction? Thanks!

I''m currentyl trying to melt crystal clear vinyl sheeting together to enclose my patio for the winter. I used a regular iron and a towel and have had some success. Some bonds are too weak and pull apart easily while others are pretty good. Might be the length of time I hold iron on. IDK yet!

Have you tried to set heat of the welder very low and move it much slower? Or is the adjustment knob/thermostat really broken and so always does maximum heat. (Modern soldering stations are inexpensive and do have working temperature control. Constructing this is not rocket science.) Properly working It should not smoke or leave black stains. If it is broken, try an external socket lamp dimmer or wire incandescent lightbulbs (as resistor) in series to reduce heat.

I’m working on a military humvee vinyl top that I need to cut down for a shorter profile. So I’m looking at different ways to join the vinyl back together after I cut out the excess material. Thanks for the video. But did you ever let any of the test vinyl look down fully before trying to pull them apart?

Becky, thank you

Hi Becky I’m a DIYer and I want to create inflatable outdoor seating for my backyard. I’m researching the best materials and process to use.

Interestinggg. Thanks for sharing

you are so fun and funny!! 😂 super interesting and informative video, thank you! please wear a mask or i hope you're in a place with good ventilation 😢 and i think letting it cool might be the key?

Hi, do you think its possible to seal vinyl with an iron?

Next time place it on the thick vinyl and let it sit there on each side.

My be you need ultrasinic sealer?

thanks

All this talk about safety and health concerns... I think the obvious health threat is not being addressed.