thanks , I have wondered a lot about such a repair. This looks like a good "shop" repair. Have you done a vid on a "field" repair?

I woud suggest cleaning the surface with toluene after any roughing or sanding. This will remove any loose microparticles which can cause a weaker bond. The goal is to have two super clean surfaces with a super thin layer of glue in between. Thinning the glue with toluene will help to spread it easier to achieve the thin layers. I would suggest to use heat to reactivate the glue. This method has a huge advantage when it comes to placing the patch exactly where you want it ant keeping it flat. It will also allow you to place a patch on the inside of the tube for a stronger double patch if needed. (Inside and outside patch sandwich) After both coats of glue have dried, you simply place the patch on the boat. Moving a dry patch around makes it possible to re-possition. Once the patch is place you apply heat with a heat gun. Start pressing down on the patch from the middle to the outside. Just make sure not to hold the heat gun in one place, keep it moving around. I check the temperature often using my hand over the patch area. If it's too hot for me it's too hot for the boat.

Great video. Thanks for doing these.

Good stuff... heat is important too in a shop a heat gun or blow dryer is essential and a fire out on the river is helpful.

Thanks man! I’m a few days out from a trip and my duckie has a couple leaks. This is gonna save the trip!

Great channel. Valve replacement/repair would be helpful too. I don't see that much Hypalon any more, at least on high end boats. I have an old SOTAR and have had to replace a couple of old brittle valves. Worth having a spare on the river. Usually, the housing remains intact, so if you can find it and work it to the valve hole you are golden.

Getting close to 1K subscribers congratulations.

Hey bro - wear safety glasses with any wire wheel. I am a fabricator and not a safety nut by any means...but those wires fly off randomly like little spears.

Yes , instead of activating with tolene i would use a hair dryer to activate high heat. apply patch and some heat afterward and a roller to smooth out bubbles

Where can a guy find patch material and what kinda glue are you using?

Hey, Zac. Do you have any recommendations for raft repair in the South Fork American area? Hope all's well with you.

Very helpful

Hello Zach... did not hit a like or dislike on this one. Too many errors in overall strategies, layout, prep, chemistry to some extent, techniques, sequencing, and finishing work. Couple of general things because more specifics is time consuming to type it all out here. #1 Make every effort to NOT adhere patches over patches (= bad prep, poor practice, and not a lasting good looking repair). #2 Whenever possible TEMPLATE!!! Try NOT getting in the habit of straight cutting fabric then following up by rounding edges. Typically you have templating jigs everywhere like tracing small patches out by using the repair kits adhesive can, soda can, bigger circumferences (bigger cans, lids etc.). Need an oval go for your flat aluminum Leafield C-7 wrench. The Toluene jug is likely the patch you needed and tracing the bottom already provides rounded edges. Always go round patches if you can, and consistency by way of templating is key. #3 in Shop... Cut out patch first and place on top a piece of short nap carpet then sand it (for no irregularities or surface 'grain' topography to the preparation). Find center target of injury, place patch over top of damage, then trace with indexing... mapping exactly the orientation plus where to sand. Hard brush surface to clean and big dust off and away. IF you prefer TOL. for added cleaning go ahead, but it really is not necessary. #4 Thin Coat 1 on patch, thin coat 1 to boat (stay in the lines) take a time out LET DRY as in no sticky/tacky. #5 Repeat #4 2nd coats to patch and boat. (The only thing I'd for certain change up in you gluing at a shop is use a two part adhesive for acceleration and stronger lasting bond) #6 Use Toluene on a saturated T-shirt cloth as a quick, gentle 'wiping' across once 'flash' method to BOAT ONLY (not the dabbing/peppering routine in your video) then place orient patch down and roll it. In shop, I use either flashing or a heat gun to slightly disrupt final process for final adhesion. In your case doing a NO-NO patch over patch senario... FLASH was best so as not to disrupt older patch underneath. This link is a good source for many: www.alaskaraftconnection.com/msg15.htm

How do you know what type of rubber you have?

Toluene. TALL-you-een