Avon dinghy repairs.

Allan

Allan

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I have an old Avon dinghy which I'm really pleased with. Some of the strips around the sides and the rubber fittings need regluing. It would also be nice to have a repair kit. Would the glue from a recent Zodiac or similar do the job? If not what glue is recommended?
I think the material is different from the modern dinghies.
Allan
 
It will be Hypalon. The proper glue is available widely from chandlers. The other type of material is PVC which uses a different glue. The packaging on the glue will state clearly which material it is for.
 
As tranona says Avons ( except for Avon Typhoons) are Hypalon. (A few Zodiacs were also Hypalon)

Use the two part glue for any serious repairs. Don't use any ancient stuff youve had on the shelf for years

The glue is widely available or direct from Polymarine http://polymarineshop.com/

See the "Info" tab for information about the materials and identification. Also advice on carrying out repairs.

Worth while getting the appropriate solvent/primer for cleaning I think ( essential with PVC for pretreatment).
 
Allan said:
I have an old Avon dinghy which I'm really pleased with. Allan
Click to expand...

We were at the point of scrapping our 1990 Avon last winter but gave it one last chance to redeem itself. It responded to the threat and is now in very good health.
We received good advice from Ribstore in Bruton -so not very far from Bristol if you go for their refurb service.

As well as regluing where necessary, we treated some very slow leaks using 'sealskin' with a better than anticipated result.
Have a gander at their website http://www.ribstore.co.uk/about-us.php.

Cheers
Bob
 
RIBW said:
We were at the point of scrapping our 1990 Avon last winter but gave it one last chance to redeem itself. It responded to the threat and is now in very good health.
We received good advice from Ribstore in Bruton -so not very far from Bristol if you go for their refurb service.

As well as regluing where necessary, we treated some very slow leaks using 'sealskin' with a better than anticipated result.
Have a gander at their website http://www.ribstore.co.uk/about-us.php.

Cheers
Bob
Click to expand...

An excellent link to a very informative website. Now saved to my favourites!
 
Bostik IS the stuff, and I bought mine from my local brach of Buck and Hickman for £10.80 inc VAT IIRC, over the counter.

measuring out the hardener is a bit of a pain, but only the 2-part glues are good enough.

Cheers
Rum Run
 
I persevered for several years with one-part Polymarine Hypalon glue on a patch. It was fine until the sun shone and the pressure rose when it started leaking again. Last year I used EvoStik "Sticks Like Sh*t" and no leaks since. Tube seems to stay soft and apart from silicon rubber it has stuck everything I have aimed it at, but do wear gloves 'cos it's a bu$$er to get off hands.
 
Thanks for all the help. I've had a quick look at the ribstore website and they are just down the road from where I used to live.
Allan
 
Allan said:
I have an old Avon dinghy which I'm really pleased with. Some of the strips around the sides and the rubber fittings need regluing. It would also be nice to have a repair kit. Would the glue from a recent Zodiac or similar do the job? If not what glue is recommended?
I think the material is different from the modern dinghies.
Allan
Click to expand...

I have two old Avons - one left deflated on deck for cruising use, and the other in regular use as my tender. Both have needed running repairs and the best glue that I have come across is Stormsure costing around £6 from Force 4. Easy to use on seams and patches and very efficient. They also recommend storing it in the freezer, and that works as well!

I also tried a liquid that is poured into the chambers through the valves, as one of the dinghies lost air and despite extensive examination, I could not find any leak. Despite my extreme cynicism, I treated it as described last November, pumped it up, and have only pumped a little air once since, and it is in regular use. Previously it semi deflated in 2 days. Also from Force 4 at about £15
 
The rubber strip IS rubber. Hypalon glue (Bostic, evostic and the two parts varieties) will all work to stick hypalon to hypalon. They do not adhere very well to the old glue on the rubber. You need to get the old glue off the rubber (powertool and grinder/brush/abrasive bit). You can now get a (poor) bond with the hypalon glue. To do a proper job there is a primer to put on the rubber and this bonds much better to the hypalon glue. I got a pot of this for $NZ20 but was not told the magic ingredient. I guess Ribstore can re-glue for you. FWIW the bit that takes the time is cleaning off the old glue and you might get a better quote if you do this job yourself. Took me about 5 hrs but I was a bit obsessive about it. Finally agree with all that restoring an AVON older than say 5 yrs is worth it. What I was told by my Inflatable expert is that about 5 yrs ago AVON Inflatables was taken over and the "new" hypalon is much inferior and it is not worth spending to refurbish one of the newer ones.
 
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