How restore old, crinkly material?

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Sailingsaves

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Video here.

http://youtu.be/nUGG2SoTa7s

It (possibly the audio) shows the degradation of the fabric of this wonderfully designed emergency hand pump.

I have bought a 1976 single man liferaft (to examine, not use as if my life depended upon it). It came in a box that was sealed in 1976.

Bit like the one here (scroll down)
http://www.militarysystems-tech.com...and-life-support-solutions/survitec-group-ltd

Alas it is not like this beauty:
http://www.navalsystems-tech.com/fi.../supplier_images/Single Seat Liferaft-2-l.jpg

Some of the orange fabric is old and a little crinkly and feels brittle. Parts of the orange canopy have stuck to the black inflatable base of raft.

Anyone know how to treat fabric (sorry, not sure what it is - feels like a thin coat material - not hypalon that's for sure).

I am testing "Seal Saver" on some parts at the moment to see if it does anything, but it is designed to rejuvenate rubber seals on dry suits.

Anyone know what other substances or powders I could test? Survitech (own Beaufort) can't / won't help.

Thanks
 
You could try putting it in hot water to get it to release.iI would then consider a thin coat of storm seal For mending wet suits.will try and find a link .May not get a continuos coat unless you filled it though:)
 
I think you have no practical chance of restoring that material. Most structural fabrics are multi-layer laminates, and the (?polyurethane) coating on the interior of that pump has degraded through time, light, and even aerobic and non-aerobic bacteria and fungi..

If you really wanted to, a flexible PU paint might be helpful, but the fuss and kerfuffle in taking the pump to pieces and re-stitching it is just not worth the trouble.
 
Thanks.

I was using the pump as an example, I am more worried about the raft, the orange has stuck in some places to the the black material but the black material is like new. When I say stuck, I don't mean welded just that it will pull apart gently but I'd rather not pull just yet.

It was wrapped up in a carboard box and covered with tarred paper - never seen the like of it.

No corrosion on bottle of alloy trigger mechanism. Sponge inside was stiff as a board but clean.

No sign of any dirt. Looks pristine.

Think I will try bath of warm water (unless seal saver works on the pump that I am experimenting upon). Will also test E45 cream, vaseline and silicon spray on pump before I even touch the raft.

I feel like an archaeologist treating an old book with pages stuck together.

Be amazing if the bottle still weighs the sames as the stencil marks on the side.

Interesting to examine.

Winter is coming
View attachment 47449
 
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