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Gluing foam to plastic????

As most of you know I have made a couple riverboards out of kayaks and love the performance I have gotten from them. That said, I am having problems keeping the foam glued to the old kayak hull. Does anyone have any experience. I first used 3M spray adhesive #90 with luck for about 5 runs before having to re glue. I then pulled the foam out and started over with Gorilla glue. I have 8 runs (over 30 miles) but it too is beginning to give up the ghost. Any suggestions?

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Permalink Reply by martyStecher martystecher on April 30, 2010 at 4:57pm

West System has a new epoxy called Gflex that looks like it is good for plastics see this youtube for more info.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a5RlcP-4JE
I have built a lot of boats and other stuff with epoxy, and west system is all about boats, carbon fiber kevlar etc.

M

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Permalink Reply by Ehren Axley on May 4, 2010 at 4:45pm

I'll second Marty, WS is about the best out there. Check out skibuilders.com. Great website that I've referred to to build both skis and riverboards (very similar materials). Best peeps you'll ever want to meet also.

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Permalink Reply by Alex Koutzoukis on May 4, 2010 at 7:55pm

OK so we all know how to bond foam to foam and plastic to plastic, but has anyone found a product that will bond plastic to foam??????!!!!!!!! Lol.....

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Permalink Reply by Ehren Axley on May 5, 2010 at 4:51pm

West Systems ^^^^^. Many, many skis and snowboards made today are made by gluing foam to plastic. Densolite foam has (unfortunately imo) become about as common as wood for core material. The base of ski/board is p-tex plastic as is the topsheet (usually). I'd look for the glue used to make foam core skis and boards. Another suggestion is Loctite Hysol 608. This is the tried and true industry standard epoxy for base repair on skis/boards....also often a plastic to foam job. Excellent flexibility, may be just the ticket.

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Permalink Reply by Ehren Axley on May 5, 2010 at 5:15pm

My only ? is what glues are safe for minicell? I'll be building a couple of protos soon using different glues. I'll let you know the results.

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Permalink Reply by martyStecher martystecher on May 6, 2010 at 2:34pm

I think Im am going to do a blog on board building, but not today as our river took another 60% jump in flow overnight. Got to go boarding....

In this first vid the guy talks about using different laminates for different core materials... very important. (see the double lamination on carlson boards, I think the white must be there to join the black core with the bottom skin....

Watch these video to see heat welding. the big laminaters use the same process, they are just wider.

cheers Marty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baPvhji5GNY Aus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcK91_JawZQ Aus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmakiTrfaTc skip ahead to 2:30 to avoid all the talking. Shows both top and bottom welding machines. Brazil

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjE_tu7X1Qs shows top laminater rollers Brazil

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4HxGgCQD-I kung Brazil

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Permalink Reply by Waterboarder1 on May 8, 2010 at 4:33am

Hey Rob,

I think I figured out a solution to your kayak-board building dilemma.....

You can't use heat to bond the kayak plastic to the foam as the 2 materials have vastly different melting temperatures.

Rochelle's idea to use contact cement won't work as the cement has no body, no way to bridge small gaps in the fit of 2 parts and requires gobbs of pressure to bond.

The solution should be a polyurethane adhesive/caulk like the Sikaflex mentioned by someone, but I would use the Holly Grail of polyurethane adhesive/caulks: 3M corporation's 5200.

It is used to bond the deck & hull seams of fiberglass boats large & small. It dries hard, takes up gaps in the fit, but stays flexible to allow for flex. It is used to bed thru-hull fitting on boats. Water helps cure it. It sticks to anything clean.

I love the creative genius of marrying the 2 whitewater devices like you are. I think this is how Dr. Frankenstein would proceed if he was a riverboarder!

Let us know how it works if you try it.

Dean

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Permalink Reply by martyStecher martystecher on May 9, 2010 at 2:23pm

Don't forget to rough up the surface of the poly or even add cold connections. For example you can weld posts made from the same plastic, or weld on some kind of mesh, that can then help hold the caulk/glue.

This is an excellent video that shows how to weld a kayak. You can cut off pieces from a different part of the boat for welding rod.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bos4lfOA3k

This one is 3m on how to fix bumpers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMr9aJ-j0NQ&feature=PlayList&...

Personally I think I would try the new west system plastic fixer.
Contact this guy Jim Watson he is the tech rep and is very helpful JRW@gougeon.com

M

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Permalink Reply by Rob Robinson on February 14, 2011 at 8:15pm

Two words: Marine Goop

See: http://tinyurl.com/4lpnswj

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Permalink Reply by Phillip Kirkman on April 21, 2011 at 4:31pm

Go without glue. Take your cut up boat, leave some of the outfitting, bolts, etc. Pour in self expanding polyurethane foam (duct tape and plastic areas if needed). I like 8lb density high float. Cut plastic. Carve foam. Cut and carve more. Drill, insert pvc pipe handles (bolts inside to tighten). Seal foam with acrylic paint if desired. Sand and seal/bond plastic edges. Custom foam with hardshell. Made one, haven't had a chance to try it yet...