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REPAIRS
35
Air Chamber Repair ‑ PVC Fabric
!
WARNING
Avoid serious injury or death from a fire, explosion or poisoning.
The glues and solvents used for repairing inflatables are toxic
and highly flammable. As a safety precaution, always work
outdoors or in an area that is well‑ventilated, and away from any
open flames, sparks, or appliances equipped with pilot lights.
Breathing the vapors or exposure to the skin may be hazardous
to your health. Avoid breathing the vapors and contact with skin
and eyes by wearing a carbon filter respirator and protective gear
over all exposed areas of the body.
The repair kit which comes with the boat is a one part glue
operation and should be used for emergency minor repair. For a
permanent repair, a two part adhesive for PVC fabric should be
used. This two part adhesive and patching materials for PVC fabric
are available from Mercury Marine.
Small tears and punctures in the air chambers which are
1 cm (0.393 in.) or less, can be repaired in an emergency. Larger
areas, or if the patch will overlap a seam, should be patched by a
professional repair technician at an inflatable repair station.
Contact your local Mercury dealer for the nearest inflatable repair
station.
For the best results when gluing, the relative humidity should be
less than 60%, ambient air temperature should be between
18 °C to 25 °C (65 °F to 77 °F) and not in direct sunlight.
Cut out a patch large enough to overlap the damaged area by
38 mm (1.5 in.) on all sides. Center the patch over the damaged
area, and with a pencil trace the outline of the patch. Apply masking
tape around the perimeter of the outlined patch area to ensure a
tight and clean glue line.
Clean the patch area on the boat as well as the backside of the
patch with M.E.K. (methyl ethel ketone) patching solvent and
cleaner. Keep solvent off skin. After applying the solvent, you will
notice that the area will become tacky. This tackiness ensures
good glue adhesion.