Need help with a repair.

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Michael Meyer
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Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 11:38 am

Need help with a repair.

Post by Michael Meyer »

Yesterday, the rear handle on my Wilderness Ride 115 broke. It appears that there is a small crack on either side of the threads which permitted the screw to simply pull out. I have attached a photograph.
20180721_122159.jpg
My question is how do I go about repairing the hole in the kayak so I can reattach the handle? I appreciate any help you can give.
yakattak_jake
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Re: Need help with a repair.

Post by yakattak_jake »

Bummer..... This is relatable. I had a crack problem recently on my KC Kayak. I can share with ya a couple of tips I learned while repairing mine.
First, I drilled holes on the extreme ends of each crack. Sounds crazy, but it’s actually a common practice in crack repair. It will help “trap” the crack from progressing.
Second, ever heard of plastic welding? If you do a quick search on YouTube, you’ll find lots of kayakers performing this method on theirs. You’ll need to find some like-for-like plastic to repair with and buy a cheap plastic welding iron from Harbor Freight to have the best success. I would explain the method, but the videos do it more justice.
Third, you might can try epoxys and adhesives. Maybe even Flex Seal for a quick easy fix.

I uploaded a couple pics of what I did. I opted to not use adhesives for the actual filling/repair. Shows the holes drilled and what it looked like after welding. Only took me 15 minutes. It’s easy to do, but that was after researching and practicing for a couple weeks. Drilling holes and plastic welding can be damaging if done hastily.

Good luck!! Like to know what you come up with and how it turns out!

ImageImage


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Kirk B.
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Re: Need help with a repair.

Post by Kirk B. »

Don't bother with the Flex seal. I tried it on the skylight in the bathroom of my travel trailer and it didn't work. You need something to bridge the crack for it to seal. 2 light coats and one heavy one wouldn't seal. I just bought a new skylight on Amazon.
Plastic welding is going to be the way to go.

Kirk B.
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kickingback
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Re: Need help with a repair.

Post by kickingback »

Yes, plastic weld. Lots of YouTube videos on how easy to do it. You may have all the tools you need. Just take your time and learn as much as you can before you start welding as to not damage the kayak more. That small crack can be welded easily it looks like.
imaoldmanyoungsalt
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Re: Need help with a repair.

Post by imaoldmanyoungsalt »

Plastic weld. It's easy and very durable. Here's before and after on 2 cracks I had around my scuppers. Still holding strong after a lot of use. I used a wood burner I bought at Lowe's for about 12 bucks and a Lowes 5 gallon bucket for the plastic since they were close in color. The wood burner comes with several different tips that come in handy for working in difficult areas and contours. Watch utube vids and practice on some scrap plastic 1st. Be patient and don't rush. ImageImageImageImage

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imaoldmanyoungsalt
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Re: RE: Re: Need help with a repair.

Post by imaoldmanyoungsalt »

imaoldmanyoungsalt wrote:Plastic weld. It's easy and very durable. Here's before and after on 2 cracks I had around my scuppers. Still holding strong after a lot of use. I used a wood burner I bought at Lowe's for about 12 bucks and a Lowes 5 gallon bucket for the plastic since they were close in color. The wood burner comes with several different tips that come in handy for working in difficult areas and contours. Watch utube vids and practice on some scrap plastic 1st. Be patient and don't rush. ImageImageImageImage

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It either went up in price or I remembered wrong (could be either) but looks like its 18 bucks nowImage

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imaoldmanyoungsalt
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Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: Need help with a repair.

Post by imaoldmanyoungsalt »

imaoldmanyoungsalt wrote:
imaoldmanyoungsalt wrote:Plastic weld. It's easy and very durable. Here's before and after on 2 cracks I had around my scuppers. Still holding strong after a lot of use. I used a wood burner I bought at Lowe's for about 12 bucks and a Lowes 5 gallon bucket for the plastic since they were close in color. The wood burner comes with several different tips that come in handy for working in difficult areas and contours. Watch utube vids and practice on some scrap plastic 1st. Be patient and don't rush. ImageImageImageImage

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
It either went up in price or I remembered wrong (could be either) but looks like its 18 bucks nowImage

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Oh and BTW, that was my first time to plastic weld...if I can do it on first try, anyone can!

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kickingback
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Re: Need help with a repair.

Post by kickingback »

They also sell kayak welding kits which is a more expensive "burner" but you can get the plastic welding sticks that match your kayak color.
You can usually find a close match on most plastics that you can weld.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Need help with a repair.

Post by Ron Mc »

HDPE is so totally cross-linked, and so totally smooth, no adhesives stick to it.
Plastic weld is the only way.
SWFinatic
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Re: Need help with a repair.

Post by SWFinatic »

I agree plastic welding is the best way to address the crack but even after you repair the crack I would not rely on that hole holding the handle with a screw. It's still going to be a weak spot. If it were mine I would re-install the handle using SS bolts with washers on the inside and outside. If I didn't have hand access to that area I would install a small access hole where I did have hand access. You can get a 4" access or inspection port for about 10 bucks.
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preacher
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Re: Need help with a repair.

Post by preacher »

I've made numerous repairs simply using a soldering gun. I use a cheapo and get the tip that has a flat surface a little smaller than a dime. I use electric ties, you can get almost any color at Home Depot. After I do the repair I use my heat gun to super heat a putty knife and use that to smooth things out. So far no prob after many yaers.
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