Hi all,
I've just bought this fantastic old inflatable Metzeler Juca. I?ve posted some photos below. It?s generally in not bad condition, though has had a couple of patches, and I?ve found 2 further leaks. It was sold as such and the price I paid reflected that ? I like a project!
However, I do need to find out whether the boat is made from Hapalon or PVC in order to make the repairs. I know the old ones were Hypalon but the newer ones were PVC ? after 1989 I believe.
I?ve tried some of the tests which I?ve found published on a couple of websites, namely applying a small amount of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) on a cloth where PVC would go tacky ? that didn?t seem to be the case with my boat. The other test was to sand the surface where Hypalon would produce a dust but PVC would be just scratched ? it did seem to produce a dust, but could that just be paint? So the tests are not very conclusive. Also, I can?t access any areas where I can see the inner surface to see if it?s the same colour which would be the case for PVC.
Can anyone suggest anything? To be honest, the material does have a fairly shiny finish and feels quite PVC like, but the tests I did above suggest Hypalon, albeit not conclusively. Can Hypalon have a shiny finish? Samples I?ve felt do feel more rubbery, but is that always the case?
I suppose I could just buy some Hypalon glue and PVC glue and see which sticks best ? would it be obvious if I had the wrong glue?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! The boat is definitely worth saving.
Many thanks,
Roger
I've just bought this fantastic old inflatable Metzeler Juca. I?ve posted some photos below. It?s generally in not bad condition, though has had a couple of patches, and I?ve found 2 further leaks. It was sold as such and the price I paid reflected that ? I like a project!
However, I do need to find out whether the boat is made from Hapalon or PVC in order to make the repairs. I know the old ones were Hypalon but the newer ones were PVC ? after 1989 I believe.
I?ve tried some of the tests which I?ve found published on a couple of websites, namely applying a small amount of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) on a cloth where PVC would go tacky ? that didn?t seem to be the case with my boat. The other test was to sand the surface where Hypalon would produce a dust but PVC would be just scratched ? it did seem to produce a dust, but could that just be paint? So the tests are not very conclusive. Also, I can?t access any areas where I can see the inner surface to see if it?s the same colour which would be the case for PVC.
Can anyone suggest anything? To be honest, the material does have a fairly shiny finish and feels quite PVC like, but the tests I did above suggest Hypalon, albeit not conclusively. Can Hypalon have a shiny finish? Samples I?ve felt do feel more rubbery, but is that always the case?
I suppose I could just buy some Hypalon glue and PVC glue and see which sticks best ? would it be obvious if I had the wrong glue?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! The boat is definitely worth saving.
Many thanks,
Roger
