Leaky Thigh Waders

[diverdave]

PCV waders are cheap and easy to fix. If they have the pvc on the ourside and a fabric on the inside then very permanent repairs can be made.

Never use silicone sealant on waders. It will plug a hole initially, but silicone is used as a mould release, and nothing sticks to silicone. Once it is on your waders, if it does not work then bin them, no oither repairs are possible.

To repair these find the hole and mark it with pen. sane the outside very lightly (to remove any perishing on the outside, there is always some if even at a microscopic level) then clean with a solvent. After this use a bike patch, that will stop the water and give the repair strength.

Turn the wader inside out and find the patch. clean the inside with a solvent again, ideally cotal 240 and then mix a wee bit of cotal with hot aquasure or stormsure. Stick the tube in your coffee! mix it, paint on thinly and repeat. a wee brush or even a cotton but is good for applying it. Cleaning with a solvent and a wee bit of sanding is vital to a good repair, always use the solvent last.

That is a seriously permanent repair. Once done stick the aquasure in the freezer.

hope this helps

D

[Black-Don]

Ok cheers for that Dave, they're nylon outside with a rubberised coating inside but I should be able to reverse the instructions and put the bike patch on the inside with the aquasure on the outside.

EDIT

Where can you get aquasure or stormsure off the shelf ? Will I be able to get it in oban on a Saturday or will I be better to go into GAC on the way there ?

[diverdave]

most scuba, fishing and camping shops have aquasure, stormsure, or seamgrip. Prety much all the same stuff. Make sure you get the cotal as well, it is the important bit!

[Buanán]

It is a solvent, I think me and Buanan are at cross purposes here meaning two completely different things, he'll be right about what he's saying but it's obviously a different product we're both talking about .

No the stuff I'm thinking about is a glue, solvent based glue but a glue none the less. On the pipe it doesn't melt the surface for a key, you have to score the pipe surface for the glue to hold once cured. Same with the waders. The solvent is the medium that keeps the glue wet while it's applied. Once applied it mostly evaporates as the glue cures. Chemical glues are different, epoxies etc. These can get quite hot as the chemicals react and cause some problems with some delicate materials.

Diverdave's contribution looks to be the business though, mine is more your croft repair, works for my waders if a bit rough and ready :lol: