Repairing waterproof panniers

[Bob Johnstone]

I've got some Karrimor waterproof panniers like these:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?cat=cycle&w=0&ProdID=5360013171
They are made from pieces of woven material coated on one side with
plastic (PVC, perhaps).

I recently noticed that one of the panniers is coming apart at a seam.
These seams are welded in some way, so I tried 'welding' the seam back
together using a steam iron. This didn't work. Does anyone have any
advice for repairing this? What sort of temperature is required? Can
this be done without an expensive ultrasonic welding machine? Should I
use some sort of glue instead?

Bob

 

[Pete Biggs]

Bob Johnstone wrote:
> I've got some Karrimor waterproof panniers like these:
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?cat=cycle&w=0&ProdID=5360013171
> They are made from pieces of woven material coated on one side with
> plastic (PVC, perhaps).
>
> I recently noticed that one of the panniers is coming apart at a seam.
> These seams are welded in some way, so I tried 'welding' the seam back
> together using a steam iron. This didn't work. Does anyone have any
> advice for repairing this? What sort of temperature is required? Can
> this be done without an expensive ultrasonic welding machine? Should I
> use some sort of glue instead?

A soldering iron would be hot enough - but maybe too hot. The fumes from
the PVC would be nasty as well.

Instead I would try hot glue - in the form of solid sticks that are melted
by a gun. It bonds better and more quickly than any other glue for many
things and is very clean to use.

Loctite Hot Melt Glue Gun can be bought cheaply from shops like Wilkinsons.

~PB

 

[Pete Biggs]

> Loctite Hot Melt Glue Gun can be bought cheaply from shops like
> Wilkinsons.

Note. The first one I had I broke by pulling the trigger too hard. That
doesn't sound like a good advert for the product, but it is cheap - and fine
when used carefully. (I got a free replacement from Wilkos anyway).

~PB

 

[Bob Johnstone]

Pete Biggs wrote:
> Instead I would try hot glue - in the form of solid sticks that are melted
> by a gun. It bonds better and more quickly than any other glue for many
> things and is very clean to use.
>
> Loctite Hot Melt Glue Gun can be bought cheaply from shops like Wilkinsons.

Thanks for the advice, Pete. I've not used a hot glue gun before. My
concern would be that the glue might not be flexible enough to survive
regular flexing of the pannier material, but I suppose it's a question
of getting a thin enough layer of glue in the join. I'll have a look
next time I'm in Wilko.

Bob

 

[Mark T]

Bob Johnstone writtificated

> I recently noticed that one of the panniers is coming apart at a seam.
> These seams are welded in some way, so I tried 'welding' the seam back
> together using a steam iron. This didn't work. Does anyone have any
> advice for repairing this? What sort of temperature is required? Can
> this be done without an expensive ultrasonic welding machine? Should I
> use some sort of glue instead?

You could try asking on uk.rec.walking - they'd have experience of this
sort of thing from repairing tents etc.

 

[John Grove]

If it's PVC it will be welded by RF
That is a radio frequency dielectric welder.
My employer will sell you a welder from around £4000
so it is not really viable to repair a PVC welded item.

"Bob Johnstone" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've got some Karrimor waterproof panniers like these:
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?cat=cycle&w=0&ProdID=5360013171
> They are made from pieces of woven material coated on one side with
> plastic (PVC, perhaps).
>
> I recently noticed that one of the panniers is coming apart at a seam.
> These seams are welded in some way, so I tried 'welding' the seam back
> together using a steam iron. This didn't work. Does anyone have any advice
> for repairing this? What sort of temperature is required? Can this be done
> without an expensive ultrasonic welding machine? Should I use some sort of
> glue instead?
>
> Bob

 

[Ian Smith]

On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 11:31:01 GMT, Bob Johnstone <> wrote:
> Pete Biggs wrote:
> > Instead I would try hot glue - in the form of solid sticks that are melted
> > by a gun. It bonds better and more quickly than any other glue for many
> > things and is very clean to use.
> >
> > Loctite Hot Melt Glue Gun can be bought cheaply from shops like Wilkinsons.
>
> Thanks for the advice, Pete. I've not used a hot glue gun before. My
> concern would be that the glue might not be flexible enough to survive
> regular flexing of the pannier material, but I suppose it's a question
> of getting a thin enough layer of glue in the join. I'll have a look
> next time I'm in Wilko.

In a thin layer it is flexible (even as sticks they are flexible).

If you go for hot melt glue, don't touch it to see if it has set - if
it hasn't it hurts and stays attached to your skin. In blobs, it's
set when it goes cloudy. If it's too thin to see if it's cloudy, it's
set almost immediately.

A full size gun is better than a mini gun (ime) - and if you're
delicate with the trigger you can deliver pretty much as fine a bead
from the big gun as the little. There's no particular need to have a
'loctite' tm gun - they are mostly the same (if you buy on the high
street - if you buy from commercial suppliers there are various grades
of glue that need various temperatures). I prefer a gun that has a
metal tube for a nozzle, not a cone. Most domestic guns have a rubber
cone, but if you cut that away there's a metal tube inside. You now
have a gun that's easier to use, easier to get the glue where you want
it, but easier to burn yourself with (which is presumably why they
wrap the tube in a lump of rubber).

A hot air gun (as for paint stripping) will melt it too. You can
re-melt the glue as much as you like, so sometimes it's handy to lay
out a bead of glue with the glue gun then re-melt it with hot air gun
and press pieces together. If you want a neat fillet joint you can
make a clumsy fillet joint with the glue gun then use a hot-air gun to
re-melt the joint, when surface tension (or blasting it with the air)
will tidy it up. I don't know if it will melt at a temperature an
iron can reach, but I'd be tempted to try laying out a thin bead from
the gun then ironing a cover strip onto it.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>, Bob Johnstone
[email protected] says...
> Pete Biggs wrote:
> > Instead I would try hot glue - in the form of solid sticks that are melted
> > by a gun. It bonds better and more quickly than any other glue for many
> > things and is very clean to use.
> >
> > Loctite Hot Melt Glue Gun can be bought cheaply from shops like Wilkinsons.
>
> Thanks for the advice, Pete. I've not used a hot glue gun before. My
> concern would be that the glue might not be flexible enough to survive
> regular flexing of the pannier material,

The glue sticks themselves are quite flexible, a moderately thin layer
will flex plenty. Just make sure the surfaces to be joined are really
clean. You may find the the PVC proofing layer lifts off the fabric, in
which case peel it off and try again.

> but I suppose it's a question
> of getting a thin enough layer of glue in the join. I'll have a look
> next time I'm in Wilko.
>
The one I got from Wickes has a small flat metal nozzle as well as a
round one, which might be better for getting an even layer of glue into
a seam. Hot glue is really useful for all sorts of jobs - just make
sure you let the gun/glue warm up well before using it, otherwise the
trigger will be hard to pull and the glue will set too fast.

 

[Bob Johnstone]

Bob Johnstone wrote:
> Snip!

Thank you everyone for your responses. Since I asked my pannier repair
question I've done a bit of research and PVC is supposed to melt at 212
degrees. So I decided that if the coating on the pannier fabric is
indeed PVC I should be able to get it to melt with my clothes iron. I've
just cranked my iron up to 'max' and managed to get the plastic to melt
nicely. The weld looks quite firm, so I'll test it on the commute
tomorrow. If I'm lucky it'll pour with rain and I can see whether it's
waterproof again!

Bob

 

[Tim Hall]

On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 15:10:37 GMT, Bob Johnstone
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Bob Johnstone wrote:
>> Snip!
>
>Thank you everyone for your responses. Since I asked my pannier repair
>question I've done a bit of research and PVC is supposed to melt at 212
>degrees. So I decided that if the coating on the pannier fabric is
>indeed PVC I should be able to get it to melt with my clothes iron. I've
>just cranked my iron up to 'max' and managed to get the plastic to melt
>nicely.

And next week on urc's handy household hints: "How to clean PVC off an
iron before you get found out."

--

Tim

fast and gripping, non pompous, glossy and credible.