“Hole-y” Cow! Inventive, to say the least! Great job. Even contrasting colors make sense. They will remind you to be more careful the next time you drill a hole.
NICE.... I am definitely going to put in my Kayak Emergency box; 1. crappy wide blade screwdriver. 2. precut HDPE strips of varying widths and lengths. 3. a 'cigar' torch lighter you can buy at most convenience stores or truck stops. 4. a neatly folded piece of HD foil. Thanks as always. Nick in Redfield Arkansas
Thanks for sharing this video; very helpful. The patch will be more robust if you heat the area around the hole on the kayak first. Using a heat gun (being careful not to overdo) or a heated blade/tool/spoon/etc, get the area around the hole soft. then melt the rod/patch material around/into the hole, then use your tool to press in. This ensures that you get a good weld (merging of the patch material with the kayak).
I would have heated a spoon to perform the repair. A spoon would have smoothed out the plastic a lot better than a screwdriver. I keep a bit of hdpe and a spoon with me when I go kayaking. All I need is to make a small fire on a lake island so I can perform repairs on the fly. I like a teaspoon but I have heard of folks using a tablespoon.
I used a 1 in. metal putty blade and a torch, worked really well, repair bonded and smoothed almost at same time. also found orange scrap pieces of cable ties, so repair blended with the kayak.
Ocean Kayaks provide a free plastic welding rod and a small patch piece. Just tell them the color that you need. Other manufacturers may provide the same service so check with them.
Thanks, really love this hack, the plastic welders cost a fortune here in Australia. Unrelated question - would you cut a hatch hole in a kayak? My sit on top fishing kayak has no hatches. I was thinking of getting a hatch off ebay and cutting a hole in the flat surface where I want it, mainly in the front and rear wells. What do you think? (Mainly for extra storage as I like to camp from my kayaks as well - obviously I need to mind the weight)
As long as the hole does not impact the structural integrity, you should be OK. I recommend looking on RUclips to see if anyone else has done it to your model of kayak - those might provide insight into any problems. You can always ask the follow up question on those videos about issues subsequent to the modification.
I just added the 10 in. hatch to the front of my kayak, added silicone to both sides of the neoprene gasket to ensure waterproofness. pay very close attention when high speed sanding to the final diameter , you do not want the fit to be to loose.( it holds the pelican box for wallet, keys and phone).
On my kayak, I gently heat the thicker HDPE with a heat gun to warm it up. But, after that, you need a hot tool to melt the plastic. Continuing to heat on a wide scale would melt everything.
![KSI - Dirty [Official Visualiser]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VoDh1h1dPUE/mqdefault.jpg)
Check out all the steps: ruclips.net/p/PL8egn41J7Go-Kc9zK6FXIaX5tluZmeHRN
“Hole-y” Cow! Inventive, to say the least! Great job. Even contrasting colors make sense. They will remind you to be more careful the next time you drill a hole.
NICE.... I am definitely going to put in my Kayak Emergency box;
1. crappy wide blade screwdriver.
2. precut HDPE strips of varying widths and lengths.
3. a 'cigar' torch lighter you can buy at most convenience stores or truck stops.
4. a neatly folded piece of HD foil.
Thanks as always.
Nick in Redfield Arkansas
Thanks for sharing this video; very helpful. The patch will be more robust if you heat the area around the hole on the kayak first. Using a heat gun (being careful not to overdo) or a heated blade/tool/spoon/etc, get the area around the hole soft. then melt the rod/patch material around/into the hole, then use your tool to press in. This ensures that you get a good weld (merging of the patch material with the kayak).
Great tip! Thanks
I would have heated a spoon to perform the repair. A spoon would have smoothed out the plastic a lot better than a screwdriver. I keep a bit of hdpe and a spoon with me when I go kayaking. All I need is to make a small fire on a lake island so I can perform repairs on the fly. I like a teaspoon but I have heard of folks using a tablespoon.
Great tip!
I used a 1 in. metal putty blade and a torch, worked really well, repair bonded and smoothed almost at same time. also found orange scrap pieces of cable ties, so repair blended with the kayak.
Great tip! Thanks
Love your channel and your enthusiasm while teaching very Cool hacks...Thanks you Rock
Glad you like them!
Excelente información para reparar el kayak , saludos desde Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México
Great info. I’ve read the cheap harbor freight unit Ben’s due to the heat but it will work for a while.
Yes, it does not last - ruclips.net/video/re-DCUSnEcM/видео.html
Coffee ground lids work great for repairs
Good to know!
Good tip and video
Glad it was helpful!
Ocean Kayaks provide a free plastic welding rod and a small patch piece. Just tell them the color that you need. Other manufacturers may provide the same service so check with them.
Kudos to them!
Thanks, really love this hack, the plastic welders cost a fortune here in Australia. Unrelated question - would you cut a hatch hole in a kayak? My sit on top fishing kayak has no hatches. I was thinking of getting a hatch off ebay and cutting a hole in the flat surface where I want it, mainly in the front and rear wells. What do you think? (Mainly for extra storage as I like to camp from my kayaks as well - obviously I need to mind the weight)
As long as the hole does not impact the structural integrity, you should be OK. I recommend looking on RUclips to see if anyone else has done it to your model of kayak - those might provide insight into any problems. You can always ask the follow up question on those videos about issues subsequent to the modification.
I just added the 10 in. hatch to the front of my kayak, added silicone to both sides of the neoprene gasket to ensure waterproofness. pay very close attention when high speed sanding to the final diameter , you do not want the fit to be to loose.( it holds the pelican box for wallet, keys and phone).
Thanks so much from a Michigan kayaker. Your videos are always very informative. Can anyone guess how many times you said HDPE?😁🎣
A lot😀
Nice stuff do you think heating up a small paint scraper with a heat gun might work
The scaper is too wide for a hole. It works OK for a deep scratch.
Cool ….hot idea
Thank you! Cheers!
Excellent!
do you think it's possible to heat the hdpe enough with a heat gun?
On my kayak, I gently heat the thicker HDPE with a heat gun to warm it up. But, after that, you need a hot tool to melt the plastic. Continuing to heat on a wide scale would melt everything.
@@KayakhacksFishing makes sense. Thanks for the reply!