Re: [Paddlewise] gasket replacement

From: Erik Sprenne <sprenne_at_netnitco.net>
Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 20:31:50 -0500
"george ruta" <nckayak_at_capital.net> wote:
> acetone is the preferred cleaner. my understanding is that
cotol speeds up
> curing time of the aquaseal, but at the cost of making it
somewhat brittle.
> either way it's not necessary for gasket replacemnet, just let
the aquaseal
> dry overnight and you are ready to go
>
Acetone is not the best thing to clean old gaskets with.

Acetone is a simple ketone, and ketones are *not compatible* with
urethanes.  So while acetone would be OK to clean the surface of
the old gasket that one hopes to adhere the new gasket to, one
should be *very careful* to keep acetone away from waterproof
fabric coatings - particularly urethane coatings.

It would be awful to successfully glue in new gaskets, only to
find that the acetone prep ate away the waterproof coating of the
drysuit/top.  Although Arthur didn't indicate what he was gluing
gaskets into, please
*****don't use acetone on urethane-coated fabrics*****.
If you're not sure as to what the waterproof coating
is, it's probably best to assume it's a urethane coating rather
than run the risk of trashing an expensive piece of paddlegear.

Given that most gaskets are glued to the inside surface of
drysuits/drytops, the main contaminants to be removed are
natural body oils.  I'd suggest the tandem approach of first
using dish detergent and water, followed by isopropyl
alcohol as the final cleaning/drying agent.  Buy the 90+%
isopropyl alcohol rather than the 70% stuff, as the more
concentrated alcohol will dry more quickly.  And rest easy,
knowing that urethane is *very* resistant to alcohols.

Regards,
Erik Sprenne
chemist

Arthur wrote:
<<<<<<  I have the Aquaseal and the gaskets but no Cotol to clean
the old gasket prior to adhering the new gasket.  I will be
leaving the warm waters of the south to paddle some colder waters
with no time to wait for the shipping time of the Cotol if
ordered from a catalog.  Is there another product I could
purchase from the local hardware store that would perform the
same cleaning job as the Cotol providing proper adhesion of the
Aquaseal?>>>>>>











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Received on Thu Apr 05 2001 - 18:32:36 PDT

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