 D-Rings
are commonly applied to the inside of canoe hulls to be used as
tie-down points for gear, flotation, thigh-straps,
etc.
They consist of a metal D-Ring fastened to a vinyl patch with a
piece of webbing.
The outer layer of Royalex is a sheet of vinyl. The
adhesives generally used to adhere the vinyl patch of the D-Ring
to the vinyl skin of the Royalex are:
- Waterproof Contact Cement
- Vinyl Adhesive
In either case, the approach
to use is as follows:
- Mark the position of the
D-Ring by drawing around it on the surface of the canoe
- Sand the surface of the
canoe and the underside of the vinyl patch on the D-Ring
- Sand only enough to
roughen the surfaces of both the patch and the canoe
hull.
- The webbing holding the
D-Ring to the vinyl patch is stitched in place. If you
sand too vigorously, you can break or weaken this stitching
and the D-Ring will eventually pull loose. Sand ONLY
the vinyl surface, not the stitching.
- Remove the sanding
residue and wipe both surfaces clean with denatured alcohol
- Apply a LIGHT coating of
the adhesive to both surfaces (hull and patch) and allow to
dry until it barely feels tacky
- Apply a second thin coat
to one of the surfaces and allow to dry completely
- Roll the edges of the
patch up and begin to stick it to the hull from the centre
outwards
- Align carefully before
you touch the patch to the hull. There's no second
chance here.
- Maintain pressure until
the bond is secure.
- Wait 24 hours before
applying any load to the D-Ring
Caution
The two most important things to remember are:
- Apply the adhesive as a
THIN layer
- Allow the adhesive to dry
before sticking the patch to the hull.
Adhesives in general, and
contact cement specifically, emit styrene as they cure. If
you place a thick coat on the hull, then cover it up with a
patch, the styrene will migrate into the foam core of the
Royalex and partially dissolve the hull material. This can
result in a soft, spongy spot in the hull.
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