Gregg Germain wrote:

Hi all!

Is there a glue that will work on polyethylene tarp material? Often
I'd like to make patches to secure rips so that they don't get larger,
but no glue I've tried seems to "melt" the tarp material to
form a good bond.

Is there a glue that will work?


Nothing that's not a lot more expensive than the tarp. However, there's
always duct tape.

--
Regards

Brian

double sided carpet tape is also used in making cheap tyvek and polytarp
sails. I haven't used it myself but from what I've read on the Internet
its reinforced with glass fibre and is very strong. It might be ideal for
applying patches where tape alone won't do.

--
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Keith wrote:
: ... and will pull apart with very little stress. Polyethylene is notorious
: for having a surface that nothing will stick to. You can heat weld it, but
: it's beyond most non-commercial applications. It takes specific heat,
: pressure and dwell times, done either by bar sealers or "doughboy"
: continuous band sealers. You can try any glue you want, but I can tell you
: from years in R&D in the plastics industry, there is nothing that will work
: well with PE. Best bet are those tapes mentioned earlier, used on both
: sides. Duct tape will for for a few weeks, but weather and UV will tear it
: up pretty fast. Really... those blue poly tarps cost what... $5-15? Replace
: it if it's gone!


It all it was, was a blue poly tarp I would just replace it.

But it is not. It's a 33 foot by 20 foot piece of 6 mil clear poly
that I use as a roof on my boat shelter. It works great as a
"greenhouse", and to be honest, I dont' feel like replacing it because
of one tear. But if I don't deal with the tear, it will get larger.

Gregg

How long has it been up? Regular 6 mil poly is not going to last more
than 6 months to a year in the sunlight. Any repairs on old sheets is
wasted effort. I suffered with it for a couple of years and then went
to real greenhouse film. It has been up for over 3 years now and is
still just as strong as new. It cost about 3 times as much as regular
builders 6 mil poly but it will last 4 or 5 times as long and you are
not faced with the hassles of replacing it.

Gregg Germain wrote:

It all it was, was a blue poly tarp I would just replace it.

But it is not. It's a 33 foot by 20 foot piece of 6 mil clear poly
that I use as a roof on my boat shelter. It works great as a
"greenhouse", and to be honest, I dont' feel like replacing it because
of one tear. But if I don't deal with the tear, it will get larger.

Gregg

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Glenn Ashmore wrote:
: How long has it been up?

1 month.


Regular 6 mil poly is not going to last more
: than 6 months to a year in the sunlight.

It's not like this is the first time I've done this:

I've gotten pretty good lifetimes out of this stuff in thw
past. This is because in the winter what sun we do get is low angle.

And in the summer, I cover the clear plastic with a white tarp to
reflect the sun off the shelter/boat. So the harsh summer sun is not a
factor in breakdown of the clear plastic tarp.

However, as I wrote in another note, the production qualityof this
stuff has fallen off severely. So I might be interested in a substitute.

:Any repairs on old sheets is
: wasted effort. I suffered with it for a couple of years and then went
: to real greenhouse film. It has been up for over 3 years now and is
: still just as strong as new. It cost about 3 times as much as regular
: builders 6 mil poly but it will last 4 or 5 times as long and you are
: not faced with the hassles of replacing it.

Ah ok I'm interested in this. Who sells it? Is "Greenhouse film" the
actual name? Shoudl I use that for a google search?

thanks!


--- Gregg
"Improvise, adapt, overcome."

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Phone: (617) 496-1558

Gregg Germain wrote in message ...
Keith wrote:
: ... and will pull apart with very little stress. Polyethylene is notorious
: for having a surface that nothing will stick to. You can heat weld it, but
: it's beyond most non-commercial applications. It takes specific heat,
: pressure and dwell times, done either by bar sealers or "doughboy"
: continuous band sealers. You can try any glue you want, but I can tell you
: from years in R&D in the plastics industry, there is nothing that will work
: well with PE. Best bet are those tapes mentioned earlier, used on both
: sides. Duct tape will for for a few weeks, but weather and UV will tear it
: up pretty fast. Really... those blue poly tarps cost what... $5-15? Replace
: it if it's gone!


It all it was, was a blue poly tarp I would just replace it.

But it is not. It's a 33 foot by 20 foot piece of 6 mil clear poly
that I use as a roof on my boat shelter. It works great as a
"greenhouse", and to be honest, I dont' feel like replacing it because
of one tear. But if I don't deal with the tear, it will get larger.

Gregg


Try some weathershield clear tape available at Walmart, the stuff you
get in the winter insulation isle. It looks like packing tape, but it
is not the same, it is stretchy a little so it gives and holds real
nice. We use it to repair plastic weather sheeting all the time, it
holds up as long as the plastic if done properly. Put a layer on each
side of plastic, along the tear.
Scotty from SmallBoats.com

Well no need to worry about repairing rips inthe tarp - this weekend's
Nor'easter took car of the cover.

So now I have to get more plastic. There's the Greenhouse film, but
that seem slimited to 6 mil. I was wondering if there was another
source of clear poly plastic that's thicker than 6 mil.

Jamestown also sells clear ploy with a weave in it to resist tears. I
might try that.



--


--- Gregg
"Improvise, adapt, overcome."

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Phone: (617) 496-1558

Black will last a lot longer, if the heat isn't a problem. That clear woven
stuff will be OK for a few months, but will still degrade in the sunlight.

"Gregg Germain" wrote in message
...
Well no need to worry about repairing rips inthe tarp - this weekend's
Nor'easter took car of the cover.

So now I have to get more plastic. There's the Greenhouse film, but
that seem slimited to 6 mil. I was wondering if there was another
source of clear poly plastic that's thicker than 6 mil.

Jamestown also sells clear ploy with a weave in it to resist tears. I
might try that.



--


--- Gregg
"Improvise, adapt, overcome."

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Phone: (617) 496-1558

Keith wrote:
: Black will last a lot longer, if the heat isn't a problem.

Black isn't optimal because it doesn't let the light in. Makes the
interior of the boat shelter very dark even on the sunniest of
days. And that's year around.

In the summer, the black tarp would make it unbearably hot.


That clear woven
: stuff will be OK for a few months, but will still degrade in the
sunlight.

I manage to extend it's lifetime by putting a white tarp over the
clear in teh summer. This wards off UV degradation and also reflects
sunlight enough to keep the interior of the shelter much cooler than
in sunlight.

In winter the clear plastic is exposed to the sun - what little we
get of it. And the angle of the rays of the sun is much less in the
winter.

I've had clear, non-UV protected, poly last several years - so long as
snow loads don't destroy it.



: "Gregg Germain" wrote in message
: ...
: Well no need to worry about repairing rips inthe tarp - this weekend's
: Nor'easter took car of the cover.
:
: So now I have to get more plastic. There's the Greenhouse film, but
: that seem slimited to 6 mil. I was wondering if there was another
: source of clear poly plastic that's thicker than 6 mil.
:
: Jamestown also sells clear ploy with a weave in it to resist tears. I
: might try that.
:
:
:
: --
:
:
: --- Gregg
: "Improvise, adapt, overcome."
:
: Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
: Phone: (617) 496-1558
:



--


--- Gregg
"Improvise, adapt, overcome."

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Phone: (617) 496-1558

On 9 Dec 2003 11:00:35 -0400, Gregg Germain
wrote something
.......and in reply I say!:


Being in a decimal country, the idea of 6 mil tarsp had me going for a
second or two G

So now I have to get more plastic. There's the Greenhouse film, but
that seem slimited to 6 mil. I was wondering if there was another
source of clear poly plastic that's thicker than 6 mil.

Jamestown also sells clear ploy with a weave in it to resist tears. I
might try that.

Wasn't it _Jones_town that sold a ploy?
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