How do I repair a cut bellows? Garmont plastic boots
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brooks
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How do I repair a cut bellows? Garmont plastic boots
So I got some Garmont EnerG boots at Goodwill Bellingham and they are actually in good shape except for a bellows has a hole in it on the inside where one would step on it. The part that is cut all the way through still has the flap attached kinda. I'm wondering if I should superglue the flap down or just silicone the whole thing? Is there a silicone/calk that is best? I have a can of "Flex-shot" in the motorhome... Has anyone done anything like this, or did I just buy a leaky, unfixable boot? I've really always wanted a pair of these since they were a current model so maybe I'm just being silly trying to make them work...
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riel
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Re: How do I repair a cut bellows? Garmont plastic boots
It may be worth giving Shoe Goo a try.
That stuff is in-between glue and silicone sealant. I have had good luck with it in rock climbing shoes, hiking boots, and cross country ski boots.
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wabene
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Re: How do I repair a cut bellows? Garmont plastic boots
Yeah maybe line the inside with duct tape as a backer, then shoe goo over that. It even comes in black. It might not be flexible enough though. Maybe Seamgrip over the tape. Very flexible. I would probably just do black gorilla tape on both sides, inside and out and be done with it. I'd bet that would hold up and keep the moisture out.
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Chisana
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Re: How do I repair a cut bellows? Garmont plastic boots
Aquaseal may be worth a try. Similar to shoegoo, but more flexible.
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fisheater
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Re: How do I repair a cut bellows? Garmont plastic boots
https://www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic. ... 230#p17230
This thread is about converting AT boots into a specialized XC race boot for long Alaska tour racing. He cuts out the pbex and glues in a waterproof fabric to create a bellows. Same technique should fix a bellows
This thread is about converting AT boots into a specialized XC race boot for long Alaska tour racing. He cuts out the pbex and glues in a waterproof fabric to create a bellows. Same technique should fix a bellows
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turnfarmer
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Re: How do I repair a cut bellows? Garmont plastic boots
I think I would try Hardman D-50 urethane double bubble for this. D-50 is the most flexible one.It is a urethane adhesive similar to Aquaseal, but is a two part like epoxy that has a curing agent whereas Aquaseal types cure via air. I feel like the two part urethanes are more robust than the aircured ones. Oh and tape on the inside is a great idea.
If it were to fail my next step would using the Hardman and a piece of fabric to make a laminate.
If it were to fail my next step would using the Hardman and a piece of fabric to make a laminate.
Re: How do I repair a cut bellows? Garmont plastic boots
@brooks
You’re in the PNW (Mt Baker, right?). Go to an authorized repair shop for Zodiac inflatable boats. If anyone can find the right material and install a patch that will hold up to moisture, flexing, and abrasion, it’s those guys.
You’re in the PNW (Mt Baker, right?). Go to an authorized repair shop for Zodiac inflatable boats. If anyone can find the right material and install a patch that will hold up to moisture, flexing, and abrasion, it’s those guys.
Go Ski
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JohnSKepler
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Re: How do I repair a cut bellows? Garmont plastic boots
The question to me seems to be, do you want to 'repair' the bellows or just keep it from leaking? Repairing is, to me, a process whereby you perform modifications that return the component to its original specifications. In this case, originally, the bellows allows the toe to bend with some specific resistance, it protects the foot at this 'weaker' area, it provides resistance to cold and moisture, and its appearance is acceptable. Given the location of the cut I don't think it needs to be repaired. The cut doesn't look as if it would change the bellows resistance. In other words, the cut boot is going to ski the same as the intact boot and you probably don't care what it looks like. In this case, then, all you need to do is weatherproof it.
Weatherproofing means it needs to be sealed against moisture. A secondary purpose, that comes with being waterproof, is heat retention which is almost entirely convective. Just stopping the convection means it doesn't have to be as thick as the original. The hole is small enough that stopping the convection will be enough. So, you're talking about covering or plugging it.
The problem with materials like this is that they have low surface energy and are meant to flex. Both of these mean most adhesives are not going to work very long. You can certainly try silicone but I don't think it will hold for long under use. Be careful using silicone though, since it can make adhesion of your second attempt even more difficult. It is monstrously difficult to get all the silicone off of something.
You could also consider plugging it. Make the hole round with a drill and you could probably find a grommet or plug that would work pretty well. Maybe even something like the rubber diaphragm from a respirator. They are usually a thin rubber sheet with a small protrusion in the middle shaped to be pushed through a hole. There are some motorcycle tire plugs that basically do this same thing. Pushing one of these through from the inside might be pretty permanent.
Otherwise you can try a low-surface energy adhesive and use that to hold a thin rubber sheet in place. Maybe a 1/32" thick rubber sheet would be enough to seal it and be strong enough to resist most reasonable impacts. You could put it on the inside, the outside, or both. Perhaps cover the entire bellows with it? Or use the adhesive to hold the afore mentioned grommet in place? Either way I think you'll want to round out that hole to prevent stresses that will further expand the crack.
The adhesive I'd use is 3M Scotch Weld two-part epoxy adhesive. They have an incredible temperature range and remain flexible over a wide range of temperatures. I discovered them some years ago working with a poorly designed air box on a motorcycle. It was made of polyethylene which almost nothing sticks to. The Scotch weld I used worked incredibly well. I used another version of the same stuff last year to re-glue the ends of my Asnes ski poles that had just used a very poor hot glue. One of them came off at a very inopportune time! Strangley enough, I found both of them because as soon as it comes off, you know it! I've not had any more problem with them.
If you're interested in pursuing this route I'll get the number of that adhesive.
The only other thought is that maybe you can find some bellows material from a different boot. Somebody here has to have a pair of ruined boots. Probably don't have to be the same boots but it would help. See if the material will melt. It's possible you could heat that area and fill it will melted material. This might lead to a true repair but plastics and rubbers are weird and usually don't respond well when reheated unless you do it very carefully to prevent it turning into fire and smoke.
Weatherproofing means it needs to be sealed against moisture. A secondary purpose, that comes with being waterproof, is heat retention which is almost entirely convective. Just stopping the convection means it doesn't have to be as thick as the original. The hole is small enough that stopping the convection will be enough. So, you're talking about covering or plugging it.
The problem with materials like this is that they have low surface energy and are meant to flex. Both of these mean most adhesives are not going to work very long. You can certainly try silicone but I don't think it will hold for long under use. Be careful using silicone though, since it can make adhesion of your second attempt even more difficult. It is monstrously difficult to get all the silicone off of something.
You could also consider plugging it. Make the hole round with a drill and you could probably find a grommet or plug that would work pretty well. Maybe even something like the rubber diaphragm from a respirator. They are usually a thin rubber sheet with a small protrusion in the middle shaped to be pushed through a hole. There are some motorcycle tire plugs that basically do this same thing. Pushing one of these through from the inside might be pretty permanent.
Otherwise you can try a low-surface energy adhesive and use that to hold a thin rubber sheet in place. Maybe a 1/32" thick rubber sheet would be enough to seal it and be strong enough to resist most reasonable impacts. You could put it on the inside, the outside, or both. Perhaps cover the entire bellows with it? Or use the adhesive to hold the afore mentioned grommet in place? Either way I think you'll want to round out that hole to prevent stresses that will further expand the crack.
The adhesive I'd use is 3M Scotch Weld two-part epoxy adhesive. They have an incredible temperature range and remain flexible over a wide range of temperatures. I discovered them some years ago working with a poorly designed air box on a motorcycle. It was made of polyethylene which almost nothing sticks to. The Scotch weld I used worked incredibly well. I used another version of the same stuff last year to re-glue the ends of my Asnes ski poles that had just used a very poor hot glue. One of them came off at a very inopportune time! Strangley enough, I found both of them because as soon as it comes off, you know it! I've not had any more problem with them.
If you're interested in pursuing this route I'll get the number of that adhesive.
The only other thought is that maybe you can find some bellows material from a different boot. Somebody here has to have a pair of ruined boots. Probably don't have to be the same boots but it would help. See if the material will melt. It's possible you could heat that area and fill it will melted material. This might lead to a true repair but plastics and rubbers are weird and usually don't respond well when reheated unless you do it very carefully to prevent it turning into fire and smoke.
Veni, Vidi, Viski
Re: How do I repair a cut bellows? Garmont plastic boots
A friend of mine just wraps duct tape around the whole boot, and replaces it now and again. He tried various glues, but none held up for long. The tape is apparently good enough to keep water out during brief immersion on stream crossings. It doesn't look especially pretty, but is cheap and works.