Maynard

After becoming disillusioned with my broken down sealing tools, I sat and watched youtube videos on hot air welding guns and then went and bought
 this one from ebay.

I’ve only had it a couple of days and only played briefly with it, but I’m very impressed. It comes with various bits including a 20mm flat nozzle and a silicone roller, is nicely…[Read more]

After becoming disillusioned with my broken down sealing tools, I sat and watched youtube videos on hot air welding guns and then went and bought
 this one from ebay.

I’ve only had it a couple of days and only played briefly with it, but I’m very impressed. It comes with various bits including a 20mm flat nozzle and a silicone roller, is nicely…[Read more]

The tubes folding up was an issue even in flat water, and I imagine that in broken water it might well get swamped. Part of the trouble with the MRS X2 is that it doesn’t have a top-up valve usable while paddling – you have to pull up on the bank to top up the pressure. If I were to keep the boat I would definitely add one and that would partly,…[Read more]

Rather more than imitation, it looks almost like a straight rip-off. A whois shows the site was registered on 5.01.2017 by a Nick Kowalski in Somerset. The videos and instructions are “available after purchase of a kit” – why are these not public??? He will sell you a sample pack of red, blue and black fabrics, but only sells the kit in green.…[Read more]

Could I make a suggestion here. I plan to use Exped flat valves on my two boats, partly because we have Exped sleeping mats now and it makes sense to use the same schnozzle pump for both. These are excellent little valves anyway, quite unobtrusive and well proven to be reliable. The only negative is the cost – you have to cannibalise an Exped item…[Read more]

Wouldn’t it avoid confusion if we simply deleted this thread?

Something like Pantone 342/3425, 343, 357 would suit me. Something dark and stealthy rather than light and bright. Alpacka and MRS both do a nice enough green. I have an MRS X2 in green which blends into the scenery on the bank.

I understand that complementing the other primary colours is an option to consider, but I imagine that most peope…[Read more]

Something like Pantone 342/3425, 343, 357 would suit me. Something dark and stealthy rather than light and bright. Alpacka and MRS both do a nice enough green. I have an MRS X2 in green which blends into the scenery on the bank.

I understand that complementing the other primary colours is an option to consider, but I imagine that most peope…[Read more]

Something like Pantone 342/3425, 343, 357 would suit me. Something dark and stealthy rather than light and bright. Alpacka and MRS both do a nice enough green. I have an MRS X2 in green which blends into the scenery on the bank.

I understand that complementing the other primary colours is an option to consider, but I imagine that most peope…[Read more]

Something like Pantone 342/3425, 343, 357 would suit me. Something dark and stealthy rather than light and bright. Alpacka and MRS both do a nice enough green. I have an MRS X2 in green which blends into the scenery on the bank.

I understand that complementing the other primary colours is an option to consider, but I imagine that most peope…[Read more]

What an excellent inflatable floor. I wouldn’t want it self-bailing in the UK climate, but I plan to start my two rafts in March and will definitely incorporate this.

Thanks for the info and photos.

Yes, that’s the one. I’m in the process of bodging up a fix with some PVC waste pipe to slide over the whole length, and some silicon tubing to make a collar around the hot end. It will end up very strong and usable, but will still be a bodge and I really can’t recommend it.

I’ve just tested this iron after adding a set screw to hold the Clover shoe, and broke the handle in half. Didn’t push down at all hard either.

I do not recommend this iron.

I’ve just tested this iron after adding a set screw to hold the Clover shoe, and broke the handle in half. Didn’t push down at all hard either.

I do <b>not</b> recommend this iron.

I should add that I had no idea that extremtextil’s current tpu fabric is different to the lot from 5 years ago, and it was only discovered when testing to find the right temperature for the new tool. In the end I had to abandon that project and write off the money and time spent on it. This was hugely irritating, but even though these were going…[Read more]

OK, I’ve just seen that post and added one for the iron I’m using. The original 70den/170gsm tpu fabric I bought 5 years ago from extremextil welds very well at a temp of around 280C, but the new lot just melts at anything more than about 160.

It seems to me that anything extremtextil do not list as “high-tenacity 6.6” is only “nylon 6”. Matt…[Read more]

The soldering iron I have is this: ebay 58w iron, very cheap but effective.

It uses solid tips of 6mm diameter and I made a welding shoe from heavy copper tube, hammered flat and smoothed off to 11mm width. Having seen the clover iron I have bought a large shoe and will soon add a set screw to the iron heater to hold the clover shoe in place.…[Read more]

This is interesting. I also got some of their 40den/70gsm fabric, as at the time I intended making two sleeping mats: one from 70den and one from the 40den.

Before starting I made test strips 2cm wide and welded them together at different temperatures. I am now using a converted soldering iron with temp control from 150C to 450C, and a shoe 11mm…[Read more]