Removing old seam tape and seals

[Mike Maas]

What is a good way to get the old parts off a drysuit. I tryed a heat gun and a couple different solvents, but the glue won't release. Any tips?

 

[Bob3]

If it's anything like a Viking, we use toluene to soften the glue.
Your mileage may vary... test on a small spot first.

 

[Mike Maas]

I sent a suit in for repair. The seams leaked in a few spots. The shop removed the old seam tape and laid down a bead of seam sealer, for a hundred bucks, on the whole suit. There has to be a trick to taking off the old tape.

 

[Bob3]

There has to be a trick to taking off the old tape.

Yup, soak in toluene & peel.
We'd do cuff replacements in our motel rooms fairly often. I even did a DIY slideshow on the process: http://comdive.com/cuffs.zip

 

[rmediver2002]

I can usually peel the tape off with light heat from an industial gun.

Most of the time I can get the seal this way also, light heat then peel... Tough seals I will soak.

Any potential for damage using heat Bob?

Jeff

 

[Bob3]

Any potential for damage using heat Bob?

Not if you're careful, I use a little electrical "iron" to apply the Melco tape, which has the temperature-sensitive glue on it.
The "whole suit" part disqualifies the solvent, I thought just cuffs / seals were involved.
Gotta be very careful slapping heat on a suit though, it needs practice or you can toast the critter, which is basically why I don't recommend doing it that way for DIYers. The tape can be glued on almost as easily & there is much less chance of toasting things.

 

[Mike Maas]

Thanks for the comments and the nice slideshow.
In that seal replacemnent did you not feel it's nescesary to put seam tape on the inside seam of the seal?
I have a neoprene suit that needs a zipper. I was able to seperate the rubber from one side and cut the threads but the other side does not want to seperate from the neoprene.
When you say soak it with Toulene, do you mean pull the layers apart and dab with a brush, or is there another method to get the solvent between the layers of rubber?
Thanks again.

 

[Mike Maas]

bump

 

[ygthad]

Yup, soak in toluene & peel.
We'd do cuff replacements in our motel rooms fairly often. I even did a DIY slideshow on the process: http://comdive.com/cuffs.zip

Thanks Bob3, Your DIY is great..

 

[Randy43068]

Thanks for the comments and the nice slideshow.
In that seal replacemnent did you not feel it's nescesary to put seam tape on the inside seam of the seal?
I have a neoprene suit that needs a zipper. I was able to seperate the rubber from one side and cut the threads but the other side does not want to seperate from the neoprene.
When you say soak it with Toulene, do you mean pull the layers apart and dab with a brush, or is there another method to get the solvent between the layers of rubber?
Thanks again.

I know this is an old thread, but others may be interested in it today.

With a neoprene suit, or compressed neoprene, you will need to seal the cuff seam on the inside of the suit with Aquaseal thinned with some Cotol 240. The fabric covering on a neoprene suit will "conduct" water from the outside to the inside of the suit so it's best to seal the interface of seal to suit on the inside of the sleeve.

You don't have to use the cotol with aquaseal, but Cotol has an accelator in it to make the aqualseal set up and dry faster.