Some help with HH-66 and billboard fabric

[melodiousdirge]

Hello All. In 2011, I made a 24 foot dome canopy out of billboard tarps. I was unable to find HH-66 vinyl cement where I was living, so I used a similar adhesive that's designed for making seams in vinyl shower liners. This year I'm adding a large crescent shaped awning to the side of my dome, and I was happy to find HH-66 for this project.

In my experience with the vinyl shower liner glue, it would immediately begin to soften the surface when it was applied, and once you stuck the seam together it would be permanent within a couple of minutes. The initial couple of tests I've done with HH-66 did not appear to dissolve the printing on the billboard like I am used to. I brushed the cement onto one surface, coating it quite thoroughly, and stuck two pieces together. 24 hours later I was able to peel the two pieces apart, both un-damaged save for the glue stuck to the surface. What gives? did I get a bad batch of this stuff, or am I using it wrong? I read somewhere that both surfaces need to be cleaned with acetone, and then the glue should be thinned a little with acetone as well. I never had to do this with the other stuff I was using; in my experience solvent based cements are pretty tolerant of dirty bonding surfaces.

Anyone with experience gluing billboards with HH-66 care to give me some pointers? I bought a gallon of this stuff, so it'd be a mighty shame if it won't work.

[FIGJAM]

The printing is the culprit.

When I did mine, it was used on the raw vinyl and I could'nt pull it apart.

[Martiansky]

I bought the HH-66 to add bottom edge pieces to my dome cover but haven't tried it yet.
I know this doesn't help you any, but I am also interested in learning about the reason it isn't working for you either.
Also, I would love to see your dome if you don't mind, your awning sounds very interesting!

[Martiansky]

Figjam, my billboard is printed also....so you're saying we're outta luck with gluing our billboard vinyl then?


Dang it!


Sorry, Melodius...didn't mean to hijack your thread....

[FIGJAM]

Not at all, unless your vinyl is printed on both sides.

[melodiousdirge]

It could be that you're right on the printing... I don't know why the solvent in HH-66 wouldn't take it off though or go through it. I am pretty sure acetone washes the printing off. I'll try some things tomorrow.

Pics of the dome:

[melodiousdirge]

In case anyone is still interested - Figjam I think you're right. HH-66 just has a lower solvent concentration than the stuff I was using before. Using acetone on a rag wipes the billboard printing off quite handily, and the seams worked much better after having done that. HH-66 can be thinned by 10-20% (from my experiments, I didn't read their technical data) which helps it bite through the printing as well, but I'd suggest just wiping it off wherever you're going to put a seam.

I'm curious Figgy - what did you build out of vinyl? I haven't been frequenting this forum much lately so I'm out of date on your projects.

[FIGJAM]

First year trying to find a no-mesh tent for under $100.

No way!

So I was going to build one and didn't want to sew.

Design was basicly a pup tent big enough to stand in with triangle windows on each end.

Then I figured a way to have it free standing with just stakes at each corner.

It turned into the monkeyurnt.

The floor, sides, and ends were glued so that it was all one piece.

1/2" pvc hut frame with added spines where you would nomally slide it over rebar.

The frame was built inside on the playa at set up and the flex in the pvc held the shape.

This made a mini monkeyhut with sealed ends. (if you slept in it sealed up you would sufficate)

The problem was that I made it with the white to the inside so that any little light would illuminate the whole space.

The off gassing of the vinyl made it impossible to use, so I built the playapod.

Still a good idea as all the materials were under $100.

[Martiansky]

Melodius, did your vinyl project work out?


Do you have to glue like sides of the vinyl together or can you stick the smoother side to the bumpy side?

[atomicray]

That is damn sexy!

I the inside of the trailer insulated at all?

I just insulated a trailer with this stuff and it works like a dream!

Reflectix




Westech HS13




Significant difference in the transferred radiant heat.

[melodiousdirge]

Thank you! I insulated the roof of the trailer with poly foam on the inside and painted the outside with reflective roofing paint to keep the heat down. I also made a swamp cooler that just cools the trailer, so it's cool and dark in there 24/7.

[atomicray]

Very cool. The reflectix is only a 1/4" thick but provides a crazy amount of insulation...no I am no troll or puppet, I was just happy with the product

Like this...

[theCryptofishist]

with 145 posts in two years, you'd be another one of those long-con spammers...

[atomicray]

with 145 posts in two years, you'd be another one of those long-con spammers...

Lol true true. I have been bouncing between the US and Belize, fairly out of pocket most of the year...just recently got back stateside for good...for now

Long con spammer indeed!