Thank you....&....Grrrr vinyl tiles

[jenniewren]

Whoohoo! Thanks Dave but I think I have fixed my bakelite dilemma! Thank you also Gordon for clarifying the sleeve objective! I went to the local milkbar & came out armed with araldite..."Donavan" milk bar owner (ancient asian dude - can't be his real name??) mumbled something eligible & I simply nodded. Think I should have shook my head as he looked at me weirdly & smiled - a lot! He pulled out an old cardboard box full of different glues!!!! Bless the man...anywho....I re-glued and held my breath...at this stage it has worked. I have come to the conclusion that it does need a reinforcement however...really don't want it breaking at the critical moment as you say...but I thought of a very small hose clamp???!! Might not look very attractive but I am sure that is all it needs over the break line....so thank you so much for your help. "The boy knows" what you mean re: bicycle lever sleeve!
Grrrr.....vinyl tiles....Guess you or someone doesn't know how to lift vinyl tiles off the vv floor? I have a blister from painstakingly chiseling them off and they are sooooo stubborn. Fluffy grey carpet was stuck over the top using a ton of glue. Unbelievably hard to peel back. Peeled that back (finally) & thru out the door in disgust only to curse that these lovely tiles had been underneath....actually they were made in Gt Britain so I am guessing they WERE fantastic quality - shame. I just can't budge about 8 of them. And finally do I have to remove the black paper like backing completely cause I can't budge some of that either!!!! Boiling water??? Blow torch??? Bomb??? At least the colour of these old tiles has been the deciding factor for the overall colour scheme!!!! Hoping somone out there knows a painless method.... :'(Regards Jennie

[Franklin1]

G'day Jennie,

I know you talked about the bakelite problem elsewhere on the forum, so I'll just add that I've never been able to successfully glue broken bakelite and apply stress to the joint afterwards. It always broke again. And it seems it's a common problem throughout the internet. It works ok if the item just sits there after glueing (eg. a radio cabinet) but won't last if the item is continuously used afterwards (eg. light switches and power points...which is what I had problems with).

One option you could consider is to glue the broken parts together, and then progressively coat the total piece with layer after layer of resin and hardener. Mix up the resin and hardener and apply a full thin coating with a stiff brush. Wait to set. Sand back lightly and apply another full thin coat. Repeat process until resin and hardener layers are thick enough to withstand continual use (maybe about 5 coats).

Many years ago I had the house fridge go kaput. The repairman came and checked it, and found a small hole in the pipework at the back. He told me to "wrap" a few layers of resin and hardener around the pipe where the hole is, increasing the coverage slightly with each layer. Wait a few days and he'll come back and recharge the fridge. When he returned he was impressed with the job I did, regassed the fridge, and away it went for another few years.


Now to the vinyl tile problem...

Many of the glues used in the old days were based on animal waste. They will soften with hot water. You can try tipping a bit of boiling water and see what happens. Make sure you will be able to dry the plywood floor out completely afterwards, before you attempt anything with water.

Also try a hairdryer, as many glues soften with heat.

Sometimes, a broader paintscraper, that you can hit with a hammer, is useful for getting under the tile and lifting a larger amount off.

Do you have to completely remove the black paper backing? Not if you are going to lay new vinyl flooring down, and providing the paper backing is not sitting proud of the surface. I don't suppose you happen to have a belt sander in the cupboard, that you could put a coarse sanding belt in, and give the black paper a good "scouring"??

Don't despair, Jennie...some of the toughest jobs in caravan restoration build "character" in us...grit, guts, determination, etc

And yep, you always have the "bomb" option up your sleeve. Threaten the tiles with that, and surely some of them will weaken.

cheers,
Al.

[jenniewren]

Thanks Al...the resin coating sounds like the go. I hope my finished job will look as good as yours (doubtful)...Tiles - animal glue hey? Good grief they must have been boiled down cockatoo's! Tough! I did try a hairdryer/boiling water but that didn't work very well either.
I have been laboriously chipping away this afternoon with the tiles & did decide..bugger the black paper it can stay where it is stuck well & truly to the floor! But I do have a belt sander & am pretty good at using it having renovated a house recently that was sadly neglected so I am going to plug in & give that a go! I have three more stubborn tiles to remove so shall go back & have another go...Al - character building sucks like polishing alum windows...but you are correct, determination has set in & I am not one to give in easily!!!! Thank you for the encouragement..back out I go!!!! Might just grab a coffee first! Kind regards Jennie

[Roehm3108]

Wonder if acetone or thinners would work for that troublesome vinyl? It seems to remove almost anything else ;D ;D
Ray