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Kite bladder leak

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pvb
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Kite bladder leak

Postby pvb » Sat Aug 04, 2018 6:25 am

Has anyone ever tried to use the latex suspension used for tubeless tires in a kite bladder to fix a small hole? Not sure this is compatible with the bladder material but someone should invent a suspension that could be used to fix small leaks or even initially to prevent leaks. Know that it would add extra weight but may be preferable to removing the bladder (for most people).

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Re: Kite bladder leak

Postby Pemba » Sat Aug 04, 2018 7:20 am

pvb wrote:
Sat Aug 04, 2018 6:25 am
Has anyone ever tried to use the latex suspension used for tubeless tires in a kite bladder to fix a small hole? Not sure this is compatible with the bladder material but someone should invent a suspension that could be used to fix small leaks or even initially to prevent leaks. Know that it would add extra weight but may be preferable to removing the bladder (for most people).
I've never tried tyre glue, so not sure how it would react with bladder material. But I think you can probably use urethane glue the way you described, but you'd still have to remove the bladder and it's slow drying so not sure where the advantage would be.

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Re: Kite bladder leak

Postby pvb » Sat Aug 04, 2018 8:52 am

Just to clarify. The latex suspension for bike tires is added to the tire or tube before a hole happens. It coats the inside and plugs a hole when it happens. Or you can add it after a small hole and it will plug it.

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Re: Kite bladder leak

Postby Pemba » Sat Aug 04, 2018 9:07 am

pvb wrote:
Sat Aug 04, 2018 8:52 am
Just to clarify. The latex suspension for bike tires is added to the tire or tube before a hole happens. It coats the inside and plugs a hole when it happens. Or you can add it after a small hole and it will plug it.
Ok, I obviously I misunderstood. Never heard of the stuff, I know of a foam that you can or could fill a tyre with but that was "permanent", you couldn't deflate the tyre or remove the stuff after you'd put it in. But what you're talking about sounds different. Interesting idea..

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Re: Kite bladder leak

Postby pete32257 » Sat Aug 04, 2018 11:47 am

I wouldn’t try it. Slime is a brand name of a product that you put in butyl bicycle tubes to prevent leaks, but it weighs a good bit and can create uneven weight distribution. Not worth messing with for a kite bladder.

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Re: Kite bladder leak

Postby FLandOBX » Sat Aug 04, 2018 2:07 pm

Sounds like a good way to ruin a perfectly good bladder. Problems would include (1) the added weight, (2) the adhesive properties of the glue causing the bladder to adhere to itself when deflated (bike tubes remain inflated; kite bladders do not), (3) the amount of glue required to coat a kite bladder (much more than a bike tube), (4) the possible adverse chemical effects of the glue on the polyurethane bladder, (5) the uneven distribution of the material (Slime can be evenly distributed in a bike tube by spinning the wheel; not possible with a kite bladder), and (6) failure to address non-puncture bladder leaks (e.g., valves peeling off). It just sounds like a bad idea, IMHO.

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Re: Kite bladder leak

Postby pvb » Sat Aug 04, 2018 9:45 pm

FLandOBX wrote:
Sat Aug 04, 2018 2:07 pm
Sounds like a good way to ruin a perfectly good bladder. Problems would include (1) the added weight, (2) the adhesive properties of the glue causing the bladder to adhere to itself when deflated (bike tubes remain inflated; kite bladders do not), (3) the amount of glue required to coat a kite bladder (much more than a bike tube), (4) the possible adverse chemical effects of the glue on the polyurethane bladder, (5) the uneven distribution of the material (Slime can be evenly distributed in a bike tube by spinning the wheel; not possible with a kite bladder), and (6) failure to address non-puncture bladder leaks (e.g., valves peeling off). It just sounds like a bad idea, IMHO.
Good points. I think it would require a special formulation to work with kite bladders. There could be an issue with the stuff seizing up when the bladder is deflated but perhaps you could make a formulation with high volatility and a short “set” time. Obviously this would only be for repairing existing leaks, and not preemptive. But considering the trouble you need to go through to remove, find hole, repair and reinstall a bladder I think there may be a market. I think the weight penalty could be kept reasonable if it is only for small holes.


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