Repairing Inflatable Pin Holes, Punctures, and Tears

In this video I demonstrate how to repair a set of pin holes, a puncture, a seam split on an inflatable pool toy. I use cotton balls and rubbing alcohol to clean the spots before repairing them. Then I uses rounded patches of vinyl and a Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) based glue to bond the patch to the toy. Specifically I am using HH-66 brand of vinyl cement. Please comment below. Any suggestions or corrections are completely welcome.

If planning to do something like this yourself, make sure to do so in a well-ventilated room so as not to breath the glue fumes.

While I love to describe the many projects I have done, if they inspire you to do something, you do so at your own risk. The glues and solvents I use can be toxic and vinyl is not breathable and can cause suffocation.

[irishsetter]

I think inflating the toy at the end of the video would have sealed the deal :-) The video was excellent. Thank you.

[mienteroso]

Thank you! I have had my blow up sheep doll for quite some time, but due to an over abundance of "use" I thought all was lost, and here you come to save the day with this awesome video! Dolly & I are so happy we found you!

[deltapudding]

I just fixed a pin hole on my inflatable following your tutorial. Thank you so much ! ❤️

[Thumper]

2 things I have also found useful:
1. I put waxed paper over a new patch and then press firmly on the waxed paper to seat the patch. If it is laying flat, you can place a heavy weight over the waxed paper and it will keep the patch flat and tight while it dries. When the glue is fully dry, the waxed paper will peel right off.
2. After a patch has completely dried, I sometimes run a bead of glue all the way around the edges of the patch and then let it set up. It seals the patch and prevents any curling up of the edges or peeling back.

[NibblahFrog]

This was so incredibly helpful - thank you! I got a tear in an inflatable vinyl suit and was despondent that I'd never be able to fix it, but following your tutorial I was able to fix the tear, reinforce the seams. Now I have a very full, very happy toy ready to be blown up. Cannot thank you enough <3

[GAGAZIP]

Man your good... thanks for sacrificing your inflatable toys for this clip !!!

[mysongsandvideos]

Thank you so much for your awesome videos. Thanks to you I was able to fix my mom´s favorite Christmas decoration

[SillyTubereal]

Do not stick the patch on immediately. Either let it sit for at least a minute or gently blow on the patch and surface you want to apply it on until the glue is no longer shiny, then put the patch on. If you put it on wet then it will just slide and curl up at the edges and not stick well.

[raygaris]

Hi there Heath, I am filling you in on this because in my Area I now have an inflatable dragon, but Wednesday it got a small hole and it is barely next to the seam, so thanks for the seam steps and hopefully I can (or my Dad can) fix the really small seam split hole. and yes, I have parents in my location

[frostwolfnetwork]

Thank you so much!! You helped me save my giant Intex unicorn!

[HoboVibingToMusic]

I would feel bad if the inflatable was damaged. But hell i am glad you made this video.

[tonymoreno]

Thanks for the thorough and easy to follow steps!

[joesckmoe]

Very informative! I wish I had this information back when I accidentally made a small rip in my whale while trying to figure out where to put it - I ended up just sort of pasting on a square of vinyl, leaving a sharp corner which ruins the feel of the toy a bit.
But now, I have this video for future reference! Thanks!

[skterzane]

Thank you so much my giant NASCAR just popped and I didn’t know how to fix it

[chinashorts]

Industrial syringes are excellent for applying HH-66. I don't even use the HH-66 cannisters anymore except as brush holders.

[lupepr]

Great video!

There's no MEK glue or HH66 glue in my country. (Perú) Would a PVC glue work?
We have simple glues, carpenter glue, contact glue, epoxy, silicon for bathrooms, crazy glue, ...

Or the patches and glue for bicycle inner tire?

[rdmexpressllc]

Thank you so much!!! Now I can finally use my unicorn float

[QQvr]

With the seam rip, would it be possible to accidently have glue seap inside and attach to the other side? With all that massaging I'm curious to know if you've ever glued the inside together accidently.

[kunkslove]

Thank you for these videos they really helped a lot

[carlherbert]

thanx for helping made it simple to repair.