Adhesive/sealer for water rower tank - any advice?

[McAldo]

what do you think of the water rower, I have a concept 2, not been on it for about a year due back issues.
Like to get back into it.

I am not an expert to be honest. I have read incendiary exchanges between fans of the two machines, but I think they are both very good.
My only experience with something similar to a concept 2 dates back many years though. The club I raced for had something quite similar, and I enjoyed it a lot.
Pity I was not quite as good on an actual shell.
Anyway, I had the waterrower for 7 years now and the whole family enjoyed it a lot. This is the first time I have to fix it, aside of having to replace one seat roller last year, so it reasonably durable too.

Compared to a concept 2 it has some advantages, but perhaps not in terms of actual training results.
Our flat is very tiny. So the fact that it is wood and stores vertically taking the space of a chair makes a huge difference. And it looks good. I mean, not having a spare room we keep it in the living room and it does not look out of place.
Also it is very quiet. That reminds a bit of actual rowing and I can row any time of the day and night without bothering family and neighbours.

But if you have already a concept 2, and the space, I would stick to that. It is an excellent rowing machine I think, in that it replicates very well actual rowing.
It is also perhaps more durable that the waterrower. I understand that pretty much everybody ends up replacing or resealing the tank at some point.

Wish you to be able to go back rowing soon! It is very complete exercise. At times I hate it frankly, if I go back to it after a while it can be hard. But I had periods when I got into the habit of doing quick 5-10 minutes during work breaks, several times per day, after a few weeks I start feeling so much better. It really piles up even doing short sessions. Just, take is easy if you have back problems, warm up before and avoid over exerting yourself, particularly if your form is not perfect.

 

[McAldo]

I use Flex tape (and Gorilla do something similar). It sticks like you know what to a blanket and does not degrade in the sun for at least 2 years (it's been sealing one of my gutters for that long in SW France). Normal Gorilla tape is a completely different product

I believe CT1 is difficult to get hold of now? but there are derivatives OB1 from Screwfix and Hippo 3 from Travis Perkins. Having used both I think OB1 would be better for you but I doubt it will creep so you may need to knife it in.

Tensol cement,there are two types...one for regular indoors one for exterior waterproof.

I've had good luck with a Polyurethene sealant / glue......slightly flexy when cured....all colours but too thick to get into the deep gap in ur drawing.....
but would feel confident to put a bead on the joint.....u can get it to squeeze in to joint as well as Silicone.....

speaking of which if u want a good Silicone sealant u'll need one from Hilti...the last time I bought some it was £15 per tube...

Thanks everybody, much appreciated!
I will check them all. Frankly the number of options is staggering.
OB1 looks like a good option and hilti too, for something which could be removed later on or redone without too much trouble.
The cost in the end is not a huge issue. The repair kit, if it was available, would cost me £40, having the tank resealed by waterrower is over £150 and a new tank £250 or so. So pretty much any alternative adhesive will be cheaper.

 

[Ollie78]

Unfilled just means it is the basic chemicals with no powdery filler to thicken it up. Similar to using epoxy, you start with the liquid form and add stuff to thicken it up or give it different properties.
Who new there was so much to know about glues.
Puraflex is a polyurethane sealant they do it at toolstation I think.
Polyurethane resin is used for fiberglass and stuff so should be easy to find, it's quite stinky compared to epoxy.

 

[McAldo]

Unfilled just means it is the basic chemicals with no powdery filler to thicken it up. Similar to using epoxy, you start with the liquid form and add stuff to thicken it up or give it different properties.
Who new there was so much to know about glues.
Puraflex is a polyurethane sealant they do it at toolstation I think.
Polyurethane resin is used for fiberglass and stuff so should be easy to find, it's quite stinky compared to epoxy.

Thanks! You are right that there is a lot to learn.
In the end, I ordered some OB1, and will try with that first.
The UK branch of waterrower confirmed they cannot promise delivery of the glue kit in less than 6 weeks, which is a bit too long. Hopefully I will be able to take it apart by the weekend.
I am not sure about setting time, because it is a pretty narrow but deep crevice. But I think I will give it 24h before filling the tank and crossing my fingers.

 

[user22161]

This may work, often used on boats where acrylic windows are leaking in frames - Captain Tolley - Find and Fix Leaks

 

[McAldo]

This may work, often used on boats where acrylic windows are leaking in frames - Captain Tolley - Find and Fix Leaks

Thanks Graham, it does look like a pretty good option actually, given it is very thin.
I have received the OB1 today, so I might take the machine apart tonight and try with that.
If it does not work out, Captain Tolley might be the next one to try..

 

[McAldo]

Well, work got in the way, but I finally got around taking it apart and sealing (?) it.
We tried applying the OB1 while holding the top shell just about in the lip, but by the time I had finished applying it, it had already sunk in all the way without quite filling the gap with adhesive. I am sure there must be some clever way to do that properly, but I could not think of any. Warming the sealant beforehand helped a bit but it is still too thick for the job.
So I just removed the top and applied the adhesive to the the outer lip instead. When putting it all together some glue got inside the tank as expected. It spoils the look but it should not interfere wth functionality.

I am letting it sit 24h and then I will test.
At least I this was a good opportunity to give the inside of the tank a very good clean and reto renew the sealing of a few bits inside.
If it leaks I will take it apart again and perhaps try Captain Tolley, or wait 6 weeks for the repair kit.

Thanks everybody for all the helpful advice!

 

[harryc]

Anything water related you can go wrong with this stuff.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silicone-S...ocphy=9045480&hvtargid=pla-430098720239&psc=1

 

[McAldo]

Anything water related you can go wrong with this stuff.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silicone-S...ocphy=9045480&hvtargid=pla-430098720239&psc=1

Thanks, that is actually the only silicon adhesive I have used in the past. I made self watering pots with it, because it is food safe and durable. It worked very well.
But the description does not mention anywhere resistance to vibrations and movement, which the rower generates quite a lot of. So I was concerned the seal might fail. Then perhaps it can take vibrations just fine and the description does not mention it because in it not a concern with acquariums, not sure.
So I went for OB1 this time.

I let the seal cure 48h in the end, just in case.
It is not leaking and we are back rowing. It looks a bit messy, I should have used some masking tape. And, while it is possible to seal it like a I did, I think a thinner adhesive is preferable, it would have made the whole process much easier.
Thanks again for all the good suggestions and advice, appreciated!

 

[joshvegas]

The glue they use on phones shells is pretty handy stuff.

T 5000, something like that.

Waterproof, low viscosity, bit gap filly, let's go with a hairdryer or ipa, clear.

Quite nice stuff to use has a metal needle tip so you can put it right where you want it. Can be a bit stringy though.

 

[Dronten]

Thank you for posting. Found this as I'm looking to repair my water tank. It's an older version of the waterrower which I found second hand.
How did your OB1 hold up? I could order the sealant kit but if I can get away using another product from screwfix I rather do that.

 

[McAldo]

Thank you for posting. Found this as I'm looking to repair my water tank. It's an older version of the waterrower which I found second hand.
How did your OB1 hold up? I could order the sealant kit but if I can get away using another product from screwfix I rather do that.

Hi!
The OB1 worked just fine, and there were no leaks afterwards.
However, it is also more visible and not as easy to apply as the proper sealant kit.
Essentially, the original kit is just the right viscosity to fill the gap between the two halves without seeping inside, and applying it is a one man job.
The silicon sealant is more fiddly, because one need to apply it to the lip of the top half and then slide that in carefully, which will smear it on the outer lip filling the gap.
But then I found that there were some gaps left, possibly and that the silicon was not level, so I applied more on top, with the two halves fitted, and paired it with a knife, which made a bit of a mess.

No doubt, if you are used to apply OB1, and to clean residues afterwards, you will do a better job than I did.
Still, if the kit had been available (or anything equivalent, I understand it is some kind of epoxy normally used with electronics) I would have gone for that, even if it is more cash.
https://www.waterrower.co.uk/wrp003-tank-glue-kit
This said, the OB1 worked fine, fingers crossed.
However, to be clear, it was not a crack, the seal had failed, but the shell was in perfect conditions.
If I had a crack, I would go for the OB1, applied on both side with no concerns about aesthetics, but I cannot vouch that it would work.

 

[fak316]

Just wanted to update this thread in case it is useful for someone else, I tried Captain Tolley and I did not find it compatible for this kind of repair. This is due to two main issues with it.
1) It was very very runny, so the glue kept seeping into the tank itself from tiny gaps in the seam.
2) It takes a long time to set, and because it's so runny, most of the glue kept trickling down into the tank itself.

Even after 24 hours the glue that is sitting in the seam did not set. So I'm not sure this would be suitable for this repair.

 

[Vaseth]

Thanks for asking about the plastic type.
Not having a clue, I went googling that and I struck, if not gold, at least some very specific information, finally!

The tanks is made of some type of polycarbonate which does not like bleach, apparently.

But I found some interesting info here: Identify plastic glue | Model Engineer

Quoting:

"If the old sealant peeled off, it clearly wasn'y solvent welded. The two part glues with mixing dispensers are typically epoxy or acrylic. Epoxy is not normally flexible so an acrylic is more likely. A two part silicone i also possible. For something readily available and durable I'd suggest a good quality clear RTV silicone. This may take some time to set fully so not so suited to a production environment hence their use of a two part product which are typically faster setting. At least with RTV you can remove it without damage.

A fish in the internet suggests the tank is made of polycarbonate. The dispenser shown on the web is is for a two component syringe with a static mixer nozzle attached.

Epoxy might do the job but you might never get it apart again.

I would have guessed it was a clear two component addition (platinum) curing RTV silicone. Shouldn´t attack the polycarbonate. Anything with a solvent in, is a no go. A clear sanitary silicone would probably do the job. Put a blob somewhere out of sight and see if you can get if off again.

However I had a look at this German site (https://www.poolpowershop.de/waterrower/glue-kit) and it helpfully has the supplier details of what they are selling for the job. It turns out to be an electronics grade; unfilled, room temperature fast curing; two-component polyurethane adhesive is designed for the adhesion and potting electronics."

Sorry for quoting the whole thing. It is just that I found it so hard to find specific info that I hope copying it over here might be useful to someone in the future, should they need to reseal their waterrower tank.

Anyway, so it sounds like they use a 2-part polyurethane. Not sure what "unfilled" means, but anyway.
I will need to research that a bit. Perhaps RTV silicone si a good bet, because at least I could remove it without damage if turns out to be a mistake,

did you try it in the end? did it work? the tank sealing kits are $100 now and thats just extortion for a tube of sealant

 

[McAldo]

did you try it in the end? did it work? the tank sealing kits are $100 now and thats just extortion for a tube of sealant

I used silicone and it worked fine, no leaks. Way more messy to apply though, and not so clear looking.

 

[clogs]

found this just this morning.......
I only ever use a Polyurethane caulking for all jobs except the bathroom......
Plus it's overpaintable....

 

[Reffc]

Plumbers Mate silicone sealant. Cures with moisture, bonds and seals plus is easy to remove by scraping off. Used it before and it works a treat. You can also buy small sealant tubes designed for bonding fish tanks together which is very similar stuff.

 

[Lekster]

Hi McAldo,

How did you get on with the your water-rower tank issue? I have the same issue and would appreciate any advice. I purchased the glue supplied by Water Rower and it was sh*t! I folllowed the video, did it well and left it overnight, then put it all back together again the next day, filled it and it started leaking. Water tower are now saying they do not offer a sealing service but if I’d like to they could supply a complete tank for £175, what a rip off!
The glue they provide costs £40 and the plastic broke in the caulk gun and the nozzle fell off, and now they have admitted that some of the glues they send out are out of date and they have not offered to replace so I wanted to get this info out there so other people are not mugged off by Water Rower!

Let me know how you got in.
L.

 

[McAldo]

Hi McAldo,

How did you get on with the your water-rower tank issue? I have the same issue and would appreciate any advice. I purchased the glue supplied by Water Rower and it was sh*t! I folllowed the video, did it well and left it overnight, then put it all back together again the next day, filled it and it started leaking. Water tower are now saying they do not offer a sealing service but if I’d like to they could supply a complete tank for £175, what a rip off!
The glue they provide costs £40 and the plastic broke in the caulk gun and the nozzle fell off, and now they have admitted that some of the glues they send out are out of date and they have not offered to replace so I wanted to get this info out there so other people are not mugged off by Water Rower!

Let me know how you got in.
L.

Hi,

I reality I have not much to add to what already mentioned.
I used OB1 from Screwfix, which is not too expensive and a bit messy to apply.
2 years in, there are no leaks, so I think it is a good solution.
Not as transparent as the Water Rower adhesive, but then you tried it, and it did not work anyway, so I would suggest trying OB1.
Warming it up can make it a bit more runny, as someone mentioned in the previous posts, but it is still quite thick and will not seep into such a small gap.
So I had to ask my wife to hold the top section of the tank, lifting it slightly, while I applied a bead all around it.
Still, I had to work it in with a thin knife, and the result was not too pretty.
If I had to do it again I would put some masking tape, but otherwise it seems to hold well.

 

[shaddickhome]

Has anyone tried the WaterRower sealant successfully? Bought a second hand rower and tank has had to come apart.