Category: Videos

About this Pipe Repair Video

The 150mm steel pipe was leaking through a flange. Sylmasta sealed the leak whilst the pipe remained live and operating pressure was set via the test rig at 2 bar, meaning a stream of water was escaping the flange throughout.

Superfast Aqua PW Epoxy Putty was used to permanently bond a valve fitting over the leak area. This fitting channelled the leak path directly through the valve, which was then tapped off to contain pipe content.

The specialist formulation of Superfast Aqua PW offers very high wet surface and underwater adhesion. It bonds to metal, most plastics, ceramic, GRP and fibreglass in damp, wet, saltwater and freshwater conditions.

Superfast Aqua PW was kneaded by hand for three minutes until it turned a uniform white colour, indicating successful mixing. It was then attached to the bottom of the valve, before being fitted to the leak area.

The epoxy putty was pushed firmly against the pipe and flange before it hardened. Despite water continuing to saturate the pipe, Superfast Aqua PW formed a permanent bond and a watertight seal once it cured around 10 minutes after mixing began.

Once the valve had been fitted, all water leaving the pipe was directed through it. Tapping the valve ensured no more water could escape the pipe through the flange, completing the repair.

To showcase the effectiveness of a leaking pipe flange repair made with Superfast Aqua PW, Sylmasta increased pressure through the test rig from 2 bar up to 18 bar. The repair continued to hold.

The fast five minute work time of Superfast Aqua PW makes this a quick and easy repair method to seal a leaking flange when water pressure cannot be turned off.

Superfast Aqua PW has WRAS approval, meaning it is certified to British standards as safe to use on pipes and fittings carrying drinking water.

A similar repair could be made using Sylmasta AB Original Epoxy Putty. AB Original comes with a two-hour work time, making it more suitable for larger, complex repairs where longer is needed to apply the putty before curing begins.

Whilst AB Original offers the same excellent wet surface and underwater adhesion as Superfast Aqua PW, it does not have WRAS approval and so should not be used on pipes or fittings carrying drinking water.

Wet Surface Epoxy Putty

Superfast Aqua PW Epoxy Putty Stick
WRAS approved epoxy putty in a 114g stick with a fast five minute work time for making quick wet surface and underwater repairs.

Sylmasta AB Original Epoxy Putty Stick
Super-strength epoxy putty in a 200g stick with a longer two-hour work time for use in complex wet surface and underwater repairs.

About this Epoxy Paste Video

WearShield is applied to machinery and equipment subjected to intense processes in highly abrasive environments.

Its dense alumina bead structure and high resin content enable WearShield to offer ultimate resistance against impact, wear, corrosion and chemical attack by forming an alumina-reinforced outer shell up to 6mm thick over parts and surfaces.

Originally formulated for the tough requirements of the South American mining industry, WearShield is now used worldwide in power plants, quarries and mills.

It protects a wide range of processing and plant equipment including ash handling systems, scrubbers, silos, chutes, mineral nozzles, agglomerator drums, trunions and metal castings.

This video was filmed as part of a WearShield demonstration at Sylmasta HQ. A metal test piece underwent surface preparation, being roughened up to improve adhesion with WearShield and then cleaned.

WearShield was mixed and applied using a metal spatula. Solvent was sprayed onto the spatula to smooth off the epoxy paste after it had been coated onto the test piece. WearShield was left to cure.

Once a full cure had been achieved, the test piece was attacked with an angle grinder and hammer for abrasion and impact testing. There was no chipping or fracturing of the cured WearShield.

Lastly, the demonstration showed the benefits of top coating WearShield with Ceramic Brushable Blue Epoxy Coating to create a low-friction surface over the initial repair.

Ceramic Brushable is silicone-carbide filled, giving it an ultra-smooth finish. When used in conjunction with WearShield, it further reduces abrasion damage by limiting friction between parts. It also makes clean up more effective.

Two grades of WearShield are available. Standard comes with a work time of between 30 and 60 minutes, a functional cure of 8–12 hours. and a 24-hour full cure.

It is used at higher ambient temperatures or where large amounts of WearShield are being mixed at once, removing the threat of premature curing from the application process.

WearShield Rapid has a five-minute work time, a functional cure of 45 minutes and a full cure of three hours. It allows an abrasion resistant repair to be made quickly, minimising downtime and disruption.

WearShield Epoxy Paste

WearShield Impact Resistant Epoxy Paste
Alumina bead-filled epoxy paste which forms a toughened layer of protection against impact damage and wear

WearShield Rapid 5 Minute Epoxy Paste
Fast working version of WearShield with a three hour full cure, reducing equipment downtime

About this Pipe Repair Video

A leaking step joint where pressure cannot be turned off is difficult to repair. A pipe repair clamp is not effective because of the difference in height between the step and the line. Epoxy putty will not form an effective bond to repair a leak where water is seeping out.

The UPVC pipe played a vital role in a critical system at the airport and so could not be shut off for repair or replacement. The maintenance team therefore contacted Sylmasta for help with a live leak repair method.

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape was used to seal the leak. Wrap & Seal is a self-amalgamating tape which stretches by three times its length. When wrapped around a leaking pipe, it fuses to form a solid rubber band which contains content by creating a high-pressure repair.

Application began around 100mm away from the step. Wrap & Seal was wrapped towards the joint with a 50 percent overlay. Once the step was reached, the tape was wrapped directly on top of itself and a ridge built up to reach level height with the joint.

Wrap & Seal was then wrapped for a further 50mm along the step before application moved back to concentrate directly over the leak area.

Layers continued to be added until no more water was leaking from the pipe, indicating enough resistance had been created to seal the leak.

Two 50mm x 4m Wrap & Seal Tapes were used in the application. The repair was then reinforced with a SylWrap Pipe Repair Bandage. SylWrap is a composite fibreglass wrap with a water-activated resin.

It was wrapped and smoothed over the area covered by Wrap & Seal, setting rock hard in minutes to provide an impact resistant protective sleeve encompassing the step.

Completing the leaking step repair took less than 30 minutes whilst the pipe remained fully operational, meaning there was no impact to operations at the airport.

Both Wrap & Seal and SylWrap have WRAS approval, meaning they can be used on pipes carrying drinking water. Repairs are temperature resistant to 200ºC and effective on pipes of most substrates carrying hot and cold water and chemicals.

The products were supplied to the airport in a SYL-PRO-633 SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case. A Contractor Case contains enough products to make up to six live leak repairs on pipes of all types and diameters.

It is easy-to-store on-site and transport via car or van, ensuring everything needed to fix a leaking pipe is close to hand for making repairs as soon as problems are identified.

Kits to Make This Repair

SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit
Contains Superfast Epoxy Putty, Wrap & Seal and SylWrap Bandage for making a permanent live leak repair

SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case
Easy-to-store, robust red case with enough SylWrap Pipe Repair products to make up to six permanent live leak repairs.

About this Pipe Repair Video

The pipe being repaired was made from steel and had a large split cut into it. To showcase the pressure resistance of a SylWrap Pipe Repair Kit to the water company, the pipe was put under 6bar for the demonstration.

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape was used to seal the initial leak. Wrap & Seal is made from self-fusing silicone and stretches by three times its length. When wrapped around a leaking pipe, it forms a solid rubber band over the leak area, creating a high-pressure repair.

The initial repair was then overwrapped with a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage. SylWrap is a composite fibreglass repair wrap with a water-activated resin. It is applied to the pipe to provide a rock-hard, impact resistant layer, reinforcing the repair through a protective shell.

Only one Wrap & Seal was used for this repair, but additional tapes could have increased the pressure resistance up to 30bar. To determine how many tapes are needed for a specific application, please input your data to the Wrap & Seal Repair Calculator to formulate the optimum repair.

This type of live leak repair using Wrap & Seal and SylWrap HD Pipe is also effective on pipes made of copper, PVC plastics, stainless steel, malleable iron, GRP, ceramic, clay, concrete, lead, and rubber.

Repairs can be made to leaking pipes in domestic settings, such as kitchen and bathroom pipes, as well as major pipelines involved in infrastructure and industry.

Both Wrap & Seal and SylWrap HD have WRAS approval, meaning that they can be used safely on pipes carrying drinking water. Repairs are temperature resistant to 200ºC and effective on pipes carrying hot and cold water and chemicals.

No training is required to make a SylWrap live leak repair; simply follow the instructions provided with the product.

Kits to Make This Repair

SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit
Contains Superfast Epoxy Putty, Wrap & Seal and SylWrap HD for making a permanent live leak repair

SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case
Easy-to-store, robust red case with enough SylWrap Pipe Repair products to make up to six permanent live leak repairs

About this Resin Casting & Mould Making Video

The video takes you through the entire process of casting and moulding a copy of a gear, using Sylmasta 380 Silicone Moulding Rubber and Polycast G26 Polyurethane Casting Resin.

A two-part mould was used and the same process can be followed using any of the various grades of Sylmasta rubbers and different viscosity casting resins, all of which are detailed at the bottom of the page.

The application began with the creation of a mould box, made using plasticard, Sylmasta CAE1500 High Viscosity Superglue and plasticine. The Moulding Rubber was then mixed with catalyst added to the rubber and stirred until streak free.

Once mixing had been completed, the Moulding Rubber was poured into the box to create the first component of the two-part mould. After the specified de-moulding had passed, the plasticine and the original gear were removed and mould release agent applied to prevent the two parts sticking.

More Moulding Rubber was then poured into the box to create the second component of the two-part mould. Once this had set, the mould was completed and removed from the box.

Next, the Casting Resin was mixed to the prescribed ratios and a monoject syringe used to inject the resin into the mould. After the recommended curing time had passed, the mould was opened up with a highly-detailed resin copy of the original gear left inside.

As the video shows, resin cast machine parts enable a user to make multiple copies of masters, offering a cheaper and faster alternative to fabricating new versions of parts. Moulds made from Sylmasta Silicone Moulding Rubbers are reusable, allowing up to 20 copies to be made from one mould.

The various accessories used throughout the process can be purchased alongside resins and rubbers as part of the Sylmasta Casting Kit. They are also available to purchase separately through SylCreate, Sylmasta’s specialist website dedicated to model making, craft, and restoration customers.

Casting & Moulding Kits

Sylmasta Casting Kit
Contains all the products and equipment needed to start resin casting and producing high-quality moulds

Sylmasta Casting Kit XL
Five times as much Resin and twice as much Moulding Rubber as the standard Kit