> It has been suggested to me that one can save weight in a Kevlar boat by >foregoing the pigment in the hull. Is this true? Just how much weight does the >pigment add? Are there any other pros and cons to ordering a Kevlar boat I >should know about? I guess I really don't know that much about Kevlar. > It is not the pigment that get left out but the gel coat. The gel coat is the layer of pigmented resin on the surface that provides the shiny gloss etc. This layer is typically applied about 0.0015" thick and weighs roughly (varies with pigment weights) 0.054 lbs per square foot (according to one gel coat supplier). Gel coat has little structural value. Better protection for the laminate can be obtained by painting with one of the two part marine polyurethane paints at less than 30% of the weight. Cheers, John Winters Redwing Designs Specialists in Human Powered Watercraft http://home.ican.net/~735769/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Mar 22 1999 - 04:55:47 PST
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