Kayak fiberglass repair I have a dearly loved kayak that gets dragged up the beach a lot (better the boat than my body) I had a hole on the bottom under the back stern hatch that repaired with fiberglass and I have a fiberglass skid stip along the back keel. This weekend the epoxy and a layer of the fiberglass came off – the exact size and shape of the fiberglass repair. (rectangle) I’m looking for some good advise on how to redo this repair and also wondering if I can use stronger materials (kevlor, polyethelene…?) for the patch and for a new skid strip that might be tougher – not sure if I can marry these materials to fiberglass. The boat is an easy rider Eskimo double. Thank you! Adise is greatly appreciated! *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> I’m looking > for some good advise on how to redo this repair and also wondering if I can > use stronger materials (kevlor, polyethelene…?) for the patch and for a new > skid strip that might be tougher – not sure if I can marry these materials > to fiberglass. I would not bother with kevlar etc. They do not bond as well. They will not sand well. The strip is supposed to abrade. I would just use glass and epoxy and might then paint with gelcoat if I were concerned about UV degradation Redo when needed... *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> > > >I would just use glass and epoxy and might then paint with gelcoat if I were >concerned about UV degradation > > I recollect reading that epoxy with adhere to abraided gel coat but gel coat will not adhere to epoxy no matter the preparation -- gabriel l romeu ± http://studiofurniture.com Ø http://journalphoto.org ± ± http://kayakoutfitting.org Ø http://furnituresociety.org ± *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Anne Lednicer wrote: > This weekend the epoxy and > a layer of the fiberglass came off - the exact size and shape of the > fiberglass repair. (rectangle) I'm looking for some good advise on > how to redo this repair and also wondering if I can use stronger > materials (kevlor, polyethelene.?) for the patch and for a new skid > strip that might be tougher - not sure if I can marry these materials > to fiberglass. There must have been something wrong with the previous repair if it came off. It isn't the fabric, but the adhesive or the surface preparation. Make sure the area to be repaired is _clean_ and _dry_. You should sand the area well to roughen it up. Fibreglass is fine, the other materials won't add much to the patch. Get a good quality epoxy like East Systems, West Systems, MAS or similar brands from a marine shop. Don't use corner hardware store stuff or polyester resin - not worth the trouble. Make sure you mix the epoxy according to directions and at the right temperature. Brush a thin layer onto the kayak, then lay the fibreglass over it. Use the brush to tamp down the fibreglass - you want to get rid of bubbles and wrinkles and get the 'glass to soak up the epoxy. Brush on more epoxy to fill the glass - it should be wet enough to be transparent. When done, cover the epoxy with a layer of release film (you can get this at a marine shop or auto repair shop. Pull the film tight and you'll get a smooth surface on the epoxy. You can squeegy out the excess epoxy at this stage. Covering the epoxy is optional, depending on whether you'll be exposing it to sun. If so, you can cover with varnish, gel coat or epoxy paint. Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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