John H wrote: > Your recommendations on rubbing compound for the deck and subsequent protectant, wax(?) or "303"? Further to Wayne's advice - some polishing compounds for fiberglass contain waxes. 3M for example (commonly available at places like West Marine). Two birds... > I remember reading that the resins are not compatable with fiberglass. True/False? More false than true. Polyester and vinylester resins won't stick very well to cured epoxy, but epoxy will stick to cured resin. Your Necky is likely made with vinylester resin - most good quality kayaks use that rather than polyester resin. Most gelcoats at marine supply shops are polyester, not vinylester. Ideally, you'd want a vinylester-resin-based gelcoat, but good luck finding one. For a keel repair, you can mix the fumed silica (Cabosil) into gelcoat instead of epoxy if you want an easy way to colour match. Be careful using fumed silica with either a resin or epoxy - it is very difficult to sand to shape compared to plain resin. You have to do your best to get the shape and surface finish as close to the desired finish as possible while the gunk is still wet - once cured you've got your work cut out for you. Most gelcoats on the market seem to be waxless. These are used in molds for boat building. When used for patching, they will not cure in air. You will have to cover the gelcoat with a barrier to the air. Household plastic wrap (like Saran Wrap) will work, though thicker plastic sheet will work better. Look for "release film" at the boat repair or auto repair supply shop. Alternatively, and a better choice, is to find a waxed gelcoat. The wax is added to provide an air barrier. No covering required. It is a tiny bit weaker than regular gelcoat, but not enough to worry about. 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Jul 31 2007 - 08:10:05 PDT
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:31:25 PDT