Fiberglass Canoe Repair Pictures Added

[Bunky]

I know this is really a boat, but similar I have an old Pere Marquette Canoe it's fiberglass and it is in need of repair.. Do I need to use Fiberglass resin or can I use Marine epoxy??

 

[i386]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

You can use either. Epoxy costs more, but is superior to fiberglass resin (polyester). It's sometimes cost prohibitive to use, but since you have a canoe, the price different should be negligible. Poly is fine if you want to use it though.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

It's a boat.

I'd recommend strongly using marine epoxy for repairs... polyester fiberglass resin is much more difficult to get to stick to existing glass (and wood).

For a canoe, you won't need a lot of it, either. What's being repaired?

Erik

 

[Bunky]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

Well the Previous owners at one time did a repair and the cloth cracked and it needs repaired correctly and I also want to make the ends a little more secure...

 

[i386]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

It should be really easy to fix being it's a canoe. For holes or impact damage:

Grind out the bad place.

Cover the hole from the outside with clear packing tape.

Make your glass repair from the inside using several layers. Make each layer about an inch bigger than the last. Use only enough resin to wet out the glass. No more, no less. Finish with a layer of mat if a smooth surface is desired.

When it cures, remove the tape and you'll find the repair conforms nicely to the hull.

I used this technique recently to repair some holes in my boat and am very please with how it turned out. You can't get much more fixable than fiberglass.

 

[Bunky]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

also has anyone tried using Biaxial tape and cloth to make a protector for the ends to help protect them...

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

The old repair sounds like a typical one, no prep work, a single layer of cloth and some poorly mixed polyester resin, that's why it failed.

If using polyester, mat needs to be used as a first layer or it won't stick well.

You can get a fiberglass repair kit almost anywhere and it will come with directions, it's not too hard to do.

 

[Bunky]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

Ok Here's a picture of the 1st repair I need to make I took the old mat and resin off... do I cut this out or just fill it in ???

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair Pictures Added

You need to sand out all of the fractured area, and it needs to be tapered out away from the repair so the new glass has something to bond to. You have a couple of options, you can remove all of the bad area right away and then put tape (the tape is used to keep the shape) on one side and lay the glass on the other side. Or you can sand only part way through, put on the glass, wait for it to get hard, then sand it from the other side and put glass on that side too. Canoes aren't normally very thick, so you don't need a great deal of glass to do the job.

 

[Bunky]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair Pictures Added

So do I need Cloth ?? or just epoxy resin ??

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair Pictures Added

If you use epoxy then you can use just cloth, if you use polyester use mat also. It won't make a difference which type of resin you use, both will last for the rest of your life.

 

[Bunky]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair Pictures Added

So I do need cloth I can't just use Resin ???

 

[i386]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair Pictures Added

You definitely need cloth and optionally mat if using epoxy. You absolutely need cloth AND mat if using poly. Now you can get a 2nd opinion if you like but if it were my boat I'd grind that old repair completely out. I would do so even if it means creating a hole. Then I'd clean the outside and lay strips of clear packing tape over the hole. Run the tape long ways and overlap 1/2 way with each piece. You want to preserve the contour of the hull as best you can. Then cut your first piece of patch about an inch bigger than the hole. Cut 3 or so layers of cloth, each about an inch larger than the last. Then mix up some resin with a thickener. Thicken it with cabosil, would flour or even talc. From the inside, smooth that over the hole. Just the hole. The idea is to cover the taped part with this thickened resin. Now with your unthickened resin, start your layup. Start with the smallest piece and wet it out completely over the hole. Then do the same with each piece. Finish off with mat for a smooth surface. Use just enough resin to wet out the glass. No more, no less. When it has cured, just peel off the tape and you'll have a very nice looking repair on the outside ready to finish with minimal sanding or other prep work.

 

[oops!]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair Pictures Added

hi bunky....

you have a pm......

and re read ondarvrs post (#9) 4 times......its easy....1 hr max

cheers
oops

 

[mike64]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair Pictures Added

Ha, I picked up a beat-up old fiberglass canoe 7-8 years ago that exact same color. I bought a fiberglass repair kit and, not really knowing what I was doing, sanded down a few weak spots and cracks along the bottom of the hull, and applied the cloth and resin to the outside. Wasn't the prettiest repair job, but I just wanted something that floated. Used it about a hundred times since then, and lucky for me, my ugly repair job has held up well so far.

I like the replies you got in this post, especially i386's, like the packing tape trick for holding the shape of the boat on the outside. I copied these replies for a glass repair primer for my boat, if I ever need it. Thanks!

 

[oops!]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair Pictures Added

fiberglass is just that.....

its a glass fiber....in a cloth type format......this can be a bunch of chopped peices of glass presses into a matt type fabric.....(chopped strand matt) or into a cloth type fabric all woven togeather......(well call all the types...cloth. this can include woven roving....biax standard woven cloth...like in wallmart)


when the resin...epoxy or polyester saturates the cloth and hardens it can become as strong as steel.......

cloth by it self wont do it..(or csm)....and epoxy or poly resin by itself wont do it......you need the two togeather.......
(epoxy might...but why not do it right)

when using polyester resin...(from wallmart)..clean thorughly with acetone....then your ready to glass..(after grinding and prepping)..mix the resin and caytelist according to the instructions on the package...and apply the catylized resin to the area using a paint roller...this is called a wet out.. you need to add a layer of chopped strand matt first.place it over the area...then use the roller and apply some more resin. fully saturate the material..no more no less....when still wet....repeat using the cloth.....(the csm will bond better to the old glass, and the cloth will add stregnth.) make sure you get out all the air bubbles. and let cure.

fully saturate the material with resin...no more..no less...no white spots where the resin does not go into the material fully...(you'll see)....the material will actually "drink" the resin.....if some resin drips down the side...immedately take the acetone nad wipe it off....you might want to tape news paper around the section to stop the drips...

read the hull extension thread....a lot of it is on glassing.

this just reiterates what ondarvr said...
this repair will be permanant....after finished...it can be sanded and painted.

hope that helps

cheers
oops

 

[echofive]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair Pictures Added

I'm restoring an Old Town canoe. It's in pretty decent shape with no major problems, but its not very pretty. The keel has a few gouges in it, and there are a few pock marks, knicks, and gouges elsewhere. I want to apply some glass cloth to the keel to provide some protection. I figure I can also use extra epoxy resin to fill in the knicks and gouges elsewhere on the outer shell. Sand it all down and then refinish it. Here's my problem. I'm an accomplished woodworker, so I'm more than familiar with finishing wood. However, I'm new to fiberglass and marine applications for finishing/painting/sealing, etc... I hear a ton about gelcoats and plenty of other tactics for refinishing, but I have no idea what is proper.

I would REALLY appreciate if someone could list the steps I need to follow for refinishing this canoe. I've already cut and made new seats and a new thwart from mahogany. THe interior of the canoe is in good shape. I simply need an outline as to the steps I need to follow for finishing the cosmetics of the outside.
1) sand
2) apply resin
3) apply first layer of cloth
4) Apply resin
5) Apply 2nd layer of cloth, an inch wider
etc....

should I sand between cloth layers? I appreciate any and all help here... Don't assume I know anything... THanks again in advance...

Chip

 

[SnappingTurtle]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair

It should be really easy to fix being it's a canoe. For holes or impact damage:

Grind out the bad place.

Cover the hole from the outside with clear packing tape.

Make your glass repair from the inside using several layers. Make each layer about an inch bigger than the last. Use only enough resin to wet out the glass. No more, no less. Finish with a layer of mat if a smooth surface is desired.

When it cures, remove the tape and you'll find the repair conforms nicely to the hull.

I used this technique recently to repair some holes in my boat and am very please with how it turned out. You can't get much more fixable than fiberglass.

This is the same method I used on my glass Kayak in the spots I could reach through the hole. Luckly this is where the most of the severe damage was.

With a Canoe it should be much easier.

I didn't photograph most of the steps done, sorry, photos were an afterthought.

But here are some "during" and "after" photos.

http://mobillity.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-newest-project.html

http://mobillity.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-newest-project-is-finished.html

Good luck and have fun!

 

[oops!]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair Pictures Added

and post number 16 is the step by step process

 

[echofive]

Re: Fiberglass Canoe Repair Pictures Added

thank you... good information. I'm not sure how much it will help me since there's no damage anywhere remotely close to going all the way through the hull, but its still a dang good idea for future reference.

What about painting? After all the glassing is done, any recommendations on types of paints? What about poly or gelcoat as a sealing layer?