Tips on Repairing Canoes for polyester canoes

For questions, feel free to call us along the way. Our helpful operators are standing by.

7878 Mississippi Lane Brooklyn Park, MN 55444

763-560-3840 fax 763-569-4408 www.kettercanoeing.com

PREPARATION: Use 60 or 100 sandpaper to rough up and clean the surface one inch around the damaged area. On outside of hull use a sanding block. Use coarse file if sharp edges need smoothing especially on how and stern edges. To cover an open hole, side with masking tape to sanding and patch the other side. Patch both the inside and the outside of the hull if the damage is evident on both surfaces.

APPLICATION: Cut two or more patches of 4 oz. fiberglass cloth that almost covers the sanded area. Mix catalyst to resin in a paper cup and coat sanded area with 1" brush. Apply first layer of cloth and wet out completely with brush until all whiteness of cloth disappears. Apply second layer and repeat wetting. Build up layers until damaged area is reconstructed. When patch is hardened, apply a final coat of resin. If a gouge or depression is too deep or steep to be filled with cloth layers, fill with a resin, catalyst , and thickener (cavosil can be purchased at Ketter Canoeing, Inc) before cloth patches.

SHAPING: When final resin is completely cured, sand patch with 100 paper on sanding block. Concentrate on the edges of the layers or blend with the canoe hull. If sanding has cut deeply into cloth of the patch add a coat or two of resin. Repair may end here if the smoothness of the patch is acceptable to you. Shape lumps or bumps of resin with putty filler and stem's with a course file or 60 sandpaper on a stiff surface sanding block. Cover all putty filled voids with two layer patch.

POLISHING: Sand only the patch with 100 or 120 grit sandpaper using a soft sanding block. As soon as surface is dusty with no shinny area, re-sand with 200 wet paper with water. 220 wet can also be used to sand out canoe surface scratches. Re-sand with 4500 wet, then 600 wet paper. Polish with rubbing compound and than polishing compound. Was with paste was and burr. Each of these sanding and polishing steps take only about 10 forceful passes over the area. The first sanding may take 10 seconds but the compounds may take 30 to 40 seconds over each square inch.

CLEAN UP: Throw away brushes. Use acetone only when necessary to get resin off scissors or floor, NEVER on your hands. Acetone and catalyst are especially dangerous to human eyes. They are extremely toxic and flammable. Wash you hands, arms and face in very warm water with detergents or sudsy ammonia. Throw away the newspaper you spread to work area before you started.

Fast tips and frequesntly asked questions and answers:

The The hotter the day the faster the resin will harden.

The cooler the day the more catalyst is needed.

Use milar, wax paper or heavy duty clear plastic wrap to cover a large built up

patch or putty patch and smooth by hand

Use masking tape to border a patch to confine it to small area.

DO NOT use electric drill to sand.

Mix small (1/4 to ½ cup) amounts of resin because it sets in 10 to 15 minutes.

Discard resin when it first starts to congeal.

If any small hard rubber lumps of resin form in your brush, throw it away.

The proper fiberglass lay-up is half cloth and half resin by weight.

If resin set solid but surface remains tacky and un-sandable, coat area with paste

wax and let cure complete.

POLYESTER MEASUREMENT

RESIN CATALYST ON CATALYST ON

COOL DAY SUNNY DAY

60 DEGREES 80 DEGREES

QUART= 32 oz. 10 ml. or 2 tsp. 6 ml.

PINT = 16 oz 5 ml. or 1 tsp 3 ml

CUP = 8 oz. 2.5 ml. or ½ tsp 1.5 ml.

½ CUP = 4 oz 1.3 ml or ¼ tsp .8 ml.

¼ CUP = 2 oz. .7 ml or 1/8 tsp .4 ml.

THICKNER: Cavosil is hard silicone fibers and is added to resin to make a paste or

putty.

WAX: Wax is an additive that should be pre-mixed into resin before patching. It forms a molecular layer on top of the resin so it can sure to a complete sandable state. No set mixing ratio is required so mix to a desired thickness.

GELL COAT: Gel Coat or pigment is a resin with inert colored material added to make

Opaque colors. Use pigmented resin for all layers of the patch but the

Final surface coat of clear resin is a hardener surface.

Dye: A color additive that tints resin bur leaves transparent resin gloss lay-up.