Self Adhesive Canoe Skid Plates?

[gotmuddy]

There was talk in a thread this spring about repairing canoes but sirch has failed me. anyone remember it?

[id10t]

keeleazy.com

[gotmuddy]

thanks a million. I have wore through the outer layer on my buffalo

[Al Agnew]

Hope you try it, and I'd like to hear from anybody else who has tried this stuff on a canoe.

If you can't find it or want to do something different that I know works, what I do is go to one of the big box home improvement stores (or even Walmart) and find the two part epoxy that's made specifically for plastics. There are two kinds, and I don't remember which is which, but the one that works is almost entirely clear, while the other is very milky and barely translucent. If you have just scratched through the outer vinyl layer to the inner solid layer, just sand the area lightly and then mix up a big batch of the epoxy and spread it on with a putty knife. It will smooth and level itself (the milky type won't). If you keep the canoe stored in the sun, you might want to spray paint the areas that are through to the inner layer to give it some UV protection before applying the epoxy. If you are all the way through to the foam middle layer, you'll probably need to use something opaque and strong, like JB Weld, to cover the foam, but don't spread the JB Weld out much beyond the foam, because it gets brittle and if you have a large area covered, it will crack. The plastic epoxy is flexible and won't crack.

[id10t]

Hope you try it, and I'd like to hear from anybody else who has tried this stuff on a canoe.

Al,

Keeleazy works well. I have used it a couple of times on buddies boats. Like everything else it is preparation and patience. Temperature is the biggest factor. It is not very pliable in cool weather and tends to have a tough time laying down on bends that cause the edges to bunch up. A heat gun is a good tool to have to get the bends to lay down where they bunch up. You also need to make sure the surface is clean. I lightly sand or scotch bright the area then wipe it down with mineral spirits.

If you can't find it or want to do something different that I know works, what I do is go to one of the big box home improvement stores (or even Walmart) and find the two part epoxy that's made specifically for plastics. There are two kinds, and I don't remember which is which, but the one that works is almost entirely clear, while the other is very milky and barely translucent. If you have just scratched through the outer vinyl layer to the inner solid layer, just sand the area lightly and then mix up a big batch of the epoxy and spread it on with a putty knife. It will smooth and level itself (the milky type won't). If you keep the canoe stored in the sun, you might want to spray paint the areas that are through to the inner layer to give it some UV protection before applying the epoxy. If you are all the way through to the foam middle layer, you'll probably need to use something opaque and strong, like JB Weld, to cover the foam, but don't spread the JB Weld out much beyond the foam, because it gets brittle and if you have a large area covered, it will crack. The plastic epoxy is flexible and won't crack.

[grizwilson]

Have not tried the self adh. but may be worth a try. I have used a epoxy called Gflex it works wonderfully, for the foam exposed used the gflex mixed with silca sand made a paste worked great. But I still covered with kevlar skid plate (used the gflex for that also) so far no complaints. google gflex, the best place I have found to purchase is Jamestown Distrib. as they often run free shipping.... If you try the self adh. let us know how it works.

g

[gotmuddy]

no foam exposed I dont believe. I will take some pics of the damage.