Epoxy for Boat Repair

[RandyJ]

Anyone had any experience with this yet? Sure looks impressive.

[Al Donaldson]

Randy:

The link that you put up doesn't lead to anything but a general YouTube page. But, from the partial address, I'm guessing that you might have been referring to West Systems G-Flex. If so, holler. I've been using the stuff for a couple of years now, and it does have some great qualities.

Regards,

al

[RandyJ]

Corrected link to G-Flex "Kayak Challenge" video (thanks, Al). Check it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a5RlcP-4JE

[Al Donaldson]

R:

I think that the repair shown in the video probably was done as shown, but I'm not sure that the boat would hold up very long.

HOWEVER, the G-Flex epoxy is a real wonder for various repairs, and it does adhere to poly better than anything I've seen, as long as the preparation instructions are followed to the letter. I constructed some saw sheaths out of three pieces of 1/8" thick hdpe with G-Flex as the bonding agent, and after three years, they are still holding together.

We also used it for bonding some molded composite skid plates to royalex boats, and all ten that were so outfitted are holding up well, after two and three years, with no failures.

The thickened version of G-Flex is also a great material to use to patch scratches (through the poly layer) in Royalex boats. With pigment matched to the boat's color, this stuff makes an almost invisible patch (as long as the scratch or dent is not too big -- I haven't tried it on big wounds!)

The "stuff" has one more great attribute: it can be mixed with other West System epoxies, allowing the user to create adhesives that "blend" the properties of both. For example, if you needed to put an emergency patch on a boat and still be able to paddle six hours later, a mix of 50/50 G-Flex and West's G5 (five minute) epoxy would set fast, but still give a permanent repair.

I've not tried it as a resin for glass or kevlar fabrication, so I've no idea how it would do there: but, as an adhesive, it is on my "must keep on hand" list.

Note that G-Flex comes in a low-viscosity and a thickened version.

HTH

Regards,

al

[RandyJ]

Good info, Al - thanks!

[coach cal]

would this work on a late 90s model buffalo canoe? The hole/crack goes all the way through the skid plate and is showing on the floor. .I was thinking a kevlar patch but do you patch that over the kevlar skid plate?

[Al Donaldson]

Cal:

I'd suggest either fiberglass or kevlar fabric (not the skid plate type mat) with G-flex on the outside and a matching fiberglass patch on the inside. Be sure to drill a 1/4" hole at each end of the crack before patching to reduce stresses: otherwise, the crack will continue to propagate under the patch. A final coat of color matched epoxy (not g-flex, as it does not finish well...) would make it look better, but would not add to the structural strength.

A picture of the damage might be useful here...

HTH

Regards,

al

[coach cal]

well i tried to load the pictures and it said that one picture took up to much room. I just made a slide show on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2IvlvHwpjY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Al Donaldson]

Cal:

Thanks for the video. The only addition that I'd make to the recommendation would be to prepare and fill the cracks (s) with thickened G-Flex first: then prepare entire surface and apply glass and/or kevlar as noted above. Should work out.

If Bullwinkle is reading this, I'm sure that he'll chime in, as he's better at these fixes than I.

Regards,

al

[coach cal]

where can i get this epoxy? local or online? maybe pack rat or lewis and Clark?

[Al Donaldson]

Cal:

There may be local suppliers, but I have gotten mine online from Jamestown Distributors.
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and use their "search" function at the top for G-flex.

They have quite good servvice and halfway reasonable shipping rates.

Regards,

al

[coach cal]

I'm feeling pretty stupid but is there a trick to cutting the kevlar strips. . im trying to cut the big patch into smaller ones and i've tried scissors, sharp knife and even wire cutters lol .

had to have a someone else hold one side of the kevlar and used a sharp mora knife.

[Dave Thomas]

G-Flex 650 and 655 are both great solutions. G-Flex is super tough!

Paddle on,
David Thomas
dthomas@yahoo.com

[Jim Krueger]

Coach Cal,

Years ago, I used to do quite a bit of my own work on a Kevlar kayak I used at the time. I can't remember the exact weight of the cloth I was buying but it's all extremely difficult to cut smoothly. My supplier of epoxies and Kevlar was RAKA Marine in Fla., at any rate, I learned from them that the best thing to use is a brand new pair of sharp, quality scissors, NEVER use them to cut anything else, and to have a good sharpening tool to redress them when needed. I sure understand the frustration of cutting woven Kevlar cloth! Under the best circumstances, it still wants to fray on the edges, it's tough stuff and I found out dragging even a really sharp knife down a straight edge it just bunches up and makes matters worse. Check out RAKAs website for more info. I hope this helps.

Best Regards
Jim