17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

[River_Rat15]

So i just acquired this 17ft fiberglass canoe for a bargain. The hull looks to be in good shape with just the gel coat missing in some spots. My question here is how should i attempt to fix the rail it's very cracked in some spots and looks like the previous owner tried to lay some cloth and resin to fix some of the cracks but they did a terrible job because the hardened cloth is now peeling off. Should i just tear out all the crumbling cloth, sand/grind down, then keep layering fiberglass cloth until the edge is as even with the rest of it as possible? Also i have a question as to apply a new gel coat on the bottom hull. Should i sand down the gel coat that is still on the hull then apply some gel coat as evenly as possible? Thank you for any help as i am new to fiberglass.

 

[River_Rat15]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

here are the photos of the rail and what the crappy fiber cloth layer looks like. PLEASE HELP thanks

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

Hmm, are you sure the boat is made from fiberglass and not some kind of ABS plastic composite. Your pics make it hard to really determine.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

First of all, welcome to the Iboats Dry Dock...

Yes, you need to remove all the loose stuff any way you can...

Then, depending on how thick the shell is, you'll want to grind down to good fiberglass, at least in a ration of 12:1...for example, if the shell is approximately 1/4 inch thick, then you'll want to grind back about 3" on either side of the crack, but gradually tapering from the deepest part of the crack to the surface...then cut progressively larger and larger pieces of 1.5 ounce CSM ( Chopped Strand Mat)...
Layer that in there until you are almost back to the full thickness of the shell, then lay in a final layer of 1708 Biaxial cloth...

You could also skip the last layer of 1708 and take it all the way to the finished surface height with CSM, but the 1708 is much stronger...

Another option is to make the repairs 1/2 way on the outer skin, then the other half from the inside...

You will need UN-waxed Polyester resin, NOT generally found at Home Depot or Lowes or the local auto parts store...you might find it at a wholesale auto body supply house or a local marine supplier, otherwise you might have to order it from the web from someplace like here on Iboats.com...

You will also need some PPE ( Personal Protective Equipment, to include a respiratorand some form of full body coverage like a Tyvek) suit assorted sanding grinding tools and supplies, Acetone, Disposable gloves, Baby Powder, some mixing buckets, chip brushes...

See beloow for a couple of pics of what you might be looking for...

Gloves, these stand up to Acetone and can be used multiple times...

One of many types of sanding discs, these are 36 grit for a 4.5" and 7" grinders...they require the correct backing plate...

Here is another type called a flap disk...

This is a 4.5" grinder, available cheap at Harbor Freight...

And these are what the CSM ( center large roll) and the 1708 (left, smaller roll)...you can also see some fiberglass resin in the 5 gallon buckets and Acetone in the Gallon jugs...you will obviously NOT need this large of a quantity of materials...

and this is the Full face respirator I use, but you might be able to get by with a Half Mask and some goggles...

Hopefully this will get you started...
Have fun!
GT1M

PS, if its plastic...none of the above will apply...sorry

 

[River_Rat15]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

Hmm, are you sure the boat is made from fiberglass and not some kind of ABS plastic composite. Your pics make it hard to really determine.

Well i am not sure actually the guy i got it from said it was but there is no exposed fiberglass. I have a better pic of the core..at least i think this is the core...

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

Still kind of hard to tell...take some sandpaper to it and if the stuff underneath looks similar to the useless fiberglass repair, then good to go...

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

Yeah, I still can't determine for sure it's glass. Try and get some close ups of the damage areas and see if you can see any glass fibers etc...

 

[River_Rat15]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

Yeah, I still can't determine for sure it's glass. Try and get some close ups of the damage areas and see if you can see any glass fibers etc...

Ok so i went out there tore off some of that crap fiberglass overlay and chipped away at a void and i do indeed see some green fibers so i am positive it is fiberglass. im gonna attach some pics to try and show the fibers and also some spots where i just dont know what to do with..specifically the whales and seat connections

 

[River_Rat15]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

the spot where my finger is pointing to is the green fibers

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

Yep, OK I see the cloth pattern in one of the interior shots...looks like 'glass cloth to me...
Most of the repairs will be pretty much the same as I described...
The seats...If they are wood, you can probably sand them down and refinish them with a couple of layers of 'glass and reattach them to the gunwales using the same techniques as the repairs, grind back a few inches, then fill and reinforce with the mat/cloth/resin...

If the wood seats are shot, you can just make some new ones and again, attach them to the gunwales...

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

That blue looks more like Paint and not gelcoat.

Yea .. basically you need to start grinding those cracks away and any other damaged areas a little to kinda get a feel for whats going on with the glass.

Kinda hard to tell what the glass is under the paint/gel surface.

Go slow and take your time mate ..

YD.

 

[River_Rat15]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

thank you very much sir i will probably be coming back for more advice...where would be the best/cheapest place to find fiberglass mats like that i was thing jamestown distributors but they seem pricey. Also would u recommend putting a gel coat over the new fiberglass after i applied and sanded it? o ya the gel coat i thought was the yellow color on the hull.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

Having looked at all the pics and the overall condition of this canoe/boat I'm going to have to say that the amount of time, effort and materials you will have to commit to this project may be more than it's worth. Unless you REALLY like this style of craft and don't think you could find one in better shape for $500 - $750 then I'd stop and take pause. I really think you'll have that much money in materials invested before you're done. Not counting 40-50 hours. I'm ALL about projects but this one....Hmmm I'm just wonderin????

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

thank you very much sir i will probably be coming back for more advice...where would be the best/cheapest place to find fiberglass mats like that i was thing jamestown distributors but they seem pricey.

Try your local repair shops .. you only need scrap stuff and not yards and yards of materials. I have boxes of scrap that I personally would sell some for cheap.

Also would u recommend putting a gel coat over the new fiberglass after i applied and sanded it? o ya the gel coat i thought was the yellow color on the hull.

Absolutely ! .. I like to brush some gel over raw lams when I get Very close to Fair. It helps in the fairing process and keeps the Bondo usage Down .. This is basically your Primer Coat with gel before you think about topcoating it with your matched Gel or Primer/Paint.

YD.

 

[River_Rat15]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

i dont mind the manpower and i have all the tools i need for the job just need materials and considering the canoe cost me $20 bucks and it holds water is incentive enough for me to play with it see what i can do because all in all its in not that bad of shape. Would you recommend any particular epoxy resin brand that is particularily good for the money. I was looking at west system with the push pumps

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

U.S. Composites, Inc. - Fiberglass , Epoxy , Composites, Carbon Fiber
635 3:1 Epoxy.
7.5oz E Glass Cloth
You'll need to grind it all down to fresh glass before applying new.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

Why not use poly resin ? Its cheaper and quicker IMHO.

YD.

 

[River_Rat15]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

Why not use poly resin ? Its cheaper and quicker IMHO.

YD.

I wanna really tough rail along the edge (gunwhales) and i believe the epoxy resin will be nice and strong. Does anybody have any suggestions on how i would build up/ reinforce the side railings (gunwhales) of the canoe because as you can see in the pics the edge is like a sloping plane instead of a standard plastic or aluminum raile piece that is riveted in. Does anyone know what i am talking about? I am eventually looking to customize it with rod holders..ANY IDEAS?

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

Poly resin with a couple layers of biax and/or CSM is plenty strong...and like the Doc said, much less costly...I just finished adding just one additional layer to the entire inside of the hull on my bass boat, and it stiffened it up to the point that what used to flex easily, doesn't anymore and can support my fat carcass on any spot I want to load up...just my 1/2? worth...

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 17ft fiberglass canoe rail fix

If you go with the epoxy, you will not be able to use Gelcoat. It will not adhere to the epoxy. The boat is Made from Poly and Poly Is plenty strong. You will need to grind the repair areas back approx 6" and feather towards the damage so you create a valley. you then use progressively larger pieces of Mat and cloth patchs to fill in the valley until you reach the original thickness of the side wall. Kinda like this bad drawing... You then use sand and fair to acheive the final surface and either paint or gelcoat.