Repair

[WMegl]

I think this damage was caused by moving the hull around on its cradle. I think its from impact on the end of one of the wooden cradle supports. It is under the surface. The surface is smooth. It simply looks like visible fiberglass cloth within the resin. This definitely occurred after the outside was sheathed and the epoxy cured.

Can this be repaired easily?

Thanks.

[Jim Dodd]

It looks to me that it is just a scuff mark. Did you sand, and then recoat ?
You could sand, and patch, SCRAPE smooth, and recoat.

Another issue that I could see in your pic, is stress in the cloth to the right. It's too late now, but that is likely caused from removing your forms before the resin cured completely, or once you removed the forms, the hull wasn't supported properly.

I like to give at least two weeks after glassing the outside, before I remove it from the forms, and then I leave the center form in place , and held there with a strap, while I sand the inside. Something to remember on your NEXT canoe !

Keep us posted if you decide to fix the scuff. You will be amazed at how well a patch can blend in!

Jim

[WMegl]

Jim: The damage mark is not a scuff mark. It's under the surface. Yes, I sanded it and recoated. Can I heat the area to soften the epoxy in the hope that it will resaturate the cloth? Or, do I need to sand down to the cloth and recoat?

The stress marks you mentioned are pretty much everywhere. I noticed them soon after the resin cured within about 48 hours. I left the boat on the forms for over a month while I was sanding the outside. Could there be another cause?

Thanks.

[Jim Dodd]

I'd go with SCRAPING that spot. For some reason, sanding deposits fine dust into small cavities, that shows upafter recoating. SCRAPING doesn't seem to in my experience.

As for the stressed cloth, I'm lost. I've had this with a few of my hulls, and blamed it on stress.

What cloth, and resin where you using ? Did you squeegee the cloth after the wet out coat ?
Temperatures while applying resin ?

I'm just trying to get a handle on what might be the cause!

Others might have some ideas !

Jim

[WMegl]

Jim: I will scrape the spot and recoat with resin, correct? Should I scrape until I get to the cloth? Since this mark is from an impact, is there a chance the cloth is pulled from the hull? If so, will scraping to the cloth allow resin to seep under it to reattach?

I used West System epoxy, 205/207. I'm in my basement workshop with controlled conditions. The furnace was running occasionally, and I opened a window and ran a fan for some cross ventilation. Temperature was around 70 deg. F and humidity was probably around 30%. Yes, I squeegeed the cloth after the wet out coat. Since this is my first build, I am pretty much following CC's and the Builders Forum instructions to the letter.

Thanks again for your help.

[WMegl]

And, I bought the cloth from Gougeon Brothers.

[Jim Dodd]

I would scrape well into the cloth, otherwise you might be back where you started.
I would cut a little patch, say about an inch bigger than the blemish. Wrap some saran wrap tightly over the wetted patch, on the hull, and that may get you by with just one coat.

Let cure for at least a few days, and feather with a scraper. Should be ready for varnish.

Everything sounds good ! Squeegeing could be the culprit, especially if the resin was starting to set when you were doing it.

Good Luck, and keep us posted !

Jim

[WMegl]

Jim: Thanks and I will.

Wayne