alternatives to brass stem band ?

[Erik]

would it be as functional, and how would it look to add an extra layer of fibreglass and epoxy to the ends of the boat, just like skid plates on a kevelar boat? are there other techniques or alternatives to brass stem bands?

thanks!

[tom in caledonia]

Someone else in the forum (I think his name is also Tom) used rope coated in graphite and epoxy on each stem and used that to take the wear. I imagine you could just grind it off when too worn and replace it with fresh rope/epoxy/graphite.

[hoz as guest]

I cut several strips (2-3" wide) of 6 oz cloth on the bias. Then applied these to the stems before the sheathing F/G. The bias cut strips wrap around and over the stems easily.

BTW, kevlar felt can be cut in a narrow strip and used as a stem band also. It doesn't have to be as big as a skid plate to be effective.

[Erik]

i am sorry, biased strips? and this goes under the glass?

[Bernie in Illinois]

Anything you put out there will ultimately have to be replaced. The issue is when. Even if you leave your stem unprotected, it can later be resurfaced by laminating a new piece on top. Granted, it is tedious work. If you are that concerned about protection, then go to brass banding.

[Dell Littlefield]

Bias strips: Cut some strips at 45 degrees to the warp and weave of the cloth. It will then conform to the curve of the stems and lay flat

[Pete in the Deep South]

To Dell: Thanks for the smile pic.

To Erik: The bias strip can go on top. I made a repair to stems just recently, and it is not noticeable.

[Todd Bradshaw]

A single extra layer gives so litle protection from abrasion that it's hardly worth the trouble to install it. If you want to use fiberglass bias strips, you're better off using several layers, graduated to put the full thickness of the stack on the bottom (below waterline) portion of the stem. Even so, on a two week trip with rocky portage landings or shallow streams you can still wear through four or five layers - even if you're careful and make every attempt to load and unload the boat in the water.

Fiberglass just isn't a very good abrasion resistor. Just look at the damage you can do to it with your hand, a piece of coarse sandpaper and fairly light pressure. Now imagine running a fully loaded canoe at three or four knots up onto a big solid hunk of granite. There is some serious force there. The stem isn't going to flex away and much of that force is going to be transfered to the boat in the form of abrasion. Fiberglass doesn't stand a chance in those situations.

Brass stem bands will hold up better and are fairly easy to replace. Kevlar skid plate fabric is probably twenty times more abrasion resistant than fiberglass and several times better than brass. The chances that you would ever wear through it on a touring/tripping canoe are about the same as those of being hit by an asteroid. It's ugly and needs to be used sparingly and either painted over or installed or coated neatly with epoxy/graphite for U.V. protection, but it's unbelievably tough.

I have alwaysy glassed the stems, building up to four or five layers of 3"-4" wide, bias-cut strips at the stem bottoms. I install all the bias strips in one session - ASAP after the main hull glass gels and before the filler coats. Though they only provide marginal abrasion resistance, they strengthen the area around the stems on a portion of the hull which is too stiff to flex and fairly exposed and vulnerable.

Most boats get the vast majority of their stem abrasion in a fairly small area. A strip of Kevlar felt 3/8"-1/2" wide by four to eight inches long is usually all you need on the lower stem for a lifetime of wear-out protection. Sometimes I'll even use the boat for a while to see where that particular stem profile wears the most and then go in with small strips of Kevlar felt to cover the hotspots. After that, you can check it every year to see if it needs a new coat of paint or graphite, but you don't have to worry about wearing through it.

[Erik, Belgium]

I agree with Todd.
One remark though: look out not to sand into the kevlar, because it will not just sand off. It forms rollups like on worn woolen clothing. Which is al lot of work to smoothen out again.

Erik, Belgium.

[Tommy]

Click here for pics of my rope/epoxy skid plates. You can't see much under the black graphite. But note the picture on the right you can make out the shoulder of the stem. The rope skidplate is wearing but wearing exceptionally well.