Sheathing Repair less than desirable

Post questions & answers about; paddle selection, building and maintenance; paddling techniques; boat transportation, storage & maintenance.
Post Reply
User avatar
HighPlainsDrifter
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 9:30 pm
Location: Brookings, SD USA

Sheathing Repair less than desirable

Post by HighPlainsDrifter »

I have been doing some maintenance on my Ranger. Last year's paddling left some nasty scratches in the hull. I followed Ted's book on doing the repair to the sheathing (Page 183, a gouge into the resin, down to the glass, but not into the wood).

I sanded and feathered as the book says and used a piece of 4 oz cloth (rather than the 6 oz used in construction) to fill the wound. The prep job looked stellar. I wetted things out with resin and used the waxed paper trick as Ted described. This is a nifty trick and the patch turned out level with the hull.

The patched area was then prepared for varnish. The end result of all this was a nice smooth hull, but the damaged 6oz cloth still shows. My repair is acceptable but far from invisible (as picture shows).

Where did I go wrong?
Attachments
Repaired, but not invisible, rock gouge
Repaired, but not invisible, rock gouge
sedges
Posts: 325
Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2004 5:37 pm
Location: georgia

will never be invisible

Post by sedges »

unless you remove the bruised cloth. When the cloth gets bruised the fibers separate from the resin and re-wet out just never happens. If you sand off the bruised cloth you would be going down to the wood and can usually get a pretty clear patch. I use real course(50 grit) sand paper on a hard foam block to sand into the glass for a patch. It offers much more control over the removal than using a machine. Once you penetrate through to wood the difference in hardness between the soft cedar and hard epoxy/glass is huge. Care must be taken not to keep sanding off wood as you feather out the edges of the glass around the patch area.

I do that only if the glass is cut and could create a weakness in the hull. I use my canoes hard and expect scars and bruises, but I know other folks might desire that flawless look. My 28 year old hull was refinished and re-gunneled at 25 and it looks amazing above the waterline. Turn it over and you can see all the patches and scars, but it is sound as new.
User avatar
HighPlainsDrifter
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 9:30 pm
Location: Brookings, SD USA

Re: Sheathing Repair less than desirable

Post by HighPlainsDrifter »

Thank you for your thoughts on my repair job. Your interpretation confirms my thoughts. I also use my canoe and I do not expect her to stay "flawless". The deep raw gouge bothered me and I do feel better having the wound dressed (even if it still shows).
Post Reply