C-Forum

there is lots of info about regarding glueing saddles in place, but how do you take one out without damaging it? I want to re use it.

You won't get a perfect job, but I use a sharpened putty knife. Work gradually, from the perimeter in.

Seems like a little bit of heat from a heat gun helps too. JUST A LITTLE BIT.

Cut it out, sand it smooth, glue a thin piece of foam to the bottom. Voila, a new saddle.

Round edges of the putty knife to avoid slicing into the plastic.

A hack saw blade will work, too. Use a bare blade flush to the hull surface. Bend the ends to facilitate the sawing motion. Tape (or use pliers) to hold the blade in position while working.

Nothing sticks to a poly or ABS hull very well, so use very little heat (if any) during removal. You really want to cut the seat out, so focus on getting the cut line square and level. You can always add material by gluing a strip "patch" of minicell to the bottom of the removed saddle will cure any missing or damaged areas.

Compared to the problems created by gouging into the hull material with a sharp removal tool (or melting the plastic), leaving a little saddle attached to the boat is no big deal. It is simply "mini-scule" by comparison.

Steel leader, wound around two "t-grips" works great... work slowly with sawing motion & keep slight leverage under the edge of the saddle as you free it, no worries of damaging your boat.

Use caution, and/or gloves, to prevent filleting a finger

JD

I've found that with patience, a dull (or plastic) putty knife , and persistent, but gentle, nudging/pulling/tugging on the minicell I can remove a saddle or other outfitting leaving behind little more than the skin of contact cement and not damaging the hull at all. A warm day or a hair dryer helps. I've even used a butter knife in lieu of a putty knife. Impatiently knocking the saddle out is apt to leave a little more minicell behind, but you might be surprised at how little more.

I don't think I've ever resorted to cutting outfitting out. I'm nervous taking anything too sharp too near the hull for fear of damaging it. I do enough harm on the outside bashing into rocks!

Sbroam, your points are well taken.

I suppose that if some one needs to ask about how best to remove a minicell saddle, then using the dull or plastic putty knife as the removal tool is a very good idea, indeed.

Using cutting tools around ABS or polyethylene are an easy way to a lot of headaches for an inexperienced boater just starting out with outfitting (de-outfitting) C-boats.

Moreover, for those of us that are really getting too old for this stuff, the "duller" methods of removal might be good thinking, too!

Sorry - I haven't had a plastic boat in almost twenty years. Kevlar is much more resistant to cutting than thermoplastics...

Touché, Bob!

All this elaborate outfitting with belting/strapping/foaming/inserting/bolting/piping in an ABS or poly boat seems counter-intuitive, if not counter-productive to me. Kevlar composites are state-of-the-art for C-boating pleasure. Always have been!

But then, I don't know a tricky-wu from a sticky wicket, either.

The irony is that I was probably one of the first to convert a plastic kayak into a C!: A Perception Dancer, back around 1982. I built an aluminum frame between the front and rear edges of the cockpit to stabilize the foam seat and act as an anchor for the center thigh strap connection. I only used it for a year, until I bought the new Gyromax, but it still was a pretty good boat.

Anonymous wrote:Touché, Bob!

All this elaborate outfitting with belting/strapping/foaming/inserting/bolting/piping in an ABS or poly boat seems counter-intuitive, if not counter-productive to me. Kevlar composites are state-of-the-art for C-boating pleasure. Always have been!

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Am I missing something?

Not so much to be missed here. The point is that composite C-1s are easier (and less elaborate) to outfit than plastic k-1 conversions or ABS open boats.

Maybe putting all that stuff inside a boat is worth the fun that can be gotten out of using it like it was a 25 lb. composite C-1. I would not know since I prefer to paddle a composite boat in a manner well-suited for an old man (because that is what I have become.)

Cheers and SYOTR.