This boat has been paddled 16 times in 10 months. I am waiting to see if Confluence will make good on the warranty. If not you will hear the full story here late.
In the meantime, I need avice on the best glue to seal up the crack. It is in the stern right in the middle of the hull, about 10-12 inches long and running lengthwise with the hull. It is all the way through. My plan, if they refuse to replace the boat, is to seal it up with some real strong waterproof glue and then glue ABS plastic over the damaged area inside and out. This repar has worked well in the past when I have used Gorrilla Glue, but does anyone have any better suggestions? I was thinking Aquaseal might be good too. It won't have to provide much structural strength with the ABS patches. Obviously I need a glue that will work well with all layers of the Royalex, including the foam core, since the crack goes all the way through the hull.
Search on "g flex" in this forum - that is the new West Systems epoxy. There was a post with a link to a document where a badly cracked Royalex canoe (MR Freedom) was repaired with that material and it sounded like it worked great.
I've had good luck with your planned approach, too, though - though not for cracks. I've repaired worn down and delaminated royalex with injected Gorilla Glue, ABS sheet, and ABS cement.
you could also look into 3M 3532, its a 2 part adhesive that is sandable and paintable. you could seal the crack with that then put a standard kevlar felt skid plate on to protect and seal it more so.
Good luck dealing with Confluence, the not little company that doesn't care about paddling or paddlers (just my opinion)
B
I would not use Kevlar felt skid plate for repair because it is not very strong. I would first get the hull very dry, and then fill the crack with West epoxy with fibers added. Then I would remove the vinyl from around the crack for about 4 inches on each side of the crack, inside and out. This can be done easily without sanding using a sharp chisel held at a low angle and pushed with the cutting edge at an angle to the angle of push. Goes very easily.
Then I would lay up a three layer patch outside using S-glass or E-glass, cut on the bias so twice the fibers cross the crack. The largest patch goes on first, just big enough to reach, or overlap slightly, the vinyl. Then the next smaller patch goes on, and finally the smallest. Add a fourth if you want to, but glass is heavy.
Then you repeat the process on the inside of the boat, using three layers of Kevlar. Kevlar is better inside because stress tends to stretch the cloth, and Kevlar withstands stretch very well. Glass is used outside because it wears smooth and has high compression strength.
Probably the blows that caused the crack were compressing the outside but stretching the inside. But if not sure, you can use part Kevlar for the outside. I suggest Kevlar for only the largest base layer. You might cut cost by using part glass inside, but if the inside patch cracks, you will have glass fibers and shards.
It is not necessary to remove the vinyl, but the vinyl is not as strong as the underlying ABS, and when I was chiseling the vinyl off my Synergy, it was clear that the vinyl-to-ABS bond was somewhat weaker than the bond of either material to itself. Epoxy seems to bond to ABS very well.
This may sound a little strange but have you ever put your finger into the glue in one of them glue-mouse-traps? Now that's some sticky stuff. I think there's potential here for a new boat ADHESIVE. I'll let you know what I find out.
JKaz
(( would like to drop it off something to really stress test it, however a year with most beginners should tell))
Also
kaz wrote:This may sound a little strange but have you ever put your finger into the glue in one of them glue-mouse-traps? Now that's some sticky stuff. I think there's potential here for a new boat ADHESIVE. I'll let you know what I find out.
JKaz
along this same line, for emergency use I use to carry along some of that sticky-black-stuff used as windshield adhesive/sealant/gasket, it comes on a roll
Thanks John... really like that idea for watertight crack sealing - just slap on one of those paperbacked glue sheets - and as a plus they are self contained until opened, as are the ones for roaches... can hear it now - what's that in your drybag???
you tried any on foam??? can really see an immediate on the go use or two
Phil, I especially appreciate the PDF on G/Flex application to Royalex. Have you used that stuff?
Thanks Gary, for the detailed primer on S-glass repair. I will stick with ABS patches as I have had very good luck with them.
That is if Confluence won't warranty the boat. Bo from Sunrift has been great. He just came by to pick it up and is taking it down to South Carolina for them to look at. I will let you know what happens.
For patching cracks on the inside of a canoe I've had extremely good luck with gluing patches made from scrap raft material. The stuff is very strong and extremely flexible. Whenever I've used Kevlar or anything else I've developed cracks along the edges of the repair no mater how careful I was. If you can't find any raft scraps you might try pieces from an old dry bag. I haven't tried an old dry bag yet so I'm not sure how well it would work. I glue it with vynabond.
As far as the outside goes I would probably fill the crack with Gorilla glue and then use ABS paste over that. There may be better ideas then that though.
