C-Forum

There is a Rampage for sale on this board and I am in need of a new OC-2. My trusty old MRC Explorer, same vintage as the Rampage, has lots of memories.

Is this feasible? The Blast is 6" shorter, the Vertige is 6" longer. Other tandem boats look to be about the same length.

How do you remove the current outfitting?

What is the current outfitting?

Currently outfitted for 1 man.

How do you remove outfitting, anchors, pedestal, etc?

It has been done. If I remember correctly, NZMatt has one. But I think it's only good for a very light weight team.

TGG!

Heat gun and MEK

We would be a lighter team.

If there's any chance you want to use the pedestal again, then maybe you can find a flexible cheap machete, or a bowsaw blade, and cut in carefully from front, back, and sides until it comes loose. Then the residue can be scraped and sanded off the vinyl.

Remember that if you cut or sand holes in the vinyl, the ABS underneath is much more vulnerable to the solvent in Vynabond. Don't use Vynabond in places where you think the vinyl may be compromised, and make sure each d-ring patch and corresponding spot on the hull bottom are dried to a film before pressing together. I am now using 3M Scotch Weld or West G-flex for D-rings, rather than Vynabond. Takes longer, but no solvent risk.

The Rampage has a relatively low rocker, so as long as your two pedestals aren't set too far apart, I think you'll be OK using the boat tandem. It's really a huge hull for solo, and I say that as a new owner-paddler of a Millbrook Big Boy.

Louie wrote:Heat gun and MEK

What is MEK?

MEK stand for Methyl Ethyl Kytone. It's getting harder to find but you should still be able to find it at Home Depot or Lowes. I try not to use it much anymore because it disolves the vinyl while you try to remove contact cement. I now remove the old contact cement by just rolling it with my fingers. It's a lot of work but at least it saves me from melting the vinyl. You can also use acetone. Acetone evaporates faster but it's not as nasty as MEK.

I use a putty knife or spatula type tool to remove the minicel - some times I'm lucky and more of the glue goes with the minicell than stays on the vinyl. Aside from cosmetics, getting the glue up is not critical except where you plan to glue a d-ring (contact cement and minicell can glue down fine over old glue).

Don't know about MEK, but acetone should be used with caution on Royalex. If used very sparingly, and never on areas where the vinyl skin is "leaky," it's OK. But if you sop it on and leave it to soak, it will go right through the vinyl, soften and degrade the ABS, go on through the foam, and then soften the outside ABS layer as well.

I say this from experience, because I left a can of acetone in my MR Synergy after doing some work. The can tipped over, leaked, and when I came back some days later, there was a roughly 2x2" spot where the vinyl was all puffed up and bubbly. When I pricked the vinyl to let the acetone get out, I found that the inner ABS layer was lumpy and dissolved.

Later on, I found a soft spot in the outer ABS, opposite the inner mess.

With time, the outside and inside have hardened. But I plan to excavate the inside at least, and then put in a Kevlar/carbon patch. Of course I'll patch the outside if needed.

The obvious lesson: DO NOT LET SOLVENTS "SIT" ON ROYALEX.
Not unless you absolutely KNOW the solvent does not soften ABS.

As has been said, putty knives, paint scrapers, heat guns, acetone and MEK can all be usedl with caution. As long as you don't leave acetone or MEK pooled in your canoe you are probably OK. If you use either and rub hard you will take off the grey inner layer of your Royalex. Acetone evaporates a bit more quickly than MEK. After using either to remove foam or glue residue, I clean the hull out with soap and water. I have never visibly damaged the Royalex material itself.

Be careful with the heat gun. You can melt the inner foam core of the Royalex with too much heat. For D ring patches, if you carefully warm the patch (sometimes just leaving the boat out in the sun will work) you can usually get the edge of the patch up with a putty knife. Grab the edge with a plier, and continue to warm the patch as you pull the edge back at an acute angle to surface of the patch. Watch closely to make sure the inner layer of Royalex is not separating with the patch.

For foam, use a paint scraper to get underneath. Plan to leave a little foam on the boat. It is easy to accidentally get under the gray liner with the knife if you aren't careful. You can usually get the foam residue and glue residue off using a mild abrasive pad moistened with MEK or acetone.

Use the solvents in open air and use a respirator or practice your breath-holding technique. MEK in particular, rots your liver, as well as your brain. Unless you take appropriate precautions, you could wind up like a lot of the guys who frequent this forum.

i know a guy, who worked with dagger back when, tell me mineral spirits will disolve weldwood to remove foam with no harm to the hull. this i say on hearsay, but the guy did work with dagger canoe. anyone else please chime in, i'd hate to tell anyone wrong.

I can second the use of mineral spirits. It is a lot less caustic then the other solvents mentioned earlier and I would imagine a lot safer both to the user and the ABS. I just used it to clean up some old outfitting I removed. It softened up the minicell remnants significantly and helped when removing what I assume was contact cement. I used it very sparingly and rinsed the boat repeatedly after I was finished. I imagine that like any other solvent, if used in large enough quantities and left long enough, it would soften Royalex in the same way.

Any of the outfitting installed with common contact cement will (with time) lose its grip by simply soaking it in water. If you have a swimming pool just sink the boat and forget about it. If not, try supporting the bottom of the boat with sand or some other form fitting material and add water until it covers the area needed. Don't listen to the naysayers...it will work;you just have to be patient.

Vince