C-Forum

I am installing skid plates on several different canoes, and I would like to make sure that the kevlar felt (from Sweet Composites) is thoroughly wetted-out, without have to waste a whole lot of epoxy and/or make the skid plate a lot heavier than necessary. Any thoughts on a squeegee or roller or something to work the epoxy into the felt? I'd prefer that it be something I can clean and reuse rather than something disposable.

Thanks,
Shep

plastic bondo spreaders like these...


...at any auto parts or paint store for about a buck

you can clean them, or if your lazy like me, just let the epoxy set up on it. after it's cured it pops off when you flex it.

Though I like the spreaders (and have lots... from Sweets and other places), for what you are doing I'd be sure to have a roller handy as well (order from Sweet Composites - they have rollers that are compatible with epoxy...) I have both small and large (width) rollers, and they are GREAT!

for small jobs with corners I like using the plastic lid from coffee cans. I cut it similar to the bondo spreader and find its flexibility works well.

I haven't done skid plates, but for repairs I've had great results from milk jugs. You can cut them to whatever size you want & they'll conform to the curve of the end of a canoe.

Maybe you can use a wood dowel to roller the Kevlar flat. This would allow greater pressure to be exerted, thereby allowing better contact, and removal of excess resin. One possible method for wetting out might be... to go with a disposable brush (or piece of cardboard, or sliver of scrap minicell), and wet each pad out initially on a piece of plastic, and then transfer to each stem. The excess resin leftover from the previous Kevlar - could then be used to wet out the next, and so on. After rolling that excess resin from each skid-pad, could also be scraped off an onto the wetting out plastic piece for further use... this would allow minimal excess to be wiped clean, with a paper towel for esthetics's. And then finish with a piece of moderately-thin plastic layered over the patch, to hand smooth out the nap, and create a tapered finish with the remaining pressed out epoxy.

maybe

What I did last fall the last time I was doing skid plates was similar to what philcanoe has suggested. I have lots of brushes left over, but the felt is pretty dense, and the brush doesn't do a very good job of pushing the epoxy into the felt. The other problem is that the working time of the epoxy can be as short as 45 minutes if it is mixed up in a batch of a cup or more. (I am using standard West Systems) Sometimes it is easy to do two skid plates in that time, but sometimes I have to rush to get the second one situated properly on the hull.

I am definitely going to try picking up some of the filler scrapers that Larry suggested. I need to pick up some mixing buckets anyway.

Thanks!
Shep

I haven't worked with kevlar felt, so this may not work (it may fall apart, again, I've never worked with the stuff so I don't know it's properties), BUT, for taping seams I found it works GREAT if you mix up your resin / epoxy in a decent size bucket (1 gallon cardboard, old milk jug, etc...) then shove the seam tape (or felt strip?) in it. Slosh it around good. Get it soaked. Then grab an end, and as you pull it out with one hand squeegee it with the other (two fingers (less resin), or palm and fingers (more resin left). I found this works very, very well with seam tape.

If you try it for your skid pads let us know how it goes!

If working the epoxy into the felt is the problem, i'd say get a grooved roller and go to town on it. http://www.sweetcomposites.com/Tools.html#Roll

Position the dry piece on the hull.

Mask at least 6" of the hull to surround the outside of the felt.

Wet the felt out in place or on a work table.

Position it on the hull.

Stretch some Handi -(or Saran) Wrap over the felt, extending it past at least 8". Use masking tape on the edges to maintain the tension.

Use a roller to squeeze excess resin out of the felt, being careful not to tear the 'wrap.

Clean the excess resin off before it drips all over the hull.

Why so much resin at one time.... are you using pump cans?

• A couple tips:
• With thermosetting resins - the greater the quantity mixed at one time, the faster it will kick.
• Generally the thinner mixed resin is kept, the slower it will go off.
• Second what Larry said. To clean and reuse harden onto plastic squeegee's, bend to break free and scrape-n-peel off. Like said = this works pretty good.
• Edges on plastic squeegee's can be sanded back flat or rounded, once nicked and well used. It's especially helpful to simply lay sandpaper on something flat (piece of glass - is great - also works for chisels/tools), and drag plastic to sand. Higher the grit count, the better.
• Pumps cans pay for themselves in the long run, as you can mix several smaller patches as you go, and not end up with excess or having it harden in the pot.

One idea to wet out that thick Kevlar Felt, is to paint it with brush on a piece of plastic - cover with another piece of plastic, and press epoxy into felt... repeat until content, then apply.

Hmmm, All great suggestions. Why so much at one time? Well, the skid plates I was doing were ~40" long, 3-4" at the narrow end, ~8" at the wide end. I found it took at LEAST a cup to wet-out, but I like the suggestions about saran wrap! I have a 4" hard rubber ink roller that I got for doing veneer a few years ago, so I will probably try that with either wax or saran paper. And yes, when I bought the gallon resin kit from Sweet I got the pump dispensers at the same time.

Per Bob P.'s suggestion, I have been masking the hull, but generally only about 2"... I'll get some more painters tape and do bigger sections to give me more room to work.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Shep

I just did a bunch of these. I found the plastic squeegee was a little to hard for the job. I used old pieces of minicell I had around from outfitting. (With your skinny legs you may have less of these little foam cut outs than I do.) I found it was using something like a cup of resin per skid plate. I am not sure about the felt you have, but mine had a smoother side and this was much better to have up. I found that prewetting the boat then placing the dry felt on and wetting that worked well. I only left about 1/8 to 1/4 inch of room around them. It worked really well, and made it look clean. Pull the plastic as quick as five or ten minutes after finishing applying the resin.

I just hogged out a bit of the saddle in the Taureau for a pump, so I've recently made more bits of minicell. Thanks for the suggestion! Did you use some painters tape or something to mask around the skid plate? Did you use West Systems 105/205?

Thanks,
Shep

Painters tape and bagliners around the plate. I left the inward end open. This gave extra room to spread the skid plate and not much worry of the epoxy running up. I was using oldtown kits, not sure the brand of epoxy they use.