kevlar skidplate kits from mad river.. more expensive now?

[parasight]

did these go up in price? I remembered them being a lot more like $60 last year vs. this year's $100 at REI and a few other places..

should I be buying this as a kit anyhow? is it vastly more cost effective to buy the felts somewhere else and source resin? I'm up to my eyeballs in sanding supplies and latex gloves as it is

[ChrisKelly]

Do I really need skid plates?

Putting them on too early is IMHO a big mistake. (which I have made)
Chris Kelly

[ezwater]

I think johnrsweet.com has the felt and materials.

But maybe you should consider using multiple cloth layers instead of felt. That's what I do. I use S-glass mainly, because Kevlar is not the best fiber for exterior stress: ---low compression strength.

Kevlar felt skid plates have always been popular because of the ease of application. You just soak the felt in the resin and slap it on. Glass mat, the equivalent of felt, can't be handled in this way and does not work with epoxy. A multi-layer cloth patch can't be soaked and handled nearly as easily as felt.... the layers have to go on one by one.

But it doesn't take that long. Prepare the boat surface, cut 4 to 5 concentric s-glass layers on the bias, and lay them on, the biggest first, down to the smallest. Put some plastic wrap around the whole mess and pull it taught with stretchy bits of electical tape. It will sit so flat it may not need sanding. You can use some Kevlar cloth layers if you want, but I don't know any rationale for Kevlar in this application.

Incidentally, could one use hybrid fibers for this? Kevlar/graphite is available, but I don't think it will be better than S-glass. The reason Kevlar and carbon can be interwoven is that neither needs a coating to bond with epoxy. Sweet has a carbon/S-glass weave, but that isn't rational for most uses. It works because the bonding "finish" necessary for the S-glass does not hurt the bonding of the carbon.

[Craig Smerda]

No... you don't need them.

1st... try NOT to hit rocks.
2nd.. they add unecessary weight to the boats bow and stern.

The less swing weight you have in the ends... the better i.m.o.

[sbroam]

Another vote against kevlar grunch pads. Don't apply them then if/when you damage the royalex, repair with ABS.

[parasight]

cool.. I'll just steer away from the rocks and save myself a few bones for other gear.

the canoe had some pretty deep scuffs (through the color layer, anyhow) in the bow.. was thinking that was a good way to fix/reinforce it- what would be the best way to repair it?

I can snap a couple pics of it tonight when I get home..

**edit: I guess I should mention its a royalex dagger dimension..

[sbroam]

Search this forum for "abs putty" and "paint" - paint isn't just cosmetic, it keeps the underlying ABS from getting brittle due to UV exposure.

[parasight]

Search this forum for "abs putty" and "paint" - paint isn't just cosmetic, it keeps the underlying ABS from getting brittle due to UV exposure.

thanks.. I'll check it out

[c1swim]

I agree; forget the skid plates. Small cuts, gouges, scrapes, ect.; can be best repaired with JB Weld. It's a 2-part epoxy found at most auto parts stores. It works quite well. Just mix it up and fill the wound. Use a putty knife or plastic trowel; just like spackling a wall. If you do it well enough, no sanding required. I've never even bothered to paint any of mine. Lasts forever. Hope this helps.

[jennifer]

We got your Kevlar felt 4580-40", West system epoxy, pumps and more if you decide to do skid plates.
Check out the link to more on this on our Kevlar page here
http://www.sweetcomposites.com/Kevlar.html
We also carry other repair materials, fiberglass, seam tapes, tools, knee pad neoprene, minicel, etc. for your outfitting needs.

[weeMac]

JB Weld - cool. Has anyone tried melting ski P-tex into the gouges?

Weemac

[msims]

I thought of doing that (ptex)... but melting it is just too time-consuming.. drip-drip-drip. When you have the entire hull of a canoe to do, it's much easier to use the abs putty: mix abs pipe (get grey if you can find it, but NOT PVC!)... and acetone.. cover, let stand for a day or two. More acetone for thinner goop. Paint on. Don't fiddle with it once you paint it on, similar to silicon beads. You'll just mess it up.

Sure, as you're driving out of suburbia, all the soccer moms, and home-depot dads will think you have the ugliest canoe...they may even vote you off the neighbourhood wellness committee.. but when you get to the river, all your cboat/openboat friends will be all down with it. And that's what matters.

Oh, and the acetone/putty mix is uber-cheap! You can also be creative. Here's me stylin my abs/acetone racing stripes.


________
Essential vaaapp

[weeMac]

Nice shot! I bet YOU are still on the neighborhood wellness committee.

Weemac

[sdbrassfield]

Be careful with the abs pipe and acetone mixture. It may be OK for filling a gouge or two, but I have seen boats delaminate and turn to mush on the bottom after it was applied in large areas.

The abs/plastic putty works great. I have seen a glazing putty in the tube for auto body work do a fine job filling gouges and scratches to protect the foam layers from UV damage and water intrusion...And you can find it in a few different colors also...

[the great gonzo]

Nice shot! I bet YOU are still on the neighborhood wellness committee.

Weemac

Nah, msims has been banished from Toronto because of his boat and has to live in Ottawa now... ...!

martin a.k.a. the great gonzo!