Help with hull cracks

[Guest]

So here is the epoxy work. Using an artist palette knife I worked the epoxy into the opened up areas and the put tape over everything. The tape keeps the epoxy from running off and can even force it into the cracks some.


Tomorrow the results.

Jim, I’ll be interested to see results after the tape reveal. Is that some kind of tape that releases from the epoxy?

In any case you will have some sanding, but since you will be painting the hull any oversanding into the adjacent gel coat won’t matter as long as cracks and surrounding area are smooth and flush.

An aside. Kudos to Canoe Tripping for supporting photos, and for the DIY and Paddlecraft Construction fora. The sharing of skills and knowledge, experimental successes and eff-ups from master builders to shade tree canoe tinkerers is unrivaled anywhere on the web.

 

[Boatman53]

Hi Mike and others, yes this thread would not be as useful without photos.
To start off it was a sad day for me today, a dear friend passed away last Friday and the service was today. Her name was Elizabeth Chee Chee Thunder Bird Haile an elder of the Shinnecock Nation and a kinder person you would have trouble finding. I just had to share that. I'm sure if one searched they could find out how special she was.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program.
Using tape to hold epoxy in place is not new to me I've used it many times. The tape is not special per say but it happens to be tape that gives a clean edge. My preference is clear packing tape but I ran out. Plane blue tape would be fine. The tape flattens the epoxy, helps prevent bubbles and there is no amine blush. So here are some photos of the freshly pulled tape.

Because the tape leaves a matte surface if you rub the area with a dusty rag it really highlights the epoxy.

Then with a carefully sharpened scraper the epoxy is trimmed down flush with the gel coat. The sharp blade literally skates along the gel coat but cuts the epoxy easily pulling off shavings instead of sanding dust.

You end up with this in short order, ready for just a little sanding to smooth things out.

And just for fun a wipe with a little water to see if anything shows shows like cracks or unfairness. The photo doesn't do it justice.

That's it for today, I found a couple more spots that I missed so I'll be hitting them tomorrow.
Jim

 

[Muskrat]

Sorry about your friend. I just used some packing tape for a similar job today, would have saved me some time searching the house for it, but I was sure after your previous post that the masking tape wouldn't come off clean. Good to know. That will make my life a little easier in the future.

 

[Jim Dodd]

I prefer scraping to sanding Fresh epoxy, for that matter, cured epoxy.

Speaking of tape, I spent some time trying to remove clear packing tape residue from a canoe.

First, Denatured Aocohol not to good. Paint thinner. Not good. Acetone, not good. Finally xyelol (spelling) finally worked. I was sanding a hull getting ready for varnish. What a pain !
I'm satisfied I've got it off.

It was cheap packing tape. Lesson learned.

Jim

 

[Boatman53]

Jim, how long was the tape on? Overnight shouldn't leave any residue, at least it hasn't for me.
Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

Jim, how long was the tape on? Overnight shouldn't leave any residue, at least it hasn't for me.
Jim

Maybe two days, not any longer. I should check brand, I bought a package of maybe six rolls. I'll stick with masking tape . Used the tape on the hull just below the gunnels to catch excess goo, when gluing the outwhale on.

Jim

 

[Muskrat]

I peeled my packing tape off no problem last night and it left a perfectly smooth epoxy finish underneath with no residue. I'll check the brand as well when I get home.

 

[Boatman53]

I assembled the inwales for the white hull canoe today. Anybody else assemble them first and them install in the boat after.

Also got after the missed spots on the green hull. Used the plain blue tape.

Jim, I'll do a thread on the scarf jig I mentioned on the other thread. But it will take a couple weeks, I've got to finish the white canoe and a couple other projects first.
Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

Thanks Jim I'm patient !

If you have the old ones for a pattern, assembling off the canoe is fine, but most of mine are new builds, and require close fitting.

Enjoying your rebuilds !

Jim

 

[Muskrat]

For some reason I didn't picture Long Island to have open farm fields.

 

[ppine]

How old is the sun damaged green boat? Sometimes the old boats fall apart. I had a Sawyer from 1978 that was an early Kevlar boat and it was no good structurally by about 2002.

 

[Boatman53]

Working backwards, the canoe is from 1992, the hull is sound just really sun faded.
Out here on the east end there are a lot of farm fields but we lose more and more every year to McMansions that are only occupied on occasional weekends. Really sad. Main crops are corn and potatoes. I am really lucky with my shop space. I can make all the noise I want and the crop has never complained. Gleaning the field after they harvest gets us really fresh potatoes.
Actually Long Island is famous for potatoes.
When I'm doing gunnels I always leave space at the ends so water can drain out when the boat is turned over. Wood and canvas I do traditionally.
Jim

 

[latremorej]

For some reason I didn't picture Long Island to have open farm fields.

Lol. I grew up in northern NY and when I joined the military, who ever I talked to from outside NY just seemed to assume if you're from NY, that you must mean New York City! Hard to explain to a person from the Ozarks or anywhere else for that matter, that even today there are no street lights or cable TV on my dad's road. Heck, it was 20 something before we even switched the address to a "911 address"

Great thread, I am always learning from you guys!

Jason