Hot wax canvas leak stopper

[Robin]

Nice picture.

 

[Mihun09]

For in the field repairs, ambroid cement and some small pieces of canvas. Cut a patch large enough to cover the rip/tear, glue it in behind the canvas skin, not to the planking, just to the original canvas skin, might need to open up the original tear a bit to get the patch piece behind it, then add more glue and try to get the tear flat on the new piece behind. Of course, the canvas needs to be dry and that can take awhile. Duct tape is always in the repair kit.

Filler is put on the canvas to fill the weave after stretching new canvas. I make my own, enamel paint, boiled linseed oil, silica flour, japan drier. Cures in 4-6 weeks. I use the Ambroid cement when wrapping the stems with new canvas to help give a watertight seal and assist the canvas to lay flat on top of itself. I have 3 more to canvas soon, starting to get the hang of it.

 

[Cronje]

Do you mind sharing the ratio of paint to linseed oil, and could you substitute white lead for silica? Thanks, Cronje

 

[Mihun09]

You can use white lead but the silica flour was introduced to avoid the toxic lead, mind you, silica isn't exactly non-toxic itself. I got a 50lb bag of 400 grit silica flour from a pottery supply store, which is enough for about 8 boats, I was unable to get the 300 grit in the recipe and nobody carries Japan Drier anymore, at least not the big box stores, they tell me to go to smaller suppliers but even they don't seem to carry it.

I got my filler recipe from the WCHA site in one of the forums.

Reprinted from Wooden Canoe #16 (no lead)
o 43 ounces boiled linseed oil
o 21 ounces mineral spirits
o 34 ounces enamel paint
o 2 ounces Japan drier
o 6 1/4 pounds 300 grit silica
o 2 ounces spar varnish