fixing a hull

I was watching tv today and i seen the guy that advertised all of the orange cleaning products showing a n epoxy glue that comes in putty form and you squish it togetherto ativate the epoxy.i was wondering if it would be worth it to keep a tube of it in the drybox incase of hull damage?

I have used a very similar product for
repair of small leaks in copper pipe. Once mixed by hand, the Mighty Putty is not very sticky… you would not have to wash residue off your fingers. It would work for repairs where its thick consistency is appropriate. I think you could stuff it into a small hole in the bottom of your kayak, and it would be better if you could get at the other side to “rivet” the substance over the hole.



Because Mighty Putty is not very flexible, it should be viewed as just a temporary hull repair. Flexing of the hull in ordinary use will either break the grip of the putty, or will cause stress to the composite layup at the edge of the patch. One might ask whether the putty is as effective as duct tape, or as quick to use.



There may be other kinds of repair where the epoxy putty might fill a gap where a screw or attachment needs to be re-attacned. For that it might be worth considering. You really never know how useful a product may be until you’ve improvised some repairs with it.

Billy Mays?
Wouldn’t duct tape work just as well for a quick repair? That putty sounds too good to be true. That guy with the slick dyed hair hawks plenty of junk. Save your money.

Gorilla Tape
I carry Gorilla tape I got from Sportsmans guide.It’s twice as strong as regular duct tape,and unlike the 100mph tape I tried ,it’s adhesive is very strong also.I have patched a fiberglass canoe and fixed a friends paddle,and my tarp with it.Wouldnt leave home without it!

Turtle

Look, if Billy Mays says the epoxy …

– Last Updated: Dec-31-07 10:48 AM EST –

..is good, then the epoxy is good. His word is bond.

Nine jugs of "Kaboom" later, and I can still say, Billy Mays would not steer you wrong.

http://unclegropey.com/images/billymays1.jpg

My sister knows Billy's half-sister's ex-husband, and even he thinks Billy is a righteous dude.

I mean, Billy Mays could sell Vitalis to the Alopecia Baldness Society.

Few know that Billy was the runner up to Drew Carey to host the New Price Is Right. Drew got the gig only because Billy, in the test pilot, chewed a contestant's butt up one side and down the other when they unintentionally touched the big showcase wheel before it had stopped spinning completely. Billy does have a hot fuse like that. And a mouth like a longshoreman, apparently. I read all about it in Star Magazine.

Look, if Billy says the epoxy will fix a kayak, then by God, it'll fix a kayak. I'd buy not one but two buckets full of it from him. With FedEx upgraded shipping, no less, just to show support for Billy. You go, Billy Mays. Even if you do have the same hair stylist as Wayne Newton and Harry Blackstone, the Magician.

Wave your magic wand, Billy, and make more orange juice cleaning products. Your fans await your next creation with open hearts and open wallets.

P.S. My tyke over here, a real fan of yours at only age five by the way, says you outta call the next product "Kablooey". Not a bad thought, frankly. You can usurp the name from us for a simple autographed photo that says "Thank you, Esteban, for the great product name. Hugs, Billy Mays", and a set of that automobile dent repair thingy that pulls dents out of cars with suction cups. Thanks, Billy.






gutter
gutter repair tape. foil backed, thick black adhesive. bomber.



save the epoxy for the real repair when you get home. save the duct tape for ducts.



gutter repair tape.

home depot or lowes.



steve

plumber’s epoxy putty
I did a repair on the bow of my wenonah sandpiper canoe using plumber’s epoxy putty. You activate it by rolling and kneading it until soft enough to work with. It can also be used under wet conditions, but needs some time to cure. I had lost the top layer of vinyl, and the underneath layer was cracked and soft. I smoothed the putty into the opening after removing any loose, cracked material. You have to work fast, you only have about 5 minutes working time before it is no longer malleable. I tried to get it as smooth and flat as possible to reduce any sanding necessary. It hardens like steel. It is a good repair and has had held up to some more rock bashing, although the repair has only been in place for 6 months, and most of my trips have been on flat water. It was easy, it was quick, it was cheap. I think it was somewhere between $3-5.

not really
I bought some ten years ago and threw it out two years ago.





You gotta first have some idea what the nature of the “hull damage” is before considering a material/device for repair.



Putty, even epoxy putty, isn’t sufficient to repair a composite hull that is made of fabric, core materials and resin matrix. Putty is a filling. If you have a hole you need to fill the hole with a similar material construction as the surrounding hull.



If the damage is fractured resin matrix then a thin layer of putty doesn’t address the weaknees in the damaged laminate.



I’d suggest some sticky, sticky duct tape, paper towels and alcohol wipes.



Any kind of repair restoring original strength will involve resin, cloth,sandpaper, a dry work place, time for resin to cure and conditions conducive to curing (heat,light,catalysts,etc).



It would be worthwhile to study stories of actual damage and situations where repairs were needed.



If I was to put together a repair kit for original strength repair it would be a Witz dry box (about the size of a cigarette box) with a few packets of West Systems Fast epoxy in a baggie with a teaspoon of cabosil(thickener), 18" of 3" glass tape(hmm, maybe that wouldn’t fit if it was 9oz tape, maybe a couple strips of 6oz cloth cut on the bias folded into plastic wrap) and 2"x2" piece of 80grit sandpaper. If a pair of gloves could fit in great, if not make sure the medicine kit has two pair otherwise you’ll have to use the plastic bags as gloves.



Can’t do this kind of repair using light cloth in high winds.

question

– Last Updated: Dec-31-07 11:22 AM EST –

does it come in strips or rolls?

Gorilla tape, duct tape won't work on cold, wet, textured surfaces. I've tried,,it's a waste of time if things aren't DRY. A little moisture before the tape goes on and off it comes.

rolls
and there’s a lot in a roll that sells for about $15. enough for years of repairs and multiple buddies supply as well.



yep duct tape doesn’t work very well compared with Gorilla or Gutter repair.



with either you still want to get 'er dry. i carry a couple paper towels and rub vigorously before application.



steve

gorilla tape
I was working on the deck of a sailboat and stupidly tried to start some work before it rained. I had drilled some holes in the deck with blue masking tape covering the holes in a painted deck with some light non-skid, I put some duct tape over and around the blue tape anticipating some rain. It started to rain and leaked under the blue tape so I frantically remove the blue/duct tape and dry, dry, dry it with paper towels while trying to keep ANY mist, drops, up deck water from getting on it BEFORE I got the tape on. The duct tape wouldn’t stay down consistantly so I pulled it up immediatley then used up a roll of paper rolling it over the area then applied the Gorilla tape. It held for 30min but I could tell it wouldn’t be for long so I had to temporarily fill up the holes with 5200 to seal the exposed plywood until I could come back and drill the mess out.



Later I pulled up the gorilla tape as I’d shot some 5200 underneath to hold in some backing blocks(the whole mess was for some new cleats and epoxy pours for the oversized bolt holes).



The thing was that the gorilla tape wasn’t attached very well either. This is on a flat deck with NO movement and only rain falling from above over a 45min time period. The non-skid wasn’t that rough, mostly it was the water just from the mist I can’t imagine it being a very good repair in a salty wet environment with a textured interior of a composite kayak or roughened exterior of a plastic kayak. Trying to get those surfaces perfectly dry in an ocean environment, rainy day, even on shore sounds dicey. Maybe if the Gorilla tape was more flexible but just as sticky but the adhesive really needs a very dry surface is the tape is going to stay on.

Actually, duct tape does not work well
on ducts. Foil-backed HVAC tape is the tape of choice!



But the roof/gutter repair tape is a great idea. I have watched roofers apply it in abominal conditions, with good results. And McMaster Carr Supply sells it in sized from 4" to 36" (should you have a major crack in your hull).



Jim


http://tinyurl.com/yu9zv4