A short while back a small canoe/kayak shop showed me some plastic pre cut pieces that you heat up in your oven then press-form fit to your hull to create a keel-wear strip. Once it has been heated and pressed to conform to your hull and cooled, then one bonds them on. I don’t remember the name of this product or remember what adhesive one uses to bond it to the hull. I’m guessing it is some sort of PVC plastic and any of a number of good adhesives would work.
Has anybody used this product, know its’ name or have anymore info to add or review of it?
We used to heat Kydex sheet (a strong
vinyl) and press them onto Royalex boats to form them. Then we applied them with epoxy as skid plates. They were about as good (or bad) as Kevlar felt skid plates.
You don’t specify a boat material. Poly boats are somewhat of a challenge because most adhesives don’t stick that well to them. But for a wear strip some adhesives might suffice, the new West G-flex epoxy being one.
It kinda saddens me to hear of wear so severe that such strips are needed. I glassed on some keel stripping to a 13’ FG solo canoe I once had, but the excess wear was due both to the marked V-bottom design and to the fact that the boat was small for my weight.
Sea Kayaks
I’ve done keel strips on two kayaks before with glass tape, but looking at all my options for doing another one. Ends are a little fine and prone to showing it when dragged, or impacting rocky shorelines. It is another glass hull.
Kydex is tough stuff
KYDEX sheet is a relatively hard thermoplastic with a hardness of 90 on the Rockwell R scale. It has excellent abrasion resistance and it is easily formed by heating. Good stuff.
http://www.polymerplastics.com/formingrade_kydex.shtml
tide, how do you stick Kydex to boat?
Fiberglass bnoat and plastic boat.
Thanks
FG yes plastic??
– Last Updated: Jun-08-09 12:28 PM EST –
For FG the West G-flex epoxy is good. Plastic, above my pay grade. Maybe one of our fellow pod mates might chine in here. I would like to know too! Plastic boats can be tricky. And most stuff is incredibly toxic I mean way! So whatever you end up with get a spot well ventilated and use real mask!
West says it will work with plastic kayaks, but I would like to hear from someone who has used it and feels good results happened.
http://westsystem.com/ss/assets/Uploads/WEST-SYSTEM-launches-G-Flex-Epoxy.pdf
Here is a video that shows it even capable of underwater repair, pretty amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l4ZB9UyrDw