Hey all, I have a 93’ Penobscot 17 that I bought online a couple years ago. I lucked out on the price, especially since I had no idea it was made of royalex when I bought it. I have been thinking about skid plates for it and called old town to ask some questions,hence my question.
The guy at OT said that I could get a can of krypton fusion at a hardware store and touch up any spots where the exterior vinyl had wore through to the abs. I know skid plates are a more permanent solution, but I thought I’d ask anyway. Has anyone heard this? Tried it? I also told him that there was a very small puncture through the outer skin, and he said that they would sell me a repair kit, or I could use any two part epoxy that is safe for plastics. Does that seem right?
I appreciate any feedback.
He’s giving you good advice.
And Kevlar felt skid plates are a crude kind of solution, but many are satisfied customers. I would just paint the thing for the time being, while you work up to doing Kevlar skid plates.
Crude soluton or the solution
Your post makes me curious. My MR Explorer has the white showing through the paint in the bow and I was wondering what to do about it. You call the Kevlar skid plate a crude solution, but mention “working up” to it.
Do you really mean “as a last resort?”
there is a
thickened compound made for royalex gouges similar to a putty.
There are epoxy wood putties but these may be inferior to Gflex standards or Wenonah/Old Town standards.
Gflex and Glflex folk swear up and down that Gflex and Vinyl get along. So be it.
However there are vinyl adhesives for vinyl and those of us not at the Gflex altar doahn no why...
Could be vinyl adhesives with vinyl microballons is the ticket.
Krylon works on vinyl. Were the expletive deleted fabricating your hull getting a price break on otherwise un useable colored royalex sheets ? Yes paint it.
stripes dots Gwaii Hi Polynesian icons...teeth...eyes...and doahn forget the bottom and gunwales ...mine is blocks of white/yellow and red/white in lines so when I come down the crick upside down the CG will see me.
Suggesting paint for filling gouges is really not up to speed.
Kevlar felt with better resins has
improved as a skid plate material, but it remains stiff, rough wearing, negative for hydrodynamics, and prone to crack under extreme impact, which leaves a problematic repair.
Better skid plates can be made with layers of S-glass, or even E-glass, and the result is lighter, near flush to hull contours, thin, good impact resistance under compression impacts. But, more trouble to apply. There is no doubt that Kevlar felt is more convenient.
Your “very small puncture” could be
filled with all sorts of 2-part epoxy. The thickened version of West G-flex is available for less than $20, but cheaper epoxies will work OK.
Yup
Have usually been able to match up the color pretty good with Krylon. Skid plates add weight and increases the water line in the worst place, at the stems. Better to spray a little paint on to protect the inner layer. For deep gouges I have first mixed a little JB Weld with good results. Here’s a Mad River Courier I refurbished that had NUMEROUS gouges and scrapes. Can’t tell, can you?
http://www.pbase.com/ozarkpaddler/image/157056942/original
http://www.pbase.com/ozarkpaddler/image/157056943
Krylon…
Krylon is not a “forever” fix.
As time passes, and the boat is used; the Krylon will get scratched & scraped. You will have to touch up those spots to maintain the finish.
Pretty cheap & easy fix…
BOB
Courier
Saw her Sunday. She’s a happy girl!
Heheheheheh…
…Luke, I looked at those pictures and thought about how foolish I was to part with that boat (LOL)!
Well,
one of these days I’ll talk Wes into selling it back to you. I think he enjoys the process more than he does paddling. He literally has a barn full with only a couple he’ll never turn loose of (except maybe to me :)).
Plumber’s GOOP
I use plumber’s GOOP followed by matching paint for gouges or places where the vinyl has worn away.
I’m also not convinced that Krylon sticks any better than any other spray paint.
Thanks
Thanks for the tips. I’m going to try some goop and see how it works out. I had no idea that royalex was so versatile.