Hi theres a couple cracks on my old kevlar Sawyer Solo Canoe tractor seat near the 2 drain holes that i want to repair. I think it is polystyrene or abs because it melts when exposed to acetone…Whats the best glue? Should i use epoxy and glass?
whats your method?
see a pic of the seat here:http://plebeianyachtclub.blogspot.com/
thanks!
me too
I’ve got one that’s doing the same thing. I haven’t taken the time to fix it yet but when I do I plan to scuff the area with sandpaper and lay on a piece of fiberglass with epoxy.
Alan
Maybe
GFlex epoxy is probably a good idea for the seat repair. It’s a multi-purpose epoxy which can be used on plastic. You should be able to buy a small kit for $20 (e.g. Jamestown Distributors).
Reading your blog page, you say you’re planning to use a large K2 rudder from CLC. However, this uses sliding foot pegs to adjust the rudder position, seriously old and deficient technology. It’s much better to choose a system where the pegs stay fixed and rotate to adjust the rudder. That way you are able to brace yourself on the pegs while steering. Here’s one of many good models available:
http://www.duckworksbbs.com/hardware/canoe-kayak/ruddercombo/index.htm
Also, you mention providing flotation using styrofoam blocks glued together, most would say this is not a great idea either. New float bags rigged in place will be a lot lighter and more reliable in my opinion.
Good luck with the boat, it’s old-school but looks good.
X’s 2 on the G-Flex epoxy
If it was me, I would turn the boat over and wet out a piece of glass with the G-flex and do it on the under side of the seat.
Then when it is hardened, I would turn the boat back over and finish it with another coat of just G-flex on the top.
jack L
Float Bags
thanks for the input Alan and Cardelo,
I ordered some G-Flex epoxy AND bow stern NRS float bags so i wont be going the “hard floatation” route…but I’ll be keeping the old style Werner foot braces/steering system, because this is a canoe not a Kayak, so i wont be bracing with my feet when i paddle as much (using an angled canoe paddle)
both sides
replacement seat
I could be wrong but I believe those Sawyer tractor seats were molded from polycarbonate. West System’s adhesion data shows a fair bond strength to polycarbonate so it is probably reasonable to attempt a repair, especially since you have already ordered the epoxy. I would back it up with fiberglass as suggested.
My experience with those Sawyer seats suggests that once the plastic has degraded to the point that cracks start to appear, more cracks are likely, if not inevitable. So you might be chasing your tail.
A drop-in replacement seat is available. Many Clipper canoe models use the same tractor seat design. I was told by Marlin Bayes of Western Canoeing and Kayaking that when the Sawyer ceased production, he acquired the actual mold used to make those seats. I bought a replacement seat for my Sawyer Summersong and indeed it was identical in dimension and design right down to the screw boss locations and the mold flashing. The Clipper seat is molded of a softer plastic, probably polypropylene or polyethylene, but it is lighter.
You could give Marlin a call and see if he will ship to the US. I am pretty sure he will do so:
http://www.westerncanoekayak.com/shop/solitude-156-solo-clipper-canoes/