quick shop question

I’m adding some S glass reinforcement, laid in on the bias, in the chines of my Malecite.



Do I have to remove the paint first, or just clean up good with acetone?

Assuming it’s a fiberglass Malecite…
it’s always best to remove the paint. But, if the color of the paint is the same as the color of the gelcoat, then it is gel coat painted on the inside of your canoe (which means you simply have to sand it up a little bit). If the color of the interior is grey, then it is paint.



If by chance it’s Kevlar, then that is an paint and you’ll need to remove it for best results.



Rob

Thanks Rob
It is FG and yes it is one of the later ones with the interior color. I tried taking the paint off and it just didn’t want to come off. Now that you tell me it’s gelcoat, it make sense.



Thanks a lot for the quick reply. It’s just what I needed!

You mean to reinforce the chines inside?
Interesting project. I have seen boats that are S-glass outside, Kevlar inside, that have had problems when forces on the boat fold the chines tighter. Kevlar does not resist this kind of compression well. Glass on the inside of chines works better.

yes, that’s what I’m doing
I paddle this boat solo alot and I want to reinforce the chines at the center of the boat. I bought S glass from Sweet and peel ply. This will be an interesting project. I’m very much a novice at composites.



I’m thinking I should wait till morning when the humidity drops before doing the actual work. Right now I’m prepping everything.