What is the best way to remove scratches from these materials? I hauled my canoe and kayak on a trailer last weekend and they ended up with some nasty scratches by rubbing against each other even though I put PFDs between them. YUCK!!! Please Advise!!
blend them out
– Last Updated: May-31-08 10:55 AM EST –
with more scratches.Throw some gouges in to make the scratches less noticeable.
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2940607300094366337dXoAxm
As long as the surface of the ABS boat
did not wear through the vinyl skin and down to the milky-aqua ABS layer, there is no need to do more than (if you want) lightly scrape off any “flash” from scratches. If you sand, you are removing more of a valuable protective outer layer. Long life is more important than good looks. So, whatever you do, don’t go beyond a little superficial improvement.
Scratches are good !
they tell other paddlers that you are not a newbie
Patches are even better - they tell other paddlers that you have been around for a long time.
I am glad someone finally found a good use for a PFD!, and here all this time I thought they were seat pads.
Cheers,
Jackl
I strongly agree …
… with the better boat beaters here , those marks and scratches are yours , yours alone and you’ve earned them , display them proudly !! … they are statement about the length and type of relationship you and your boat have … besides that , they are unavoidable unless you treat your plastic play and working boat like an eggshell on a pededstal …
Removing scratches . . . (somewhat)
I don’t know how this would work on your particular boat, but on my polyethylene boats, I turn them hull-side up, take a small propane torch and LIGHTLY pass it over the scratches to make them fade. Timing is everything! (Be careful not to melt your boat.) As you pass the torch back and forth over the scratched area, watch for the raised, torn “skin” to melt back into the surface of the hull. (You can also first go over the scratches and take off the flaked skin with a razor.)This won’t get out the deepest scratches - just reduce their size and ragged appearance. After you are done, you can go over the boat with 303 protectant and you’re good for another season.
First, be sure this method will work for your boat.
@pilotwingz said: > I strongly agree …
… with the better boat beaters here , those marks and scratches are yours , yours alone and you’ve earned them , display them proudly !! … they are statement about the length and type of relationship you and your boat have
Unless you bought the boat used like me. Then those scratches belong to somebody else, and I would like to eliminate at least the deep ones if possible so I can make a more accurate statement, especially since I would rather identify myself as a noob that mislead somebody into thinking I know what I’m doing and overestimate what I might be capable of.
Personal opinion…
Messing around with scratches on a Royalex boat, is for all practical purposes, a waste of time.
The more you paddle; the more the scratches accumulate.
The gloss that 303 provides is a cosmetic at best. It may help slow down UV damage; if the boat spends a lot of time outdoors, hull up, in direct sunlight.
Put it in the water & it quickly washes off.
BOB
If you have damage serious enough to worry about, Gflex epoxy can be used .
@daggermat said:
blend them out
– Last Updated: May-31-08 10:55 AM EST –with more scratches.Throw some gouges in to make the scratches less noticeable.
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2940607300094366337dXoAxm
Like!