Well, the day I was dreading has come. After our outing this weekend, the canoe has a couple of spots worn down to the creamy-looking ABS underneath the outer layer. No gouges or cracks, just pure abrasion. Having done a little research about Royalex/Royalite repair, I was planning to snake a few blue Legos from my son’s vast collection, melt them down in some acetate, and paint it over the exposed areas. Is it really that easy, or am I missing something? I read that JB Weld works too. Any special reason to buy some JB Weld instead of using melted Legos? The worn spots are near the ends, so I could also cover the exposed spots with skid plates. But I think I’d rather not. Never done this before so I appreciate advice/comments from those who have. Thanks.
I routinely use JB Weld on worn spots
… on my WW boat. Recently I gave the Legos a try. It pealed off at the first scrape. Back to the tried and trusted JB Weld.
Epoxy and S Glass or Dynel Fabric
My personal favorite is Dynel fabric, wetted out with West Epoxy/207 hardener.
Clean, lightly sand and flame treat the area. Mask off the perimeter of the “patch” area so as to not make a mess. It is possible to to make a neat, almost flush, “scuff” patch that is far tougher than the original Royalite. Once cured, it can be painted to match.
Marc Ornstein
Dogpaddle Canoe Works
Dynel / S glass
Will you be bringing a boat with Dynel abrasion protection to the Slipper Rock? I’m curious about it. I’d like protect the edges on the Viper without distorting things.
acetone, not acetate
make sure it’s pure. I tried nail polish remover once, and it turned white and peeled. All my royalex/royalite canoes have slurry on them, and it’s held up well, considering my affinity for granite.
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2823316920094366337OPdMcj
The beige under the Reflection is polyurethane paint. Had some left over from a sailboat deck project…
slapping forehead
AceTONE. Duhh. Thanks for the catch.
keeleazy.com
What about a strip of keel eazy over the worn area?
hey John
that shine is from the boats being wet…just kidding ya’ about the granite polishing methods I’ve been employing with these boats the past dozen years…
KeelEasy
I tried a test strip of KeelEasy for about 6 months on my Royalex canoe and it held up very well in a very abrasive saltwater environment. I have since added a 4ft 2 inch piece to the bow and a 2ft piece to the stern. It’s been 4 months now and it is working great. It is easy to install but read the instructions, tips and video’s before you try to install. KeelEasy is so easy and tough I will never use traditional skid plates again.
Thanks for the suggestion
I’m not familiar with Keeleazy. Does it slow the canoe like traditional skid plates? What are the pros and cons vs. patching with ABS slew or JB Weld?