I need some advise on how to protect the nose of my kayak. It is getting pretty heavily scrapped up and starting to show signs of wearing down. Need to get something on it to protect it. What can I use?
Thanks
West Systems G-Flex epoxy is what we use to fix holes and cracks and such. I have also used it to build “skid Plates” under boats. You can wear the epoxy down, and reapply as needed.
DD
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
Okay Dave, this looks like an opportunity for you to make some $. They make keel guards for boats, how about some type of stick on guard for yaks?
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
Rob, if it is the bottom part of the nose:
http://www.harborfreight.com/80-watt-iron-plastic-welding-kit-60662.html
That epoxy is good stuff, but not on the bottom of a 100 lb kayak.
holler at me if you want to save a buck, I have plenty of plastic leftover from my kit.
quote:
Originally posted by Slim ShadyRob, if it is the bottom part of the nose:
http://www.harborfreight.com/80-watt-iron-plastic-welding-kit-60662.html
That epoxy is good stuff, but not on the bottom of a 100 lb kayak.
holler at me if you want to save a buck, I have plenty of plastic leftover from my kit.
Might take you up on that
Thanks Jimbo
2014 Wilderness Systems Ride 135
1995 Searay 175 Series
check out keel eazy works great lasts long time too
Seriously, check out the west system epoxy. It is made for plastic kayaks, if done right, it is much stronger than what I have seen with welds. If you don’t use the same type of plastic with a weld, you will have problems, TRUST ME! (BTW, I do not sell g-flex, nor do I have any stake in this, just know it works from years of experience!)
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
quote:
Originally posted by DolphinDSeriously, check out the west system epoxy. It is made for plastic kayaks, if done right, it is much stronger than what I have seen with welds. If you don’t use the same type of plastic with a weld, you will have problems, TRUST ME! (BTW, I do not sell g-flex, nor do I have any stake in this, just know it works from years of experience!)
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
The “if done right” is the part I’m worried about.
2014 Wilderness Systems Ride 135
1995 Searay 175 Series
quote:
Originally posted by RobMillerquote:
Originally posted by DolphinDSeriously, check out the west system epoxy. It is made for plastic kayaks, if done right, it is much stronger than what I have seen with welds. If you don’t use the same type of plastic with a weld, you will have problems, TRUST ME! (BTW, I do not sell g-flex, nor do I have any stake in this, just know it works from years of experience!)
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
Trust me, mixing epoxy is easier to “do right” than running all over the yak with a hot iron!
The “if done right” is the part I’m worried about.
2014 Wilderness Systems Ride 135
1995 Searay 175 Series
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
quote:
Originally posted by DolphinDquote:
Originally posted by RobMillerquote:
Originally posted by DolphinDSeriously, check out the west system epoxy. It is made for plastic kayaks, if done right, it is much stronger than what I have seen with welds. If you don’t use the same type of plastic with a weld, you will have problems, TRUST ME! (BTW, I do not sell g-flex, nor do I have any stake in this, just know it works from years of experience!)
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
Trust me, mixing epoxy is easier to “do right” than running all over the yak with a hot iron!
The “if done right” is the part I’m worried about.
2014 Wilderness Systems Ride 135
1995 Searay 175 Series
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
Something I can do on my own? How do you make the skid plate? Just build up a spot on the nose? And is it the 650-8 g/flex kit? I will go that route if you think it will work the best. You haven’t steered me wrong before. Thanks Dave
2014 Wilderness Systems Ride 135
1995 Searay 175 Series
http://www.boatersland.com/wsy655k.html?gclid=CIu3tNXfxcACFUVo7AodPAUAYQ
This stuff. West Marine has it. I use masking tape to “edge” the area. Fill it in, then sand and file to clean it up afterwards. There are some great videos on west systems site and on Youtube of how to use this stuff.
Plastic welding can work well, but you have to match the right “recipe” of plastic, and it can get messy. I have also had problems getting a plastic weld to stay watertight.
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
I had similar problem, but on the keel in the stern, wore a hole right through.
Caused by standing the kayak on end when mounting / dismounting from the roof of my Jeep.
Tried to " weld " a patch, and wound up making the hole much bigger…patch material had a
higher melting point then the hull material,so each drop of melted patch material made the hole
bigger. Wound up plugging it with a (by now) large wooden plug and epoxy.
So be careful if you go with the welding.
The new Wilderness Ride has a replaceable part in the same spot…great idea.
I got a hole in the stern keel of my boat from dragging. Tried the West Systems but it scraped off after a few uses. A heat gun and scrap yak plastic allowed me to build a thick patch. Doesn’t look good as new but is stronger than ever. Heat gun was less than $30 at Harbour Freight and the scrap plastic was free at a local outfitter. I got the same plastic used on Wilderness Boats and I think that’s important to maintain the same melting point.
The process is to heat the hull till it’s shiny, use a pair of dowell rods to keep the keel centered, heat the patch and roll it into the hot hull with a rolling pin or dowell rod to “weld” the plastic together. Go slow and don’t overheat. Taught to me by Chad Hoover. Look up his YouTube video on “kayak keel repair.” Good luck.
16’ High Tide Flats (Green) w/Yamaha 90
Wilderness Ride 135
Wilderness Tarpon 120
Here’s the link to the video we did http://youtu.be/28Cds-ikH24
16’ High Tide Flats (Green) w/Yamaha 90
Wilderness Ride 135
Wilderness Tarpon 120
Great video…thanks.
I’m only sensitive to this issue because I had an epoxy job come off, before I was entering water in January, good thing I noticed.
Too Busy recommending plastic welding to me, its ugly and messy but I know it’ll mold a hole together. I had a local shop do an epoxy job on my old kayak. I had a hole about the size up a pencil diameter. The epoxy job was done in the indention and filled in the hole. It looked legit and all, but after some light dragging if came off in one solid chunk, unplugging the hole with it.
Then I did a plastic weld job, melded the hole together so it is physically no longer there, and put 4 or 5 layers of plastic on it. Its ugly as hell, but its done right. The plastic welding takes a little bit of skill, if you have general handy man skills u should be alright. If its just a prevenative thing or cosmetic maybe epoxy would be the way to go.