SpeedyStein:
I recently discovered that I've been getting some wear in a few places of my hull, so I looked into protection methods.
I decided to go with kydex, a very durable yet flexible thermoplastic, often used for making small plastic sheet items like knife sheathes and holsters. I had some on hand from a different project, so seemed like a win win.
I started by cleaning the surface of the hull, and lining up the pieces of kydex I had to best fit the spots that were showing wear the most. Then I gave it a quick light sanding to knock the high spots down.
I cut the kydex pieces to shape, and then positioned them over the intended areas. A heat gun made pretty quick and easy work to soften the kydex, and I pressed firmly with a towel to shape the kydex to the hull. I feel like I got a pretty tight fit.
I used JB Weld Clear Weld to epoxy the kydex pieces in place, and then ran a bead of silicon caulk around the edges to fully seal it.
Looking forward to trying it out, and hope that it holds on and helps protect the hull from boat ramps and rocks.
SpeedyStein:
I have some other scrapes/scratches to fill too, where I've dragged the hull over rocks. Thinking about regular JB Weld to fill those, or maybe some other putty type epoxy.
hightide:
I used Kydex myself and it’s doing its job so far. Used the strongest gorilla double sided tape I could find and silicone to outer edges.
SpeedyStein:
--- Quote from: hightide on March 23, 2023, 12:30:17 AM ---I used Kydex myself and it’s doing its job so far. Used the strongest gorilla double sided tape I could find and silicone to outer edges.
--- End quote ---
Sweet, glad to hear another person here did what I did, more or less. Glad it's holding up! I'm hoping to give it a go in a few days.
Sea-bree:
--- Quote from: SpeedyStein on March 22, 2023, 10:07:54 PM ---I have some other scrapes/scratches to fill too, where I've dragged the hull over rocks. Thinking about regular JB Weld to fill those, or maybe some other putty type epoxy.
--- End quote --- I worked on the bottom of my Hobie a few years back. This thread was a starting point... http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=82006.msg934055#msg934055
I ended up doing a few things differently though. I was able to find a small pack of yellow plastic strips on this website
I ended up using a torch to heat up a paint scraper, then I would add the desired amount of plastic to the scraper and heat a bit more until the plastic just started to get a little melty. Then I used the paint tool to press/scrape the plastic into the scratches and voids. A little sandpaper at the end to clean it up and I was very pleased with the results. Those repairs are holding up nicely, and I will use the same process eventually to clean up the last couple years worth of wear and tear.
May be worth considering this option, though the JB weld route may be just as effective or even better... not sure myself, but thought I would share what i have tried