Boat Building Forum

Find advice on all aspects of building your own kayak, canoe or any lightweight boats

Try this first
By:Jay Babina
Date: 7/1/2010, 7:47 am
In Response To: Strip: fixing wetout problem (Paul K)

Before you do anything extreme try this first. Sand the areas with wet & dry sandpaper (wet) with something like 600 grit or finer. As you sand wet, you can see if the fabric wets out with the water. If it gets transparent, you're in luck and can let it dry and add a coat of epoxy over it and it will be fine. This has worked for me on a few occasions. Sometimes the epoxy goes between the fibers (so it is adhered OK) and it gets absorbed by the cloth but just not quite enough to saturate to upper surface of the weave which you are seeing as the white reflective color.

If after the wet sanding it will not go transparent, you are probably pretty starved and will have to heat it and remove the glass sections. Or live with it.

Messages In This Thread

Strip: fixing wetout problem
Paul K -- 6/30/2010, 10:46 am
Try this first
Jay Babina -- 7/1/2010, 7:47 am
Re: Strip: fixing wetout problem
Bill Hamm -- 7/1/2010, 2:02 am
Re: Strip: fixing wetout problem
Bill Hamm -- 7/1/2010, 1:58 am
Re: Strip: fixing wetout problem
Mike Hanks -- 6/30/2010, 11:17 pm
Re: Strip: fixing wetout problem
george jung -- 6/30/2010, 2:29 pm