Boat Building Forum

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

Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
By:JohnAbercrombie
Date: 10/9/2014, 12:42 pm
In Response To: Strip: Outside seam tape (Gordon)

Just wanted to check if anyone has an internet source to ordering some....4 0z fiberglass seam tape....

Gordon-
I have purchased and used (though not on a kayak seam) some lighter glass tape. I've found that the particular tape I bought was quite difficult to wet out, as the combination of finer 'threads' and tighter weave made it more difficult for epoxy to penetrate. So I wouldn't recommend that tape- I forget the source, but it was either TheCompositeStore or Soller - both great companies to deal with IMO. That tape might work better with a less viscous epoxy than WEST.

On all the woven tapes, I've found that there's a definite 'ridge' along the tape edges after the epoxy cures.

On my current build, I used bias-cut strips of 4oz cloth on the outside seam. Those strips conform well to the hull/deck shape, and I could make them a bit wider so there was more width for sanding and 'feathering'. No ridge at the edges.
And, unlike 'straight-cut' strips, with bias-cut strips there's little ravelling at the edges so there weren't dangling strands to clean up or tangle in the epoxy brush.
With bias-cut fabric, you can easily stretch the strip, so youneed to be a bit light-handed when dealing with the strips.
Also, a rotary cutter is the tool of choice for cutting glass strips, IMO.

You could certainly bias-cut 6oz strips from any leftovers you have on hand, and IMO they would be an improvement over the woven tape. Worth an experiment, IMO.

Messages In This Thread

Strip: Outside seam tape
Gordon -- 10/9/2014, 11:19 am
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
JohnAbercrombie -- 10/9/2014, 12:42 pm
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
Gordon -- 10/9/2014, 1:18 pm
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
JohnAbercrombie -- 10/9/2014, 1:24 pm
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
Gero Verheyen -- 10/9/2014, 1:26 pm
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
Gordon -- 10/9/2014, 2:47 pm
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
Gero Verheyen -- 10/9/2014, 2:56 pm
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
Gordon -- 10/9/2014, 3:08 pm
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape *PIC*
howard -- 10/9/2014, 10:38 pm
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
Gero Verheyen -- 10/9/2014, 11:34 pm
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
Bill Hamm -- 10/10/2014, 9:11 am
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
Gero Verheyen -- 10/10/2014, 12:22 pm
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
JohnAbercrombie -- 10/10/2014, 1:12 pm
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape *PIC*
Etienne Muller -- 10/10/2014, 2:14 pm
Re: Strip: Outside seam tape
Bill Hamm -- 10/10/2014, 2:28 pm