Fiberglass Kayak & Canoe Repair Kit - Epoxy for Composite Hulls

Name: Fiberglass Kayak & Canoe Repair Kit - Epoxy for Composite Hulls
Brand: Boat Suppliers
SKU: SK-KYK001
Price: 78.95 USD
Availability: InStock

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Boat Suppliers

Fiberglass Kayak & Canoe Repair Kit - Epoxy for Composite Hulls

SKU:SK-KYK001

$78.95 USD

$78.95 USD ~~USD~~

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A hull repair kit built for composite kayaks, canoes, and paddle craft: fiberglass, Kevlar®, and carbon hulls that need a real structural patch, not tape. Epoxy based, because a hull repair is a secondary bond to cured laminate, and epoxy grips old laminate far better than polyester.

What is in the kit:

21 oz two-part epoxy kit: 16 oz thin clear resin plus 5.3 oz medium hardener, mixed 3 parts resin to 1 part hardener by volume
1 yard x 38" of 6 oz woven fiberglass cloth for the structural patch layers
3 yards of 4" woven fiberglass cloth tape, 8.7 oz, with finished edges, for cracks, seams, and stem repairs
1 quart fumed silica thickener for structural putty and gap filling
1 quart white glass microspheres (glass bubbles) for a light fairing putty that sands easily
2" chip brush, 4" plastic spreader, 2 graduated quart mixing tubs, wood stir sticks

You supply: nitrile gloves, a dust mask, sandpaper (80 grit for prep, 120 to 400 for fairing), acetone or denatured alcohol, masking tape, and plastic sheet to back a through-hole.

How the repair works: sand the damaged area back to solid laminate, laminate cloth patches in increasing sizes over the break, and run the cloth tape along seams and stems. Fill any deep gouges with silica-thickened epoxy, then fair over the patch with glass bubble putty and sand smooth. Epoxy needs paint or varnish over it for UV protection.

Working time: 20 to 25 minutes of pot life at 80F with the medium hardener, and it is dry in 8 to 10 hours. Use it at 55F or warmer; the cooler it is, the slower the cure.

For fiberglass, Kevlar, and carbon composite hulls only. Rotomolded polyethylene kayaks (most sit-on-tops) are not a job for this kit: this epoxy will not bond to polyethylene.

Long keel or strake wear on a fiberglass boat is a bigger job: see the Keel & Strake Repair Kit.

Ships UPS or FedEx Ground to the lower 48. The fabric and the epoxy resin are not regulated for transport; the hardener bottle is a limited quantity corrosive, so the kit travels by ground and cannot go by air.

Specifications

Package size12 in x 9 in x 5 in

Specifications

Resin: 21 oz epoxy kit, 16 oz thin clear laminating resin plus 5.3 oz medium hardener, mixed 3:1 by volume
Working time: 20 to 25 minutes pot life at 80F, dry in 8 to 10 hours. Use at 55F or warmer
Reinforcement: 1 yd 6 oz E cloth plus 3 yd of 4" 8.7 oz woven fiberglass cloth tape for seams and stems
Fillers: 1 qt fumed silica for structural putty, 1 qt white glass microspheres for sandable fairing
Also in the box: chip brush, plastic spreader, 2 graduated quart mixing tubs, wood stir sticks. You supply nitrile gloves, a dust mask and sandpaper
Hulls: fiberglass, Kevlar® and carbon composite
NOT for rotomolded polyethylene sit-on-tops. This epoxy will not bond to polyethylene
Ships by ground only: the hardener is a regulated corrosive

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How to use this kit

Epoxy and fiberglass hull repair for composite paddle craft.

Safety: Epoxy resin and hardener are skin sensitizers: repeated contact can start a permanent allergy, so keep gloves on and never wash epoxy off skin with solvent. Use soap and water. Sanding cured laminate makes fine dust, so wear a dust mask and eye protection, and work with ventilation. Spread leftover mixed epoxy out thin instead of leaving it in the cup, where it heats up.

What is in the kit

21 oz Two-part epoxy kit16 oz resin plus 5.3 oz medium hardener, 3:1 by volume
1 yd 6 oz woven fiberglass cloth, 38 in widethe structural patch layers
3 yd 4 in woven fiberglass cloth tape, 8.7 ozfinished edges, for cracks, seams and stem repairs
1 qt Fumed silica thickenerstructural putty and gap filling
1 qt White glass microspheres (glass bubbles)light fairing putty that sands easily
1 / 2 Chip brush, graduated quart mixing tubs
1 / 1 pk Plastic spreader, wood stir sticks

You supply: nitrile gloves, a dust mask, sandpaper (80 grit for prep, 120 to 400 for fairing), denatured alcohol or acetone, masking tape, and plastic sheet to back a through-hole.

Mixing epoxy (3:1 by volume)

Ratio	3 parts resin to 1 part hardener
Smallest batch	6 oz resin + 2 oz hardener
Full kit	16 oz resin + 5.3 oz hardener

Measure by volume in the graduated tubs. Off-ratio epoxy does not cure slow, it never fully cures. Confirm the ratio printed on your hardener bottle.

Stir 2 minutes scraping sides and bottom, then pour into a second cup and stir again before you use it.

The job, start to finish

1

Sand back to solid laminate

Clean the area, then sand the damage back to sound laminate with 80 grit and feather the edges out several inches. Epoxy is a secondary bond to cured glass, so its whole grip comes from clean, freshly abraded surface. On a Kevlar hull stop sanding as soon as the fibers start to fuzz, and patch from the inside where you can reach. Wipe with alcohol and let it flash off.

2

Cut patches in sizes

Cut cloth patches in increasing sizes: the smallest just covers the damage, each next one about an inch larger all round. For a crack or a stem, cut the cloth tape to length instead. Tape plastic sheet behind any through-hole so the first layer has something to sit on.

3

Laminate the patch

Brush mixed epoxy onto the sanded area, lay the smallest patch on, and wet it out from the centre outward until the weave goes clear. Add each larger patch the same way. Squeegee gently: you want the cloth wet, not swimming. Let it cure overnight, 8 to 10 hours at 80 F, before sanding; longer if cooler.

4

Tape seams and stems

For split seams, cracked stems or a keel line, use the cloth tape rather than cut cloth. Its woven edges do not fray and it follows a stem without darts. Wet the hull, lay the tape in, and work it down with the spreader so it follows the curve without bridging. Use two layers on a stem that takes wear.

5

Fair and finish

Fill deep gouges and gaps with epoxy thickened with fumed silica: it is strong but hard to sand, so keep it below the surface. For the fairing coat, thicken epoxy with glass bubbles to a peanut butter consistency and fill the weave and patch edges slightly proud. Once cured, sand fair through 120 to 400. Epoxy has no UV resistance on its own, so paint or varnish the repair before it lives outside.

Works onFiberglass, kevlar and carbon composite kayaks, canoes and paddle craft. Hull cracks, punctures, split seams and worn stems.

Not forRotomolded polyethylene kayaks, which is most sit-on-tops. Nothing bonds reliably to polyethylene.

If something goes wrong

Soft or greasy spots

Off-ratio or under-stirred epoxy. Scrape it out, wash with soap and water, and redo with double-potted mix.

Cloudy or sticky surface

Moisture got on it before it cured. Wash with warm water and scuff. If it stays tacky, sand or scrape it off and recoat.

Patch edge lifted

Not sanded far enough out, or the surface was contaminated. Feather wider and wipe with alcohol.

Still soft after a day

Under 55 F the cure stalls. Warm the space, do not add more hardener.

Cloth will not lie flat

It is bridging a curve. Cut a dart, or switch to the cloth tape, which follows a stem without darts.

Epoxy needs a topcoat for UV. Paint or varnish over the cured repair. Long keel or strake wear on a fiberglass boat? See the Keel & Strake Repair Kit at boatsuppliers.com.