old canoe...need some fixing info....

I have an old 16ft. chief fiberglass canoe... It has some cracks and holes that i'm going to repair, but my question is how do I finish the outside of the canoe after the holes are patched??

Paint??? gel coat???

Thanks

Of course you'll have to sand it down after the patching. Assuming you've gotten everything smooth and cleaned and ready to paint ... start with a two part epoxy primer/sealer. Primers, properly applied, are everything. You can use the best finish coat in the world but with a lousy prepared sub-surface, it will be lousy. But a mediocre finish coat over a great preped surface and primer will look good and last a long time.

When you mix the two part epoxy primer you'll have just so much time to use it as it will set-up right in the gun! (I suppose you could use a paint roller with it, too, but you only have so much time ... maybe like with 45 minutes to an hour ... it will tell on the directions. But let's just suppose you have a paint gun and apply two medium coats of primer. Now, just as soon as the primer dries (maybe 30 minutes ... depending on conditions), you now have a window of opportunity of about two hours to apply the finish coat with out having to sand (or scuff) the primer coat. What I would use is a regular automotive single stage urethane finish coat - and not the most expensive, either! If they label the finish coat "marine" it only means it will cost more!

Good luck...

Dale

[QUOTE Primers, properly applied, are everything. You can use the best finish coat in the world but with a lousy prepared sub-surface, it will be lousy. But a mediocre finish coat over a great preped surface and primer will look good and last a long time.
Dale[/QUOTE]

Dale is right about prep & such...... Another option I have had much success with on quite a bunch of fiberglass work is a red oxide laquer based primer under a two - part hardened acrylic enamel topcoat. This is a standard automotive paint combination, available at any auto paint supplier, and at NAPA stores. Both it and the epoxy Dale mentioned come in a rainbow of colors for the Auto refinish industry.

There is a pretty noticeable price difference. Check them out and decide for yourself.
Both will last for many years, both are best applied with a spray gun, but I have brushed them both. Use pure bristle brushes, not nylon or the cheapies. They have a tiny hole down the center of each bristle, and will give you fits with thousands of bubbles.

The Acrylic enamel has a longer pot life when mixed, ready to spray. The pot life of both paints shortens noticeably in warmer temperatures. Ideally you should be painting when the surface of what you are painting is around 65 degrees F. Both types of paint can be put in the freezer after mixed to extend the pot life. Epoxy in the freezer will give you about an extra hour or so before it starts to gel. Acrylic enamel can be put in the freezer after mixed with hardner and all for over a month without affecting the finish when sprayed.

I hope this info is a help.......just my .02 chiming in..............ModocDan

By the way.......EVERYTHING labeled "MARINE" always costs more, and often ain't necessary..........

As was stated already, don't lollygag around when applying the epoxy. I was putting the third coat of fiberglass on my Davidson bi hull and got distracted by the post man. I took the mail into the house and returned to the boat. I picked up the brush put a new puddle of epoxy on the surface of the hull, did one stroke of the brush and on the second stroke the already hardened plastic literally yanked the brush out of my hand. I did two things wrong. 1. stopped to chat. 2. And I put a couple of extra drops of hardner in the mix than I should have.

It took me a couple of hours and tons of sanding to correct that little fiasco.

One thing that helps especially if you are using a fibreglass matting is to have the epoxy warm, it flows thru the glass strands much better and bubbles are easier to eliminate. Also you can thin the first coat a bit which really helps it to bond to the base material of the hull.
If you are going to do more than one coat it is wise to do all the coats in succession in a single day. Following the manufacturers recommendations as to time between coats. If you spread the job over two or more days it becomes way harder with lots of sanding involved. The best time to do it is when the air is dry and expected to be hot all day. Do it outside cause the stuff is nasty to breath in.

I have done much fiberglass repair on "big" boats. Go to a good marine supply store and look for gelcoat repair sets. If you don't have a marine supply place near you look up West Marine on the internet or on 1-800 information. Good Luck