Cracked kayak

Bumpkin · 03-13-2010, 11:58 AM

Have you ever had to repair cracks in a kayak? My neighbor has some small cracks in his that he wants to fix before they get any worse and I was wondering what the best approach is for this.

**2coastcamper** · 03-13-2010, 02:29 PM

Haven't personally had to do this, but here's the text of part of an article that might help:

...

Fix the Cracks in Your Thermoformed ABS Type Plastic Kayaks
First, Fiberglass cloth is available at auto parts stores in a kit for fixing plastic fenders. You can't use the resin that comes in the kit. It won't stick to the acrylics or ABS. It hardens
and peels off. You need to go to Wal-Mart and buy Plastic Weld glue. It comes in a two tube gadget. You squeeze out some of the stuff and mix it together then apply it to the patch. Don't try to use 2 ton epoxy or other glues, only a methymethaculate glue will work. Work on your boat in the shade. You only get four minutes to work with this stuff once you mix it. Get some blue masking tape and wrap your finger tips. Don't bother with rubber gloves, they dissolve quickly.

Clean the boat with Dawn dish soap and a bucket of water. Dry it off then scrub it down with denatured alcohol. The stuff you use to disinfect your splinters.

Put the edges of the cracks back together as neatly as possible.

Using a 600 grit sandpaper give the cracked area a good scrubbing. This gets the surface ready to stick to the glue. Be sure to scrub an inch around the area to be fixed.

Lay out you piece of fiberglass cloth and trim it to fit the crack, allowing an inch all the way around the edges.

Lay out a piece of waxed paper and put the cloth on it.

Squeeze out a big glob of the two parts of the glue. Mix it quickly but thoroughly.

Spread some of it on the cloth with a tongue depressor or something, smoosh it into the fibers.

Turn the patch over onto the crack and press down firmly.

Quickly spread the rest of the glue into the patch, pressing it into the fibers, being sure to get the edge fibers smooth. Don't overwork this.

Keep it clean and neat but don't try to redo the patch stuff.

You can try to lay wax paper over the still soft glue and mush it down to smooth it out more but usually it's already started to set.

Leave it to dry and harden, go away, don't mess with it!!

Some people advise putting another fiberglass layer on to insure that the boat is structurally sound. Do this after the first patch is set well. Good idea with big cracks in the middle of the boat but little cracks probably won't need it.

Next day pull off the waxed paper, inspect the mess and moan. Then start sanding it.

With patience you can get a nice neat looking patch. Just sand it with a 250 sand paper then a 400 then a 600. Not wet sanding.

At this point you can get some acrylic paint meant for outside art work and touch up the patch to match your boat

Or you can look for Krylon brand Fusion paint. This stuff is in a spray can, used for painting plastic patio furniture and it matches exactly the white color of the boat bottom.

Spray light coats, go over it several times as each coat dries.

Voila, you're done.

paloma · 03-16-2010, 06:23 AM

Great help 2coastcamper. It will save a season or two before buying a new kayak. Very useful DIY for kayak owners who want to extend the life of their kayaks.

03-13-2010, 11:58 AM	#1
Bumpkin Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 96	Cracked kayak Have you ever had to repair cracks in a kayak? My neighbor has some small cracks in his that he wants to fix before they get any worse and I was wondering what the best approach is for this.

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03-13-2010, 02:29 PM	#2
2coastcamper Moderator Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern California Posts: 418 Blog Entries: 6	Haven't personally had to do this, but here's the text of part of an article that might help: ... Fix the Cracks in Your Thermoformed ABS Type Plastic Kayaks First, Fiberglass cloth is available at auto parts stores in a kit for fixing plastic fenders. You can't use the resin that comes in the kit. It won't stick to the acrylics or ABS. It hardens and peels off. You need to go to Wal-Mart and buy Plastic Weld glue. It comes in a two tube gadget. You squeeze out some of the stuff and mix it together then apply it to the patch. Don't try to use 2 ton epoxy or other glues, only a methymethaculate glue will work. Work on your boat in the shade. You only get four minutes to work with this stuff once you mix it. Get some blue masking tape and wrap your finger tips. Don't bother with rubber gloves, they dissolve quickly. Clean the boat with Dawn dish soap and a bucket of water. Dry it off then scrub it down with denatured alcohol. The stuff you use to disinfect your splinters. Put the edges of the cracks back together as neatly as possible. Using a 600 grit sandpaper give the cracked area a good scrubbing. This gets the surface ready to stick to the glue. Be sure to scrub an inch around the area to be fixed. Lay out you piece of fiberglass cloth and trim it to fit the crack, allowing an inch all the way around the edges. Lay out a piece of waxed paper and put the cloth on it. Squeeze out a big glob of the two parts of the glue. Mix it quickly but thoroughly. Spread some of it on the cloth with a tongue depressor or something, smoosh it into the fibers. Turn the patch over onto the crack and press down firmly. Quickly spread the rest of the glue into the patch, pressing it into the fibers, being sure to get the edge fibers smooth. Don't overwork this. Keep it clean and neat but don't try to redo the patch stuff. You can try to lay wax paper over the still soft glue and mush it down to smooth it out more but usually it's already started to set. Leave it to dry and harden, go away, don't mess with it!! Some people advise putting another fiberglass layer on to insure that the boat is structurally sound. Do this after the first patch is set well. Good idea with big cracks in the middle of the boat but little cracks probably won't need it. Next day pull off the waxed paper, inspect the mess and moan. Then start sanding it. With patience you can get a nice neat looking patch. Just sand it with a 250 sand paper then a 400 then a 600. Not wet sanding. At this point you can get some acrylic paint meant for outside art work and touch up the patch to match your boat Or you can look for Krylon brand Fusion paint. This stuff is in a spray can, used for painting plastic patio furniture and it matches exactly the white color of the boat bottom. Spray light coats, go over it several times as each coat dries. Voila, you're done.

03-16-2010, 06:23 AM	#3
paloma Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 55	Great help 2coastcamper. It will save a season or two before buying a new kayak. Very useful DIY for kayak owners who want to extend the life of their kayaks.