Adhesion of G/Flex to marine paint?

cadelsheim · May 28, 2024

Hi,

I recently acquired a rather used Wenonah Whitewater X. The previous owner, unfortunately, painted the entire hull with marine paint instead of fixing the aging gel coat. For the majority of the hull I think this will be OK, but, I can see that the bow and stern are sufficiently worn to justify adding skid plates.

After reading the extensive threads on canoetripping I'd like add the skid plates using dynel and G/flex, but, I thought I would ask for your collective wisdom as to whether I should sand off the marine paint where the skid plates will go, or just apply directly on top of the marine paint. Thoughts?

Thanks,
Charles

Glenn MacGrady · May 28, 2024

Charles, I am not one of the composite and paint repair experts, but I would like to welcome you to site membership. Feel free to ask any questions and to post messages, photos and videos, and to start threads, in our many forums. Please read Welcome to CanoeTripping and Site Rules! Also, please add your location to the Account Details page in your profile, which will cause it to show under your avatar, as this is a geographic sport. Many of the site's technical features are explained in Features: Help and How-To Running Thread. We look forward to your participation in our canoe community!

Boatman53 · May 28, 2024

Sand the paint off. Gluing to paint is only as good as the paint can hold the boat.
Jim
Welcome to the campfire.
Jim

Alan Gage · May 28, 2024

I have no experience testing the adhesion but I'd sand the paint off it that area. You'll probably want to paint over the dynel skid plates anyway so I'd just use a contrasting color (I think black looks nice on most hulls) that will also cover the paint you sanded off.

Alan

Gamma1214 · May 28, 2024

Welcome! I agree with sanding the paint off. Use a fairly aggressive sandpaper so you're done faster and the repair has a little more "tooth" to help adhesion.

cadelsheim · May 29, 2024

Thanks everyone! That is what I suspected the answer would be, but I really appreciate your thoughts!

Gamma1214 · May 29, 2024

Remember... pictures or it never happened.

(repair threads help those with similar issues in the future; especially when they include the "I screwed up by doing this" revelations.)

Best of luck with the repairs.

Black_Fly · Sep 15, 2024

Yes, sand it. I’d use an orbital and 220 grit.

Glenn MacGrady · Sep 23, 2024

cadelsheim said:
I recently acquired a rather used Wenonah Whitewater X.

Charles, I'm curious where you're going to paddle that canoe living in Menlo Park, CA. I lived in San Jose from 1979-1982 when I bought my own first canoes. I paddled in various reasonably close reservoirs and, once I took up whitewater, some rather far way Sierra and coastal rivers.

cadelsheim · Oct 9, 2024

Glenn MacGrady said:
Charles, I'm curious where you're going to paddle that canoe living in Menlo Park, CA. I lived in San Jose from 1979-1982 when I bought my own first canoes. I paddled in various reasonably close reservoirs and, once I took up whitewater, some rather far way Sierra and coastal rivers.

I grew up canoeing on the UP of Michigan in the summers, and was a fairly serious whitewater kayaker in college in Seattle, running class IV/V creeks. From Menlo Park, with two kids, we paddle some in the local reservoirs, but this canoe was acquired mostly for canoe camping in the few non-power-boat lakes we have found in the Sierras, e.g. Utica and Union reservoirs. The Penobscot we have was feeling quite overloaded with two adults, two kids, and camping stuff!

cadelsheim · Oct 9, 2024

Gamma1214 said:
Remember... pictures or it never happened.

(repair threads help those with similar issues in the future; especially when they include the "I screwed up by doing this" revelations.)

Best of luck with the repairs.

Thanks all for the excellent advice, and the older threads on installing skid plates that don't suck! I didn't capture great photos of every step, but, the dynel skid plates came out pretty well!

cadelsheim · Oct 9, 2024

cadelsheim said:
Thanks all for the excellent advice, and the older threads on installing skid plates that don't suck! I didn't capture great photos of every step, but, the dynel skid plates came out pretty well!View attachment 143764 View attachment 143765 View attachment 143766 View attachment 143767 View attachment 143768 View attachment 143769 View attachment 143770

Glenn MacGrady · Oct 9, 2024

Nice job on the skid plates, Charles. Thanks for taking the time to photograph and post your progress. It helps to inform and motivate others.

Gamma1214 · Oct 9, 2024

Nice. PS: love the "loaded down on the beach" photo. Kids, a pile of gear and a straight blade... doesn't get much better.

Adhesion of G/Flex to marine paint?

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