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Home  ›  How To Repair A Hole In A Kayak

How To Repair A Hole In A Kayak

Written By Thursday, June 16, 2022 Add Comment Edit

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Before you set up a hole in your kayak, look upwards your kayak's brand and model online to see if it is made of crosslink or linear polyethylene. If it'due south crosslink, you cannot heat, sand, fill, or repair the damage and you lot must supervene upon the kayak.[1] If you lot have a fiberglass kayak, you can merely repair holes using epoxy resin, although the epoxy resin will work with linear polyethylene every bit well. Luckily, most kayaks made today are fabricated out of linear polyethylene. While there are a few ways to repair impairment on your kayak, the preparation work is always the aforementioned. After you lot sand, clean, and oxidize the surface, y'all can use an epoxy, scrap plastic, or patch to repair the impairment.

  1. 1

    Drill holes into the edges of the damage if it'southward cracked. If you specifically take a crack in the surface of your hull, information technology volition continue to spread if you repair information technology. To forestall this from happening, attach a pilot drill chip to a drill. Place the tip of the bit on 1 end of the crack and drill 1⁄eight – one⁄16  in (0.32–0.xvi cm) into the plastic. Repeat this process on the other end of the fissure. This volition keep the scissure from spreading later you lot repair it.[two]

    • You just demand to drill into the surface of the crack if the damage doesn't run all the fashion through the hull. If you can see clean through the crack to the other side, drill all the way through the kayak'due south hull.
    • You practise not demand to drill gouges, punctures, scratches, or thru holes, which are holes in the hull that are deep enough where you can encounter through to the other side.

  2. 2

    Rough up the damaged area with 80-dust sandpaper. Get a sheet of 80-grit sandpaper. Identify it over the hole or scratch and rub it back and forth over the kayak. Scrape upwardly the one–ii inches (2.5–five.1 cm) surrounding the impairment and scratch upwards the interior portion of the indentation or crevice if you lot can. If you're dealing with a thru hole, scrape the edges of the pigsty to the best of your ability.[3]

    Tip: You only demand to do this on the side where the damage occurred. In almost all cases, kayaks are damaged from rubbing confronting something on the outside side of the hull, so you won't need to mess around with the within of the kayak.

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  3. three

    Wipe the area with rubbing alcohol and paper towels. Catch a whorl of paper towels and rip a few sheets off. Put on some rubber gloves and cascade some rubbing alcohol into the paper towels to soak them. Rub the damaged area down thoroughly with the wet paper towels to remove any debris or scraps of plastic from the sanding.[four]

    • You lot tin can use soap and water if you don't accept any rubbing alcohol. The primary goal here is just to clean the expanse.

  4. 4

    Rinse the expanse and wipe it dry to stop cleaning the damaged area. Take hold of a hose or fill up a bucket with water and cascade it over the surface area you soaked in alcohol. So, grab some dry out paper towels and wipe the surface area down to get information technology dry out. This will wipe up whatsoever remainder on the surface of the kayak.[five]

  5. 5

    Run a butane torch over the surface chop-chop to oxidize the plastic. Grab a butane torch and turn it on. Without letting the flame come in directly contact with the plastic, run the torch back and along over the surface damage. Embrace 12–16 inches (30–41 cm) every 1 second past rapidly moving the torch to avoid melting the plastic. Do this for five-15 seconds to prep the kayak for your repair.[6]

    • The goal hither is to oxidize the polyethylene, not to melt information technology. Oxidizing the surface ensures that whatever filling textile you utilize volition bond permanently to the kayak. If you don't practice this, your patch task is much more probable to come up undone.

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  1. 1

    Prop the kayak upwardly so that the harm rests parallel to the ground. Set some cinderblocks or bricks along the edges of the kayak to prop it upwards at an bending where the damaged area is facing straight up. The epoxy resin you're going to use volition drip out of the hole if the damaged surface isn't parallel to the flooring.[7]

    • This process is ideal for gouges, deep scratches, and small holes that don't get all the manner through the hull.
    • If you accept a fancy fiberglass kayak, this is the only way to repair damage.

  2. 2

    Mix your two-part epoxy in a plastic cup to activate it. Put on some nitrile gloves to keep the epoxy off of your hands. Take a two-role epoxy and squeeze out the resin into a plastic loving cup. Add an equal amount of the activating agent and mix the two compounds together slowly with a wood mixing stick. This will activate the epoxy and crusade it to brainstorm hardening slowly.[8]

    • You tin buy a 2-office epoxy resin from a hardware, construction supply, or automotive store. Information technology's oft used to fill in damaged pipes or plastic surfaces.
    • Any 2-part epoxy resin volition work for this.

    Tip: Once you practice this, you have roughly 30-45 minutes to piece of work. If you lot have likewise long, the epoxy will harden in your cup.

  3. 3

    Pour the epoxy directly into the gouge to fill it upwardly flush with the kayak. Tilt the cup over the damaged area and slowly pour the epoxy out. Motility your loving cup as needed to make full the hole, scratch, or gouge entirely with the epoxy. Wipe up any excess epoxy that overflows over the damage with a dry out cloth. Keep pouring until all of the damage is filled and the epoxy is flush with the surface of the kayak.[9]

    • It looks pretty thick in the loving cup, just the epoxy pours smoothly. You shouldn't need to move it around in the damaged expanse. If you practise demand to spread it around, experience free to use your gloved finger to practise this.

  4. 4

    Wait vii-ten hours for the epoxy to cure. In one case you've filled the damaged area, allow the kayak sit for seven-10 hours. This will give the epoxy time to cure to the polyethylene. One time the epoxy is cured, you tin paint over the surface or take your kayak out on the water.[10]

    • Most kayak enthusiasts don't bother painting over repairs on the lesser of the hull since you can't see information technology anyway. If yous do desire to paint over it, utilise standard acrylic spray paint.

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  1. one

    Find some #ii recyclable scrap plastic to make full the damage. The same polyethylene in your kayak is used to make a variety of other products. Look for any plastic object with a #2 printed on it with three arrows surrounding information technology. This is loftier-density polyethylene and you can use it to repair your kayak. Grab a bucket, milk jug, empty detergent or shampoo bottle, or fleck piece of plastic to perform this repair.[11]

    • This repair is ideal for nasty hull damage that can't easily exist repaired with resin. If the shape of the hole or scratch is malformed and yous need to motion the repair material around, this is the manner to go.
    • If the plastic isn't clean, wash information technology with soap and water and dry it off before doing this.
    • If possible, use a plastic that matches the color of your kayak. This will make the repair less noticeable.
    • You're going to destroy this object for your repair, so don't grab something you lot may demand one day!

  2. 2

    Cut the plastic out to lucifer the shape of your hull impairment. Catch a set of can snips and cut out a clamper of plastic to lucifer the shape of the damage. If you lot're using a thinner textile, like a milk jug, cut out twice every bit much as yous need and lay the pieces over one another. Don't worry about getting scientific here—you can ever scrape the excess off every bit yous're applying information technology.[12]

    • If yous don't have tin snips and you lot're using thinner plastic, y'all can carve it out of the object with a utility knife.

  3. three

    Heat the chip plastic with a heat gun for 1 minute to soften information technology. Grab some pliers or channel locks to hold the plastic safely away from you. Lift the plastic upwardly and concord a estrus gun five–10 inches (13–25 cm) away from the scrap plastic. Turn information technology on and motility the heat gun back and forth until the plastic loses its shape and information technology looks flimsy as information technology dangles in the air.[xiii]

    • You tin utilize a butane torch instead of a heat gun. Only make sure you don't let the flame directly touch on the plastic and motion the torch around to melt each piece evenly.

  4. 4

    Place the plastic over the damage and keep heating information technology for x-xx seconds. While the plastic is soft and pliable, slowly lay it down over the damaged area to make full it in. Move the heat gun back and forth. Continue heating the expanse for x-20 seconds to warm all of the polyethylene up and melt the plastic you're using to patch the kayak.[14]

    • If the plastic patch begins dripping or bubbling, stop heating it and wait 10-20 seconds before proceeding.

    Warning: Do not estrus the kayak directly for too long. You only desire to warm it up to make the two polyethylenes bind together.

  5. 5

    Spread and smooth the plastic out using a putty knife or screwdriver. Take hold of a putty pocketknife if the damage is really broad or flathead screwdriver if the damage is smaller or oddly-shaped. Apply the flat edge of your tool to spread the melted plastic around slowly. Keep moving the melted plastic until the surface of the kayak is flat and flush.[xv]

    • Y'all can repeat this process any number of times if you lot run out of patching plastic.
    • Utilize the tip of the putty knife or screwdriver to scrape up any excess plastic. Wipe the plastic off on a piece of newspaper or cloth.

  6. 6

    Expect xx-30 minutes for the plastic to dry and sand it if you want. The plastic will dry out pretty apace. Simply let information technology rest for twenty- to 30-minutes to give the plastic time to cure. Once it's dry, you tin leave it equally it is if you'd like. Alternatively, you can sand it downwardly with 200-dust sandpaper and paint it with spray paint.[xvi]

    • About people don't bother sanding or painting the damage if it isn't really noticeable or it's on the bottom of the hull.

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  1. 1

    Buy a patch from the manufacturer if yous can to match the plastic. If you take a hole that goes all the way through the hull, first email or call the manufacturer. Inquire them if they accept any plugs or flake plastic to repair the damage. If they do, pay for it to get shipped for yous. This is the ideal manner to patch the hole.[17]

    • If yous bought the kayak recently, the manufacturer may embrace the damage with your warranty. They may but transport you a brand new kayak if you ask.
    • Patching a thru hole is pretty hard. It can certainly exist done, but the finished product may not look the best.

    Warning: Do not take your kayak into deep water when you lot're washed if you lot're patching a thru hole in the bottom of your boat. It will nonetheless exist fine for creeks and shallow rivers, only in that location's always a chance that a hole on the bottom will reemerge. If you're out in deep water when this happens, yous could end up in problem.

  2. 2

    Grab some scrap polyethylene if you can't purchase a patch. If you tin can't get a concur of some plastic from the manufacturer, you can patch the hole with a thick piece of #2 plastic. Get a bucket made out of polyethylene to create your patch.[xviii]

    • If possible, go a plastic bucket that is roughly the aforementioned color as your kayak.

  3. 3

    Trim the plastic to be 1⁄2  in (1.three cm) bigger than the hole. Have the saucepan or scrap plastic and concur it under the hole. Trace around the edges of the hole with an erasable marker. Then, take some tin snips and cutting around the outline to make the plastic a 1⁄2  in (1.3 cm) bigger than the hole you're patching.[19]

    • This is pretty difficult to exercise in ii-3 cuts. You may need to cutting small portions off 1 at a time until you tin can shape the plastic to match your kayak.

  4. 4

    Place the plastic over the hole and begin melting it with a heat gun. Put on a pair of thick work gloves. Ready the plastic down over the hole and line the edges upwards so that the patch sits over the kayak. Accept your estrus gun and set it to low. Move the rut gun effectually to soften up the patch and melt it. Try to avoid melting the portion of the plastic surrounding the patch.[20]

    • If the middle of the patch starts drooping downwards in the middle, carefully prop information technology up from underneath with your gloved finger. If your finger starts to get hot, grab a piece of chip wood to hold information technology upwardly from underneath.

  5. 5

    Push button the edges of the patch inside the seam with your gloved finger. Be careful as you do this and work slowly to avoid burning your finger. Gently push the patch into the hole so that the edges lucifer. If the plastic hardens at any point, reheat it for 5-10 seconds to re-cook information technology. If the plastic patch starts drooping, caryatid it up from the other side with your gloved finger.[21]

  6. 6

    Look for the patch to dry and sand information technology with 200-grit sandpaper. Wait 20-30 minutes for the plastic and the kayak to dry out. One time the surface has hardened, catch a sheet of 200-grit sandpaper and gently run it over the patch and surrounding area to smooth it down. So, experience free to paint the area using spray paint if you'd similar.[22]

    • You can cover the seam betwixt the patch and the kayak with a plastic weld rod or Lexel caulk to seal information technology if y'all'd similar a cleaner stop.

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  • The pop repair method back in the day was to use a plastic welding rods to repair the impairment. Y'all can still do this if that's how you were taught, but it's wildly inefficient and requires in-depth noesis of welding materials. This is no longer the most popular method for kayak repair.[23]

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  • Do non take your kayak into deep water if you patch a thru pigsty on the bottom of the kayak. If the repair ever fails, you lot could terminate up in trouble.

  • Y'all cannot use silicone caulk to seal a hole. The caulk may work for a short period of time, but it won't bond with the polyethylene for long and the repair piece of work will autumn off in the water pretty chop-chop.[24]

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Things You'll Need

  • Sandpaper
  • Newspaper towels
  • Rubbing booze
  • H2o
  • Butane torch
  • Rubber gloves
  • Soap (optional)
  • Drill (optional)
  • Airplane pilot drill fleck (optional)
  • 2-part epoxy
  • Plastic loving cup
  • Nitrile gloves
  • Mixing stick
  • Heavy objects
  • Dry cloth
  • Scrap plastic (#2)
  • Tin can snips
  • Gloves
  • Pliers or channel locks
  • Oestrus gun
  • Putty pocketknife or flathead screwdriver
  • Sandpaper (optional)
  • Patch or chip plastic (#2)
  • Can snips
  • Erasable marker
  • Sandpaper
  • Estrus gun
  • Gloves
  • Sandpaper
  • Wood block (optional)

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Kayak-Hole

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