Fibreglass Repair large hole in kayak: Complete Guide

[@soihavetoplay]

Very well explained, you are a professional

[@TheBalanceBlueprint-FFC]

Hey, great video, just as an easier step, instead of cutting everything out at the start, its easier to brace up the damaged area, then lay up 2 sheets of chopped mat on the inside, that way you get a perfect profile, once cured, just grind away the damaged glass. FYI im an advanced composite repairer on aircraft and carbon fibre, and thats what i do.

[@doug759]

how can the damaged material be ground off once the inside is cured? is it all not bonded together now?

[@larstrans789]

This was very useful. Thanks🎉

[@jeffreybrown2315]

I learned so much from your video, I never knew you could repair a Kayak on your own without paying a professional, I am signing up on your channel so I don't miss any future videos Jeff

[@willlawson2304]

Thanks Jeffrey !

[@mkbrooks8398]

Really helpful video (once again). Your instructions are really clear. Thanks

[@tommycheshire5508]

Excellent work. Excellent instruction. Thank you.

[@kathyjoyce1196]

Great explanation repairing a hole in a kayak. I would never realised it's possible to repair such a large area of damage. It's good you also demonstrated the safety aspects as well! You certainly did a great job on the kayak, and it looked perfect at the end of the video:)

[@johnjohn4762]

Thanks for sharing that information. The details were great and the whole video was very informative! Very useful. Thanks!

[@WillLawson]

thanks for watching!

[@ssives]

Great video Will! I have some fiberglass experience - but your video definitely showed me a better way of doing things!

[@kenniebernard6086]

Grand job Will, Very easy to follow step by step feel I could do it so long as I have this tutorial by me. wish you the best

[@jchambers1191]

I was looking for a refresher to repair some small cracks in my wood kayak. Very well done - thank you for sharing your technique and your work!

[@markbailey2974]

Great video Will. Simple and easy steps to follow, and i like the fact that you have listed all the equipment you used. I have a friend who has a Kayak with a similar problem and tried patching it up, but it only lasted a few months before it needed repairing again. I'm going to make sure he watches the video for future. Thanks for sharing, Mark.

[@manuelathames9075]

Very cool! I learnt a lot and it's so cool to see that we can do so many things on our own with just someone giving us some instructions. The video is well done, not too long and the instructions are easy to follow. Thanks!

[@Msfchanengclass]

Thanks for your sharing here! It's so informational. This is a really helpful video helping people who want to repair their Kayak. Very clear!

[@WillLawson]

thanks for watching!

[@kodacena21]

Great instructional video. I found it very interesting. I would have probably trashed the kayak, but you did an amazing job of bringing it back to life.

[@jeffreybrown2315]

I enjoyed this video so much I had to watch it and share it again, so support this video by sharing to your social media pages Jeff

[@Beyondthebackyard-au]

Good quality video. I have recently taught myself to glass. Done a few kayak restorations now, one was a hole about the same size, that was an interesting job. Due to access issues I couldn't get in behind the hole so I had to use foam, which meant I then had to use epoxy resin. Still it turned out quite well.

[@bryceknielsen6032]

I am not much of a handyman, and I doubt I would ever try any repairs that take so much time and effort. However, it was fascinating to watch and you obviously know exactly what you are doing. I'm glad you are sharing this information with the world.

[@robinsonqldrobinsonqld1886]

Very good tutorial With your info I’m going to give it a go

[@johnhenderson2913]

Awesome video thanks for making it!🤙🏽

[@nadineleddy6977]

This is awesome I own my own kayak living on a lake and would have never thought to try and fix a hole on my own. Your video is very easy and clear to follow, I already have most of the tools and am familiar with working with resin I think even I could do this. Thanks very much I have subscribed for future videos

[@WillLawson]

Thats awesome Nadine, glad you enjoyed it!

[@UguysRnuts]

Much better than the average YT instructional, still, would benefit from more detail, especially in the fairing and finishing phase, for which, a dedicated cameraman is really essential. I do a lot of fibreglass repair and building to my own fleet, always using epoxy resin instead of weaker and cheaper polyester. In this case though, polyester resin would be the better material so as not to create a hard spot in the hull.

[@rockycoleman2638]

Good video mate I want to learn how to put my clobber on with a flick of me fingers

[@sojokel6567]

What a great job! You explained everything very well ! Although I did not see in the video, did you repair from the inside of the kayak as well? what I mean is, did you patch it with the fiberglass and resin from the inside as you did the outside? Thank you for showing the safety gear necessary for working with the fiberglass and resin.

[@WillLawson]

thanks for watching! yes patched the inside as well, was a little difficult to film the inside process though :)

[@LeadershipGrowth]

Hey, Great video. I love how swift it is and straight to the point. I am pretty rubbish with DIY so I could definitely benefit from your channel. I have subscribed and I am looking forward to your future videos. Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work. All the best, Tom

[@luckythomo9562]

That was a clear and easy to understand video tutorial. Now I know also on how to repair a crack on fiberglass. One question is the wood you used to hold the fiberglass in-shape, what makes it not to stick to the fiberglass? Thanks again for the easy to follow tutorial video.

[@WillLawson]

A layer of double sided tape between the wood and fibreglass does the trick

[@andreagatti6334]

Great job! I wouldn't ever think you could repair such a big hole on a kayak. Wow, I'm impressed. Instead of the acetone is it ok to some other acid product? Is there a particular reason why you are using the acetone? Thanks for your help. I wish you the best. Andy

[@WillLawson]

You can also use a wax and grease remover! Septone makes a good quality one if needed. Thanks for the question.

[@دموعالورد-ت6ب6ز]

I want to open a fiberglass repair shop. Will it work for cars?

[@pernyqvist5677]

Very good and instructive video. One question, what kind of paint did you use? You need some kind of gel coat or epoxy to cover and protect the fiberglass I guess?

[@WillLawson]

Thanks for the comment, I used 3 coats of primer filler, then 3 coats of acrylic , 3 coats of clear coat on top of that to seal it. 🙂

[@pablocesaropaso3401]

Just a question ! .. Inside fiberglass is not necessary?

[@desmondmarais6895]

Pity there isn’t ready made thin fibreglass sheets that could’ve been used on the inside instead of the wooden backing material. A thin sheet would give perfect form. You did a good job nice surface finish.

[@nachowithan.a1386]

awesome! Did you remove the wood from the inside?

[@WillLawson]

Sure did! 🙂

[@nachowithan.a1386]

@@WillLawson awesome! So 3 layers of fiberglass is strong enough?

[@WillLawson]

@@nachowithan.a1386 I think so! Considering the kayak originally only had 1 layer it was originally used for river racing so it's quite light on the amount of fibreglass 😂 I did notice however the very front and rear has epoxy over it as a bit of extra strength. All the best👍

[@nachowithan.a1386]

@@WillLawson Thanks!

[@kenwebster5053]

Um, you should't sand before adding subsequent layers. There are 2 types of resin, laminating and finishing. Laminating resin has a low wax content. This means there is insufficient wax to seal the surface from the air and this means that the new resin surface does not fully cure which makes it ideal for chemically bonding subsequent laminate or a finish such as flow coat. By sanding, you have removed the bonding surface and this will result in a weakness between the laminate, leaving it more prone to separation than if you had not sanded. Also, 1 day is not sufficient time for full cure. While it seems hard, it is still not fully cured. Full cure takes a week or two before reaching water impermeability for example. Also, I would add that most laminate kayaks would only have 2 layers of 450gsm glass except for a diamond area under the cockpit (which is a wear and stress zone). That is/was a racing kayak and would normally be laminated in woven fabric rather than chopped strand to substantially reduce the weight or resin. Glass/resin ratio for chopped strand is 1:2.5 while woven is 1:1.5 if memory serves me, so that is a big weight difference because the strength is in the glass & not the resin. If you want to keep the boat light, use woven cloth of the same GSM and reserve chopped strand matt for tight and complex curves that can't be done in cloth. Top marks for doing one layer inside and one out though as that increases bonding surface area. Note that Finishing resin and flow coat have a high wax content. The wax migrates to the surface and seals it from the air which allows the resin to fully cure right to the surface. Laminating resin and Gelcoat have low wax content so that air at the surface inhibits cure which improved chemical bonding with subsequent layers within several days. If these materials are exposed to water withing a couple of weeks, the surface is likely to turn milky. After which, it will never fully cure and this milkiness will reoccur with subsequent exposure to moisture. This does not happen with the finishing products though.

[@bend3rbot]

A P2 mask is entirely inadequate for fibreglass resin fumes. Use a filter pod mask with appropriate elemental pods to filter carcinogenic out of the resin fumigated air you are breathing.

[@PaddleDogC5]

You left out a major part of the finale finishing. I would have most of original hull to maintain shape.

[@peterraikman]

What's the word, please, at 36/37secs after hardener. Sounds like "wipeshabee"

[@OrangeCrusader]

'black Sharpie', a permanent marker

[@HEKOT77]

If you do this job for anyone you don't like, it's ok. Otherwise use epxy resin and cloth instead of polyester resin and mat.