How to make your own keel guards for your kayak

If you are like me and are hard on your kayaks then you can not afford to not to this. I have done several kayaks this wy and to me its the best way to do it. Come along with me as I show you this step bystep process on how to make keel guards for your kayak.
Materals used
table saw
heat gun
grinder
any 2 part epoxy
kydex sheets from amazon. I recomend a minimum of .10 thick
www.amazon.com...

[@adwhite804]

Silicone sealant works just as good if not better my dog! Epoxy is a no go, mainly because 2 part epoxies all use a heat fusion which doesn’t come off of plastics very well…. Considering epoxy is “plastic”. I can only speak to this because o have worked with epoxy for Atleast 5 yrs probably longer. I use it for art works, casting, and anything where it can fit the bill, including taping off yur yak and basically making your own kydex or fiberglass hull guard. Sure it take a bit more time for drying. But , it molds perfectly to the shape of the boat with not wrinkles, it can be layered to a desired thickness.. and I use old jeans as the “fiber “ and I have even bleached the Jean material, and stained it to colors of the yak and it’s basically looks the same or “integrated “ only it’s about 1/4 thick after 5 layers. Then you can cut it with a grinder and add a design on the cuts if your use a contrasting color .. either way, ends up being as good as kydex… and you don’t have to use 12-18 inch pieces. This can be custom fitted to any yak! Great video regardless big dog!!! DIY is the way to go, freakin hill guard tape ( basically thick rubber tape) is 2-400$)… epoxy and goodwill jeans and some time and effort…. Maybe 59 bux… only difference is, they fit perfectly, and I make 2 maybe 3 sets for the price of one. So , I got 10+ years of hull protection for my yak.

[@estevansanchez9639]

Do you lay the jeans on the plastic and just start layering the epoxy? I really like this idea.

[@BobberDog]

@@estevansanchez9639 yes please tell us

[@archr610]

This is a great idea, however, applying that much heat directly to your boat can be dangerous, as you can end up softening part of the hull to the point of distortion.. Ask me how I know.. Need to give your viewers a heads up about that.., Also,that's not the way to mix epoxy, on the work piece. I would never trust a bond done like that. You want to shoot for a 50/50 mix (that's why the applicator is designed as it is) and mix on a smooth flat surface and blend well, then apply to your work piece. Just my 2 cents.

[@shanecoon6895]

I did use a 50/50 epoxy applicator. Where you mix at in my opinion does not matter as long as it's mixed well. Have had no issues with doing it this way yet. Not saying it can't. Thank you for your input. Maybe others can use it.

[@robertsandidge441]

Start with tape if it fails go epoxy 🤷🏻‍♂️no brainer

[@yakkensteinfishing]

Looks pretty good! Good demonstration.

[@shanecoon6895]

Thank you very much

[@georgegintonis5157]

I used plastic electrical tubes of PVC

[@shanecoon6895]

Man that's a great idea. Heck of a lot cheaper than Kydex

[@JohnStoneNC]

@@shanecoon6895 Go with the thinner schedule 40 stuff....makes it much easier to form to the keel/hull.

[@shanecoon6895]

@@JohnStoneNC good point. I personally like the thicker stuff. It moves really well.

[@Josey4u]

Dude. That's an awesome how-to. I need to do this to my boat.

[@shanecoon6895]

Oh we will!

[@haroldsams-hs]

did the epoxy hold like you thought it would? and how well did the kydex hold up? thanks a bunch for the great video!

[@brucemitchell4581]

Good job buddy looks great & probably going to serve you well for many years to come! I’m going to do the same thing on my canoes and kayak got 4 in total ! Thanks 😊

[@shanecoon6895]

Good luck. Let me know how it goes.

[@sergiolopez5652]

At what size di u cut the strips

[@dalebeasley3113]

Does this effect the tracking or glide of the yak

[@shanecoon6895]

@@dalebeasley3113 not at all

[@503SteelKill]

Awesome! I will be doing this to my Old Town AP120.

[@shanecoon6895]

Let me know how it goes

[@robh.995]

has anyone used this with double sided tape? also what thickness of kydex is recommended

[@shanecoon6895]

Yes I know guys who have. It works too. Just get good stuff. I used .112 thick

[@dbsean]

Did you put the textured side down on the kayak with the shiny side facing up? Any specific prep of the kydex or kayak surfaces? i.e. Alcohol to clean, sandpaper to rough either surface up for better bonding?

[@rodbrown8306]

Something I need to do for sure, thanks for the tips mate! ....Love all the rods buddy, look well equipped, and God Bless too!

[@ryandevore7933]

I have a wilderness atak 140 how hard is it to bend the kydex on the curve of the bow? I am having trouble at the curve so any info would be great

[@mlangfordcamper]

That ways works pretty goods I will try's this on mines kayak so anywayz have a good day one and sees you on the water

[@robh.995]

hey dude, thanks for the vid! How has this held up??

[@shanecoon6895]

My Oldtown I did last season is still holding strong almost a year later.

[@rodneyhendrickson9811]

Great video man I'm going to do the same thing on my kayak this summer I'm in Indiana now and it's very cold out like 23 and 19 for the lows I see that it's been a year that you did this video Witch Glue held up the best So I'II know witch glue to buy Thanks for sharing man I like the way you used the tape to hold that down when it was hot

[@JasonStewartsStreak]

Why not use 100% silicone? It was my first thought when considering this.

[@tombosanko3085]

Question. Where is the blade guard on the table saw?

[@gerardohuerta6925]

Nice. I've seen other videos that use 3M tape, but that didn't make sense to me. This makes much better sense to epoxy it on. I agree with u that once it's on, u don't want it too come off.

[@bobbyhogan9207]

I have been looking for a video on the process to Kydex my OT. Thanks for the video and suggestions 👊😎

[@shanecoon6895]

No problem 👍

[@michaelhale4041]

I have a lifetime kayak. I can not find any type of 2 sided tape that will stick to it. Any ideas.

[@shanecoon6895]

2 part epoxy

[@georgegintonis5157]

Goodevening

[@leechapman7848]

Good Job, I would epoxy them down to

[@shanecoon6895]

Right on

[@visa1960]

How thick is the kydek

[@shanecoon6895]

.08

[@fishntools]

3M 5200 marine adhesive will NEVER let go!

[@lickitysplit2413]

Problem with epoxy it is not shock resistant the epoxy dries hard like superglue and it will eventually pop off when it ages due to a strike from an object. Double sided tape has its issues too due to being adhered to polyethylene. It is hard to get anything to stick well to poly!

[@rickss69]

Marine 5200