Shows how to apply JB Weld Epoxy to protect your kayak bottom, keel J-B Weld 8280 Original Professional Size Steel Reinforced Epoxy - 10 oz. After two additional years of use report: • JB Weld Kayak Keel Pro...
FYI, I used JB Weld to repair a tear in the keel at the stern of my Hobie Revo. After a few months it began to break down. I’m not sure why unless the water caused it. I later used a 2 component marine epoxy which worked great.
Quick points here: 1. What was done is perfectly fine to the kayak, even the rough sanding isn't that bad, it can be heat treated back to a normal sheen at a later date if wanted. 2. The JB-Weld, while attached to the kayak IS a sacrificial layer and that's good. 3. If you did give it just a little effort, using say a plastic scraper, then that JB-Weld would lift easily and cleanly from the low surface energy PE surface. 4. Finally, if you ever want to make JB-Weld lay really smooth, use plain tap water and your hand...lots of water, smooth it out and let it dry...I've dressed up bad mig weld joints this way and you would never know it was JB-Weld once sanded and painted.
It has been a year since I applied the epoxy and not peeling off at all. My kayak has been dragged through sand and gravels for many launches. I think good sanding provided adequate adhesive surface.
It is mainly from surf launch and landing. Our loaded tandem kayak weighs approximately 150 lbs and with fish close to 200 lbs. I have to drag along sand, gravel, and rock along Sonoma and Mendocino coast (California) to launch and land.
Very well. You can see 2-year report: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3x-x-DzPH2Y.htmlsi=y57o3xMNk7RardSK and other related videos: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-d_EdhYLCVwA.htmlsi=FQgf6wxvPYkTtpu9
Hobies are a premium product. Probably stiffer that most polyethylene boats, plus a sit on top kayak is stiffer thicker material than a sea kayak or canoe. If any epoxy sticks to PE, it is a mechanical bond, not chemical. The little fibers raised by sanding are captured by the epoxy and holds the materials together. A thinner, cheaper PE boat would flex and no doubt, this repair would fall off. West Systems has a video where they cut a PE kayak in half and glue back together with G-flex. They abuse the kayak after and claim “as good as new”. I don’t think I would trust the repair, in the long term.
