My husband and I have just removed all the old paint from our old town canoe and need to put a patch on the canvas. About 3x5 inches. How do we go about doing this and should we put a layer of sealer on the whole canoe before we repaint it. We have taken on this project and are really not sure what we are doing. Hope someone can help us. Thanks Betty
how to put on a canvas patch
- Thread starter k8gtv
- Start date
Steve Ambrose
Nut in a Canoe
Cut a piece of canvas slightly larger than the damaged area and work it under the filled canvas skin through the existing hole. Take your time and work it around until it's nice and flat against the planking. Soak the patch and damaged area with ambroid glue and press it all flat to dry. I sometimes use fairing epoxy to help smooth out a rough patched area.
If the filler is in good shape and the old paint isn't flaking off just sand the boat well and apply new paint.
If the filler is in good shape and the old paint isn't flaking off just sand the boat well and apply new paint.
I did a patch on mine using a piece of cotton shirt, though mine was only about an inch and half long. I was going to use canvas but found it was going to leave a lump whereas the cotton fabric is barely noticeable after paint and has held up fine. As Steve says, take your time and make sure the patch is glued to the canvas only, you don't want it glued to the wood. As for ambroid glue, nigh impossible to find in my neck of the woods, I had to use the best alternative I could find from the hardware store and has held fine. Forget what brand it was but stays a little rubbery when dry. Good luck
Gary
Gary
KAT
LOVES Wooden Canoes
Ambroid is difficult to find around here too but is available in canada here... http://www.nbcanoe.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_2_90
Not 100% relavent but a consideration to the above posts is to bevel the edges next to the patch. It's very difficult to do but the aircraft guys do it on fabric covered aircraft. Another might be to put wax paper or saran wrap under the patch edges. I tried a patch this afternoon and found the beveling very difficult. The patch was glass & resin with wax paper underneath. The rectangular squiggles are from saran wraped blocks holding down the canvas.
For a very thin patch like garyh mentioned and a short off the patch area to existing area possibly pinking the edges would help. Penn Yan did that on the fabric covering transom edges which did not extend far onto the transom from the side edges, more edge more grab.
Greg Nolan
enthusiast
I believe that you can order Ambroid from Rollin Thurlow at Northwoods Canoe Company for $5 a tube.
http://www.wooden-canoes.com/material.htm
For a discussion of Ambroid and possible substitutes, including Duco cement, see
http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?2994-Amberoid-glue&highlight=duco
http://www.wooden-canoes.com/material.htm
For a discussion of Ambroid and possible substitutes, including Duco cement, see
http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?2994-Amberoid-glue&highlight=duco
patch on canoe
Thank you all so much for your help. All good ideas and very helpful.
Thank you all so much for your help. All good ideas and very helpful.
