Ookie Wonderslug wrote:
> I have a canoe that I am reworking. It's got a few holes in it and the
> keel board has chunks of fiberglass missing and deep cracks in the
> resin. Has anyone used a power planer on fiberglass as a way of
> removing it? Did it ruin your planer?
I don't recommend it. I'd look at using a scary-sharp chisel, and a
good file/rasp for removing the old fiberglass. I've also read, but
never tried using a heat gun.
Basically, expect to use a lot of elbow grease and patience.
> I should remove the cracked resin, shouldn't I?
Ideally, Yes.
> It's falling off in squarish chunks and doesn't
> look very safe. Also, on one side the outer layer of glass is
> seperating from the hull and I peeled most of it off. It's cool to add
> one layer of just resin, then a layer of glass fabric and then a
> gelcoat to make it smooth, right?
That's the basics to fiberglassing. I do this on all me wooden canoes
and kayaks. Try doing it like this instead. Lay the fibreglass down
dry, and pour your epoxy onto the cloth and work it into the weave, to
saturate the cloth and attach it to the canoe. Put a second coat of
expoxy down to fill the weave. Use a 3rd coat to build it up a bit
above the weave, so you can sand it smooth before putting on a
gelcoat/varnish. This is how I fiberglass wooden boats.
Don't forget to read your epoxy manual closely. It'll indicate how long
to wait between coats. If you wait too long, you have to sand, and you
want to avoid this. There is a window where you can add a 2nd coat to
curing epoxy and the 2 coats will chemically bond. This is much
preferred to the physical bond achieved if the 1st coat is fully cured
and had to be sanded.
>> Stay informed about: Planer on fiberglass? 
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