Say No to Sealer Coats
A short post on an important subject.
A persistent piece of advice that crops up in canoebuilding discussions concerns sealer coats. Some builders suggest a sealer coat of epoxy before applying fiberglass, with the intention of creating a nicer finish on the final product. Don't be tempted! Sealer coats don't work and can put all your hard work at risk.
The strength of our building system comes from the epoxy saturating the cloth and bonding to the wood fibres. This will not occur if you seal the wood before putting on the glass. You'll get the strongest boat and the best finish by doing what Ted describes in Canoecraft.
We try to correct the misapprehension whenever it appears on our own Builders Forum, but if you ever run across a debate over sealer coats, hopefully this will help prevent mistakes down the line. Happy building!
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