Repairing a canvas tear

matthew alan buemi

Curious about Wooden Canoes
So my dad built a canvas canoe in the 70s- it’s been stored in a barn and I want to get it patched up. I’ve been trying to find any information for a few years now- and seems to be 100 different opinions on the subject.

canvas patch- ambroid glue- which can’t be found- duco cement- epoxy- fillers - paint- etc.

Can anyone recommend how to repair a 6” tear? I bought some canvas to slap on- should I just find a decent two part epoxy that’s waterproof to adhere the canvas to it?

appreciate any advice I’m determined to fix it up this season- just finding an awful lot of differing opinions. Thank you
 
Pictures would help. Depending on the number of tears, and the overall condition of the canvas, it might be time to simply re-canvas...
 
Hi Matthew,

In a sense, Howie's suggestion is spot on in that a temporary repair is just that; it's temporary and meant to simply get you going again. To "do it right" ultimately means a new canvas if the canvas is appraching 50 years old and has a significant tear. But to "slap on a pieve of canvas" to get it back in the water, probably many of the suggestions you'be been given will work solutions. That's one reason you're getting so many different answers - because different people have had success in different ways.

If you want something that performs like Ambroid, one of these products might help:

Loctite Vinyl, Fabric & Plastic:
https://smile.amazon.com/Loctite-Pl...astic+flexible+adhesive&qid=1591414260&sr=8-6

Aquaseal:
https://smile.amazon.com/Gear-Aid-A...id=1591414372&sprefix=aquaseal,aps,344&sr=8-2

Seamgrip:
https://smile.amazon.com/Gear-Aid-A...id=1591414372&sprefix=aquaseal,aps,344&sr=8-2

Doing your repair with canvas is good, but you'll want to fill and paint the patch. And using one of these products rather than epoxy means greater flexibility at the repair, so the repair is less likely to fail, and it means less stuff adhering tenaciously to the hull whenever you do someday replace the canvas.

Hope this helps,
Michael
 
Boy, you made me remember: I have an original Old Town Repair Kit I got with a canoe a few years back. There's a couple of sections of canvas, a jar of paint (green), two bags each of 5/16" & 11/16" tacks, a bag of escutcheon nails, as well as a tube of Ambroid. I'm sure the Ambroid isn't viable any more though. Maybe I'll put it up in Classifieds... Someone might want it for a home display.

20200606_005951.jpg 20200606_010031.jpg
 
I have used clear gorilla tape and found it to hold up extremely well. It also almost disappears.
 
Thanks all- great answers - I’m not sure I’d be able to re canvas myself very easily. I have the canoe on our old summer home these days- just has a simple 8 acre pond- so I don’t need it to withstand a full on river expedition. Just wanted to take the kids out in something.
 
Use Gflex to glue the canvas patch over the tear. Use some to hide the weave of the new canvas and to fair in the patch. Paint after drying and scuffing slightly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MGC
Standard cheap Rustoleum. George Kirby can match any color on earth, but the Rustoleum gloss is hard to beat.
 
Back
Top