Fiberglass or Carbon Fiber?

Kurt Lach

New Member
Just in the beginning stages of my first restoration project on a 1941 Old Town 15’ #50. While pulling the screws to remove the decks, I started pulling down on what I expected to be canvas and was greeted with this. My first thought was fiberglass, but my glider buddy thought it looked like carbon fiber.

The section I pulled came off relatively easy and left little residue on the planks. I’m hoping this remains the case when I get to removing the rest, but I’m guessing that’s a pipe dream. My buddy said that I might be lucky and that they just did a crap job.

Any thoughts on the material? Thanks in advance for your help!
 

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Judging by the closeup showing the side which was up against the wood, I'd say it's probably fiberglass and simply getting the dark color from the paint on the outside showing through the glass. Carbon fiber usually tends to be blacker. As to the poor adhesion, there have been a lot of wooden canoes fiberglassed over the years using polyester resin. It doesn't stick all that well to wood. Even so, it is a very good idea to use a heat gun to soften the resin before trying to peel a spot, as there are likely to be some areas where peeling the glass off will take planking wood with it and need repair later.
 
Thank you, Todd. I’ll be sure to warm things up as I peel it off. The poor adhesion probably explains the large bubbles between the fiberglass and planks that are visible throughout the hull. Hopefully things come off without too much hassle. The #50 has only 1/8” thick planks, so I’m trying to be extra cautious.
 
Hey, Rod! It’s actually not that thick/heavy. I haven’t had any trouble carrying it around and loading it on the top of the car by myself.
 
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