I cannot picture the size of the area you intent to flatten on your canoe.
When I repair my dinghy and also the lead keel on my sailboat I use a 14 " body file mounted on a Adjustable Body File Holder. You can purchase this at any auto body supply shop or borrow one.
As for your power planer you may want to try it on a small area first. Some sailboat builders have use power planer with carbine blades to remove damages fibreglass caused by osmosis on the bottom of the hull with success. This operation requires the right safety equipment and I do not recommend it for a small canoe (16'-0") In my case the Body File works well and gives me more control. At time I have use a wood chisel and gouge to remove lumps. Then I use a coarse grit open coat sand paper and gradually work to finer grits.


"Ookie Wonderslug" wrote in message ...
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 should remove the cracked
resin, shouldn't I? 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? I mean. that should be ok for a
canoe that won't be under power other than paddles. Shouldn't it?
I don't want to get a few miles from the car downstream this summer
and have it come apart on me. If I cover it good like I described it
won't matter what the underlying hull is like as long as it's strong,
or is that line of thinking going to get me soaked?

But will the resin ruin my planer if I use it to remove all the old
resin off of the keel board that runs down the center. And that gets a
layer of fiberglass mat when I reglass it so rocks won't ruin it, if I
remember right. Hope I do.

Am I fixing to have a bad boating day when I get finished with this
thing?