I had a discussion with my glass and resin supplier recently where i mentioned my glassing schedule of 6oz/10oz on a standard shortboard which i am using to increase longevity. The supplier mentioned that he only uses a 4oz/4oz schedule saying he lets his board cure for 3 weeks or longer prior to use which sufficiently strengthens up the 4oz of glass. He likened resin to concrete and noted this curing time allows the glass to adequately strengthen prior to use and avoid heavy glassing schedules.
Is this true?? can i avoid a heavy glass schedule by extending the curing time??
So… you’re using 6 oz. glass on the bottom, and 10 oz. on the deck? And your supplier recommended single layer 4 oz. on the bottom and single layer 4 oz. on the deck? What kind of blanks are you using? What kind of weights are you getting on your shortboards, that you consider too “heavy”?
Have you tried 6 oz. deck, 4 oz. bottom, with a 4 oz. deck patch, and a 4 oz. tail patch?
I’m using PU foam with polyester resin. Last board I used 6oz bottom with a 6oz top with 40oz deck patch exactly as you said. Weight was fine but I dented the lighter glassed top area(6oz only) on the very first surf!! I dont think weight is too much of an issue for me as i barely notice it surfing, which is why i was going to 6/4 the whole top layer which is when the glass supplier mentioned his light schedule. By longevity I just wanted to avoid having the deck being smashed up so quickly. As Mattwho said boards are disposible so i may as well just get used to it.
Have you ever heard of people using 4oz only on top and curing for longer?
I’m using PU foam with polyester resin. Last board I used 6oz bottom with a 6oz top with 40oz deck patch exactly as you said. Weight was fine but I dented the lighter glassed top area(6oz only) on the very first surf!! I dont think weight is too much of an issue for me as i barely notice it surfing, which is why i was going to 6/4 the whole top layer which is when the glass supplier mentioned his light schedule. By longevity I just wanted to avoid having the deck being smashed up so quickly. As Mattwho said boards are disposible so i may as well just get used to it.
Have you ever heard of people using 4oz only on top and curing for longer?
6+4 (patch) is pretty standard, I think, and for a reason. The way to get away with less glass on the deck, IMO, is go with a denser, heavier foam. Its all relative, depending on your personal circumstances, and what you want out of a board. Mattwho’s boards are ridden harder, and in harsher conditions, than mine are, I’ve seen pics to prove it, and I’ve seen them in action, so I know that. Still, my boards get out 3-4 times a week most weeks, and last me for years, dings and dents are pretty rare for me. But I like a heavier glass schedule, I glass with epoxy over poly foam, I generally use a denser blank that mattwho, and I have a lot of boards, which I rotate quite a bit. Guys who like really light boards tend to go with EPS blanks and epoxy resin, but US Blanks has some lightweight poly blanks that some people like too. You have a lot of choices, if you are in an area with a good supply shop. Going 4 oz. only on the deck, with extra cure time, is not a viable option IMO. At least I know it isn’t for me.
No , it isn’t true …every board will suffer the consequences if it’s used before the resin is properly cured , regardless of the glassing schedule…suppliers tend to lean towards theories that help sell more of the products that they stock…probably more subconsciously , than intentionally …it’s the byproduct of modern manufacturing that has crept in incrementally …less durable products create more demand and therefore better sales figures… engineered obsolescence is a means for business to increase end sales , reduce manufacturing costs by cutting corners and generally make more money…all at the expense of the consumer … it also increases (substantially) , the potential commercial value of great big holes in the ground , because that’s where most of the substandard products end up.
A full cure is important. But not 3 weeks with modern resin and proper temps. Is it super cold where you live? Your question is valid but…too many varibles…
and if the glasser sanded it…it’s ready to surf !!!..Ray
Could be the foam density as well as how much skin you take off the deck which will expose softer foam every pass you take.
Also, the more catalyst you add to polyester resin, the more brittle it becomes as it cures faster than the molecules can fully cross-link. A long, slow cure with 1% MEKP or so will increase the lamination strength.
I now put a 1/4 length 4 oz ‘S’ patch in deck starting at the tail to fight off the knee dents from duck diving in addition to my regular glassing schedule on short boards. If I duck dive enough and dent the board up near the stringer, I have to add a patch later anyway or by a stomp pad; and I don’t like stomp pads.