anyway hi,im karl…long time lurker,been shaping a while…im on board number 11…some good some not!
anyhow ive just finished shaping a kiteboard(surfboard) from pu foam brought from homeblown uk.id like to try epoxy on it…so my question(s) are can i on this blank(homeblown website suggests i can) can i still use the same cloth?anything i need to know different with epoxy? and also can i glass this as normal or do i HAVE to vacumn bag it… ooo and while im here…could i still do glass on fins with epoxy? i sort of know the answers but id like to run it past you guys who know before i go ahead…thanks in advance!
Epoxy is compatible with PU (Problems happen with PE on polystyrene blanks). No vac bagging is necessary, but it will give you a lighter stronger laminate, it takes a few tries to get vac bag glassing close to right, adds a bit of cost to your board too…
Most important tip for using epoxy is to get your mix ratio right. Its not like PE where you can kick it as you desire, there is one resin to hardener ratio that is right, messing with this ratio will not slow down or speed up curing, it will leave you with a bad, sticky uncured glass job. Different hardeners are available for different cure times. Also, your mix ratio will be different if you measure by volume or by weight, so be sure you have the right ratio for your measurement method.
There are several nuances to using epoxy vs PE resin search the archives and you will find it all. Here’s a recent thread to start you off http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/couple-epoxy-tips. have fun with it