My father was a surfer. He taught me how to surf at an age so young I dont remember my first wave. (I have film of it instead of the memories) Anyway, he is by all accounts now dying of cancer. In about 1970 he had a longboard custom made for him. About 15 years later he threw the board out in the side yard to die. Now he is trying to some things cleaned up around his place so he calls me up and tells me to take this board to the dump for him. I come to pick this thing up and you can see that the entire bottom has detached glass from sun damage. It has a stringer of black high-density foam going down the middle with a thin wood stringer on either side. It weighs a ton. Much heavier than I remember. I take the board home and throw it on the stands and pick up a saw. I’m intending to saw the thing into pieces and stick it in the trash. At the last second I grabbed a chunk of detached glass and pulled. Almost the entire bottom came off, and it came off with next to no foam damage. Same thing on the deck. I decide maybe I will use the foam to reshape a smaller board. The high density foam is water logged and I set it aside to dry. The blank lost about 3 pounds a day as it dried out. I started thinking about my dad dying and this board and I changed my mind about the whole thing. Got a little bit sentimental about it. I decided to bring the board back doing as little as possible. The foam has obviously turned brown on this thing. I used the discoloration the same way a body man uses a guide coat sprayed on top of primer. Just took the thing down evenly until the brown started to fade and most of the divots were out of it. I was planning to spray the foam and make the board look as new as possible, but I have changed my mind. Im leaving it. You can still see where the competition strip was (the foam underneath was white) and you can see where the logos were. It will look like an old board, which it is. It has more meaning form me the way it is. This leads me to the glassing. Since I have decided to embrace the boards oldness, I have procured some 7.5 Volan to encase the thing in. Now my problem. There is very thin seam that has opened up between the wood stringer and the foam on the bottom. (the side that faced the sun for 15 to 20 years) It does not carry through on to the other side of the blank. At first I planned to fill the seam before glassing to avoid what I figured would turn into air bubbles along the stringer. Then a buddy of mine brought me over a gallon of Suncure laminating resin. Now I am thinking about this and wondering. Since I have unlimited time to wet this thing out courtesy of this new resin, can I just keep working it until I get the seam filled in with laminating resin? Wait until the air bubbles stop coming before I push the thing out into the sun? If that approach won’t work, what should I use to fill the seam? I appreciate the input guys. I don’t want to screw this one up.
There are a lot of ways to approach the restoration. The most important thing is to be sure you do it and don’t discard the board. There will be times you’ll need to take that board for a surf, and not because of it’s riding characteristics. aloha
I’ve heard that Suncure and Solarez both can kick too hot (& turn brown) when doing fin rope or thicker applications than regular lam work. If you want to be super careful it might pay to either get some foam filler (fiberglass supply co. sells a product for this) and fill the space first, or do the fill with resin in layers so the cure is more controllable. Good luck with this. Sounds like a great project. Eric PS: I’m thinking of trying to peel & repair an old board myself, can you post the results on the board here?>>> My father was a surfer. He taught me how to surf at an age so young I dont > remember my first wave. (I have film of it instead of the memories) > Anyway, he is by all accounts now dying of cancer. In about 1970 he had a > longboard custom made for him. About 15 years later he threw the board out > in the side yard to die. Now he is trying to some things cleaned up around > his place so he calls me up and tells me to take this board to the dump > for him. I come to pick this thing up and you can see that the entire > bottom has detached glass from sun damage. It has a stringer of black > high-density foam going down the middle with a thin wood stringer on > either side. It weighs a ton. Much heavier than I remember. I take the > board home and throw it on the stands and pick up a saw. I’m intending to > saw the thing into pieces and stick it in the trash. At the last second I > grabbed a chunk of detached glass and pulled. Almost the entire bottom > came off, and it came off with next to no foam damage. Same thing on the > deck. I decide maybe I will use the foam to reshape a smaller board. The > high density foam is water logged and I set it aside to dry. The blank > lost about 3 pounds a day as it dried out. I started thinking about my dad > dying and this board and I changed my mind about the whole thing. Got a > little bit sentimental about it. I decided to bring the board back doing > as little as possible. The foam has obviously turned brown on this thing. > I used the discoloration the same way a body man uses a guide coat sprayed > on top of primer. Just took the thing down evenly until the brown started > to fade and most of the divots were out of it. I was planning to spray the > foam and make the board look as new as possible, but I have changed my > mind. Im leaving it. You can still see where the competition strip was > (the foam underneath was white) and you can see where the logos were. It > will look like an old board, which it is. It has more meaning form me the > way it is.>>> This leads me to the glassing. Since I have decided to embrace the boards > oldness, I have procured some 7.5 Volan to encase the thing in. Now my > problem. There is very thin seam that has opened up between the wood > stringer and the foam on the bottom. (the side that faced the sun for 15 > to 20 years) It does not carry through on to the other side of the blank. > At first I planned to fill the seam before glassing to avoid what I > figured would turn into air bubbles along the stringer. Then a buddy of > mine brought me over a gallon of Suncure laminating resin. Now I am > thinking about this and wondering. Since I have unlimited time to wet this > thing out courtesy of this new resin, can I just keep working it until I > get the seam filled in with laminating resin? Wait until the air bubbles > stop coming before I push the thing out into the sun? If that approach > won’t work, what should I use to fill the seam? I appreciate the input > guys. I don’t want to screw this one up.
Thanks Tom. That actually brought a tear to my eye. I was thinking about the suncure thing and I thought of something else. If I assume that the laminating resin will flow into the crack and fill the seam, will enough light get in there to set it off? Will the reaction spread even though a lot of UV wont be making it down deep into the crack? Ill let you know how it goes Eric. I have my wife and kids out of town for the rest of the week, so this is the logical time to do this. I dont have to worry about the board getting pegged with balls, hockey sticks, etc and I can leave it in the middle of the garage for a few days.
My father was a surfer. He taught me how to surf at an age so young I dont > remember my first wave. (I have film of it instead of the memories) > Anyway, he is by all accounts now dying of cancer. In about 1970 he had a > longboard custom made for him. About 15 years later he threw the board out > in the side yard to die. Now he is trying to some things cleaned up around > his place so he calls me up and tells me to take this board to the dump > for him. I come to pick this thing up and you can see that the entire > bottom has detached glass from sun damage. It has a stringer of black > high-density foam going down the middle with a thin wood stringer on > either side. It weighs a ton. Much heavier than I remember. I take the > board home and throw it on the stands and pick up a saw. Im intending to > saw the thing into pieces and stick it in the trash. At the last second I > grabbed a chunk of detached glass and pulled. Almost the entire bottom > came off, and it came off with next to no foam damage. Same thing on the > deck. I decide maybe I will use the foam to reshape a smaller board. The > high density foam is water logged and I set it aside to dry. The blank > lost about 3 pounds a day as it dried out. I started thinking about my dad > dying and this board and I changed my mind about the whole thing. Got a > little bit sentimental about it. I decided to bring the board back doing > as little as possible. The foam has obviously turned brown on this thing. > I used the discoloration the same way a body man uses a guide coat sprayed > on top of primer. Just took the thing down evenly until the brown started > to fade and most of the divots were out of it. I was planning to spray the > foam and make the board look as new as possible, but I have changed my > mind. Im leaving it. You can still see where the competition strip was > (the foam underneath was white) and you can see where the logos were. It > will look like an old board, which it is. It has more meaning form me the > way it is.>>> This leads me to the glassing. Since I have decided to embrace the boards > oldness, I have procured some 7.5 Volan to encase the thing in. Now my > problem. There is very thin seam that has opened up between the wood > stringer and the foam on the bottom. (the side that faced the sun for 15 > to 20 years) It does not carry through on to the other side of the blank. > At first I planned to fill the seam before glassing to avoid what I > figured would turn into air bubbles along the stringer. Then a buddy of > mine brought me over a gallon of Suncure laminating resin. Now I am > thinking about this and wondering. Since I have unlimited time to wet this > thing out courtesy of this new resin, can I just keep working it until I > get the seam filled in with laminating resin? Wait until the air bubbles > stop coming before I push the thing out into the sun? If that approach > wont work, what should I use to fill the seam? I appreciate the input > guys. I dont want to screw this one up. GWS, hold on to the board forever, I lost me Dad 4 years ago to cancer. He was the most amazing woodcraftsman. He taught me the finer points that put me a step ahead of the pack. I re-did a Dewey and took only enough brown off to clean it up. New decal and put the comp stripe right back in the same place. What brand of board is it? Honor thy Mother and Father
GWS, hold on to the board forever, I lost me Dad 4 years ago to cancer. He > was the most amazing woodcraftsman. He taught me the finer points that put > me a step ahead of the pack. I re-did a Dewey and took only enough brown > off to clean it up. New decal and put the comp stripe right back in the > same place. What brand of board is it? Honor thy Mother and Father Hi Jim The board is nothing special to anyone but me. It was a William Dennis shaped by Bill Hubina. This was a very popular Ventura board label in the 70s that is now gone. Sorry to hear about your dad amigo. I guess no one gets out alive.