Board #1 feels like a failure

General Discussion
1

Alright, so I am new to shaping. Cut my first board out of an old lifeguard board and worked up a sweet mini longboard for my 5 yr old. The shaping went well but something went seriously wrong when bamboo/epoxy glassing (went with resin research). Got a resin set from Spearz and have been getting some bubbles in the bamboo fabric. I laid the deck and it got cool out and is still sticky after 4 days??? Thought epoxy would be better in the sun but things just got stickier and it is now sitting in the shop and I am pissed. If anyone can answer these questions please HELP!!!

-Why would it get stickier in warmth…is it UV activated or something?

-What should I do to ge things back on track?

-Anything wil help.

2

The resin isn’t UV cured. The mix ratio is 2 parts resin to 1 part hardener by fluid volume. The mix ratio by weight is I think 100 parts resin to 45 parts hardener. If the board is tacky all over you might not of used enough hardener. If it is only tacky in spots the resin and hardener might not have been thoroughly mixed.

Was it fast cure hardener? Fast cure starts to gel in about 30 min. to 1 hr. Slow cure hardener takes 3 to 5 hours.

3

I use RR 2000 all the time

I only have difficulties when I guess measure small batches for like small repairs

when I use a measuring device and mix larger quantities I have no problems

Its a 2 parts epoxy to 1 part hardner mix ratio

I think your ratio was off

4

Yep, sounds like the epoxy mix ratio is off or it wasn’t thoroughly mixed.

The fix: Peel the bamboo off and do it over. Should come off easily since the epoxy has not cured.

Use a lam roller to get rid of any bubbles. Shouldn’t be any bubbles if you secure the bamboo cloth tight to the blank.

PM me if you have any questions with bamboo glassing. Glad to help.

~Brian

www.greenlightsurfsupply.com

5

Ambient temp, mixing ratios, mixing consistency, and shelf life of product all can whack a surfboard. 1) Get a cheap digital scale like $9.00, weigh your resin out. 2) If it’s cold out microwave the resin portion for about 5-10 seconds max, this will thin out the consistency so, 3) you can mix the hardner for a full minute and get a real good mix. 4) make sure someone didn’t sell you old epoxy. I’m finding out that if it sits on the shelf too long it starts to break down and do funny things. If the retailer (not pointing fingers here, just a what if) doesn’t sell lot’s of epoxy, and it’s been sitting in a drum for 2 years, you might have a problem. Also use a splash or Additive F.

6

Being another newbie I have made the same mistake before. I had to sand off the tacky epoxy, gums up the sandpaper and uses ALOT of it.

It sounds like everyone else that has weighed in is on the money with my issues in the past, not getting the mix ratio right or not stirring it enough. Use a graduated mixing bowl, any shop has them or Home Depot. Also are you using a good stir stick, like a paint stir stick. That helps me make sure I have a good full mix.

To help with the bubbles try folding up your cloth and submerging it in a tray of epoxy to first get the cloth wet and a decent soak. Spread it out over the board, the cloth will have changed shape a bit so you made need to stretch it a bit here and there. After you have it spread out squeegee on more epoxy as needed to get a good finish.

Hope that helps.

7

Not to be rude but please do not fold your glass and dip it in a bucket of resin. I glass using epoxy quite often the trick is to measure your mix using a scale. If you have a hard time getting the cloth to saturate hold your squeegee at a lower degrree this will push the resinto into the cloth. folding up you cloth and dipping it will ruin the weave and that will hut the integrity of the board.

8

naturalelements,

sorry to hear about your troubles with the epoxy.

RR epoxy is really easy to work with and produces great results IF you follow the rules.

the problem that you had has been documented by dozens of first timers

and probably many many more who haven’t posted their failures/learning experiences. i’m

no super expert, i’ve only used it a few times but, many posts similar to yours scared me into

spending some quality time in the archives before my first time using RR. i have yet to have any

problems with the RR. knock on wood.

it’s all in the archives. near the top right of your screen is “search” and then a field for typing your

search words then a drop down box. put the dropdown box on “forums”, type things like “epoxy resin”

“resin research”, “epoxy won’t cure”, etc, etc, etc,. and just read for an hour or 2.

from memory, the common causes for problems like yours has been either:

a) improper mix ratio.

  • did you make absolutely sure that you mixed your epoxy 2:1? lots of people argue back and forth about

mixing by volume vs weight. bottom line seems to be that both ways produce acceptable results but the

ratio has to be adhered to STRICTLY!

b) not mixing enough.

  • did you stir it long enough? when you think you’ve stirred it long enough, stir it som more. then stir it some

more for good measure. Greg Loehr has said many times that epoxy doesn’t work like polyester resin. each of

the epoxy molecules needs to meet up with a hardener molecule. you have to mix it per Greg’s instructions.

something like 60 seconds if i remember correctly.

c) or contamination.

  • EVERYTHING has to be clean. free from oil, dirt, etc, etc,… you gotta be like Howie Mandell.

—before i typed any of this, i should have asked if you read this: http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=242323;page=1;mh=-1;guest=20585913;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC

it’s all here from the man himself…

good luck. let us know how you do…

9

failures are learning experiences.

I bet everyone here has a funny epoxy story.

let’s just say I learned the meaning of ‘pot life’ the hard way…

the best thing about fiberglass and resins is that you can always sand it down

and take a ‘do over’.

good luck!

10

Thanks Fellas for helping me out with this. I will work on a fix and post it soon. If there are other insights please feel free to post on this thread!

Peace,

Jeffrey

11

Ok one more thing I saw above. Epoxy will not allow itself to be forced into the cloth like poly resin. You must pour it out, and let it soak into the cloth. The more you walk it around the board, the more it will froth up and become crappy milky looking hack job glass job. Best results is to pour it out in long pours…baaaaack & forth,side to side, spread it out real slowly so it doesn’t froth & bubble up… walk away and let it soak in, then come back in a few minutes and do the lamination thing.

12

Resinhead and everybody else,

how do you guys remove the excess resin from the lam without making it froth?

are you guys/gals all still using the hard plastic spreaders or the flexy ones?

thanks,

Chris

13

Hello Naturalelements ,

I’ve never worked with bamboo cloth…Here’s my comments…

RR is a 2:1 mix by volume. If you chose to mix by weight make sure you get the ratio correct. It’s already been posted in this thread. Resinhead is a smart ass but he knowns his stuff…he’s a mentor and a friend…I mix by volume. Resinhead mixes by weight. You must stir your RR for 4 min. Slow and steady. No egg beaters. Just stir it slow and steady. Yes …stir it for 4 min. Scrape the sides ,rub the bottom , clean off the stick. Keep stirring. Watch the clock. After FOUR min you can stir some more if you want…I don’t need to microwave because after all that stirring the stuff is ready…Pour out all the resin…work it slow and steady…that’s how you do Resin Research…slow and steady…

I use a stiff squeege. Be careful , some of the yellow squeege’s “bleed”. Wipe down your new squeeges with acetone before use.

Go’n surfing…

Ray

14

aquire a tutor

have em stand there and tell you

stuff like now do this

now stop that now do that

now squeege it down now soak the lap now

di this now do that…

enventing der vheel

iiisss a burden no man should bear alone

“you learn more from failure than from suckcess”

I read that some where the other day

I owe some body a foot note

although I changed the spelling

to protect the innocent.

I scraped off and threw away 24’

of glass and wiped off with denatured

alchahol one whole sid for pennance.

taking one’s lumps is good medicinal training.

take heart the board dint catch fire

or melt one whole rail.

the board will be riding a wave some day.

I have deep faith

I am investing that faith in you and this board.

…ambrose…

before you add the resin to the catalyst

read the r.obliges epoxy primer in the archives

and manifest that tutor.

“The truth is out there”

fox mulder may have said that