A year ago I got this longboard that had a minor delam bubble on the deck. A year later it has grown to 1.5 feet wide by 1 foot long. It’s, uh, nasty. What’s the best way to beat this disease?
I’ve seen this repaired once by using a razor edge to slice out the bubble area. Then the area was reglassed. This seemed to work just fine but it looked like hell. Any input would be much appreciated, I love this board.
before reglassing, if it needs to be filled, use a little resin with microballoons and then sand flus with rest of foam. glass, sand, ready to ride.
buy or borrow a dremel-type tool with appropriate cutting disks. Much easier way to cut glass than with a razor and an 30 dollar investment that will pay for inself many times over.
Could this type of delam be injected with a syringe of microballons and resin and left to cure? It would return the board to its original shape, and also retain its original apperance, hence no re-glassing. I figure no more than 2 or 3 ounces of putty would be more than enough. Any thoughts/experience?
I have used the injection trick before. You need to make two or more holes in the glass, so the air can get out as it fills with resin. I have never done it on a big delam. But it does work on small one just fine. I think on this big of a delam I would go with the peal the glass off, fill with Q-cell, sand off and re glass. Or if your really like the board that a router and cut out about 1/2 inch of the foam and hot glue a pice of old surfboard foam in the hole. Sand down, and reglass. This would last a lot longer, then the Q-cell.
I’ve done this before also with mixed results. The injection route seems to work better with smaller delam patches. I wouldn’t use the q-cell at all. After all your not replacing a foam divot, your trying to restore the resin bond between the cloth and the blank.
The reason the foam and the glass is no longer bonded together is because the foam has been crushed to a depth that the glass could no longer yeild, and has loss its bound. If you just fill it with resin, it will add a lot of weight to the board. I have fixed delams and the foam has crushed down a lot 3/8 of a inch or so. If the size of the delam is 1.5 X.5 feet and 3/8 deep. It would take about 1lb of resin to fill it. That seems like a lot to add to a board to me.
Bagman, Could also be a catalyst blister. Sluggo
Thanks for the advice everyone. This bubble does resemble more of a catalyst blister than a crushed foam delam. I think i’ll try the injection route to bond the foam and cloth again. If that doesn’t work then I’ll do a little surgery.
Rough up the surface at the edge of the delam. Pencil around the edge of the delam. With a Dremel or small grinder, cut around of the longest side going half way around, leaving the shorter side intact. Try to grind only through the glass, but not the foam below. Mix a small batch of resin and add just enough white pigment (not much more than a couple of drops). It should look like water with a little milk. Catalyze and paint under the flap of glass, stuffing the brush all of the way to the back and covering the entire bare foam surface. No need to put the resin on too heavy. Keep the top (the side you surf on) surface of the delam free of resin. Fold the glass back down. Get a some blocks (I use scrap surfboard foam) that are at least 1 1/2" thick and lay them on the delam. Stretch [at least] 2" tape from the opposite rail over the blocks and pull tightly to the near rail. This will force the flap to adhere to the foam. When the whole thing is dry and hard, sand the excess resin smooth and sand the entire (formerly) delamed area. Cut a strip of fiberglass cloth to cover the seam and a large one to cover the entire area. Lay the strips down first over the seam that you have mended, then cover the entire area with the large cloth, over lapping the smaller strips. Laminate, hotcoat, sand and finish. Viola! The delam has almost vanished, and this is one of the easiest repairs there is!
…instead of blocks try sandbags,they work much better!Herb
Howzit Herb, sand bags work great especially since they contour into pressure dents, I’ve used them many times with good success. Aloha, Kokua
…YEAH,Kokua. …lead shot bags work great too,especially if you need more weight.Herb