Im looking to buy tint/paint to mix with the resin to fill in for the finbox and leash plug. What is best to buy? I have used small amounts of waterbased paint in the past but am now second guessing myself. thanks everyone and be safe
I’m guessing you want pigment when you say “tint”. Pigment is what’s used to color resin. It comes in two basic versions, opaque and tint. Opaque is solid color, and tint is translucent. You can use the same stuff employed to color poly resin and it can be found at boat yards, marine supply stores, and even auto supply shops that carry auto body repair materials. It is nothing more than a coloring agent mixed with a liquid plasticiser.
If you use standard polyester pigment in epoxy , the epoxy with not cure normally , and will be much weaker…it will also become soft when exposed to prolonged sunlight…there are correct epoxy pigments available.
thanks for the info… I ended up getting the Opaque from a local art supply store and it worked great. had a few air bubbles but I should be able to grind them down. I dont have alot of experience with installing long board fin box so I have another question for the experienced out there ~~~ should i get a flap disk to grind it down with or what would be best?
80 grit, hard pad, 1200 rpm, do not dwell in one spot too long, stop just short of flush.
Angle grinders w/flap wheels are too aggresive-too much speed, too much bite, not enough flat.
Harbor Freight has their basic 7" variable speed sander on sale for 30$US with a coupon.
http://greenlightsurfsupply.com/pages/greenlight-surfboard-building-guide-page-4
-explains sanders, pads, and technique
great info!! one thing i notice while sanding down the hotcoat, I still have a few shinny spots so I noticed while reading that link the best thing to do is another “thin” hotcoat then sand down with 320 then 400… I was toying with the idea of using auto clear gloss and spray it on, but im thinking another hotcoat on epoxy will do the trick. has anyone used auto clear gloss before??
another hotcoat, or auto clear gloss finish? which one would be better?
If you have a nice smooth sanded fill coat the auto clear will be lighter and arguably more durable. It’s also quite a bit more expensive than say an epoxy or polyester gloss coat and the best results require some sort of spray equipment.
Nice board there!
I like the look of those shiny auto finishes, but don’t see the need on my own boards. Epoxy is low VOC and easy to work with, I’m not selling my boards so as long as they’re good enough to surf, they’re good enough for me.
thanks everyone for all the imput. i ended up using the rest of my resin and adding another thin hotcoat. turned out great. this board is for a coworker and it’s (free to him) he just paid for materials. This is only my 16th board so im still very green. I think on my next board which is ready for glassing now I might try the auto gloss shine. I hear it’s supper toxic so i need to make sure there is a good breeze coming through my garage 
Your last comment about a good breeze raised a flag, With the breeze come scontaminants like dust and bugs. It may be easier to enlist your local automobile painter to spray it for you. equipment and clmate cotrol is already in place. Just a thought.
thanks Tom, never thought about that!! plus, it might be cheaper than prepping the area for a spray and buying the material. Would you or anyone else be able to recommend a car polish to use for a final shine finish?
If you use standard polyester pigment in epoxy , the epoxy with not cure normally , and will be much weaker…it will also become soft when exposed to prolonged sunlight…there are correct epoxy pigments available.
I used old pigment from years ago, back from the PE days, on an epoky board last year and the thing seems to be holding up quite well; I suppose I’m now just waiting for the thing to time-bomb. Can you provide a link to pigments that are specific for epoxy? Thanks.
An alternative is to use a floor and tile sealer that can be wiped on. Two coats are better, but one works well. It is a satin finish and can be wiped on with anything. Paper towel, cotton rag, sponge etc. make sure you have no runs or drips at the rail, tail or nose dripping onto the opposite side. The trick to using the stuff is to “burnish” it with an orbital sander and a fine 3-M pad. I use the Grey pad. Attach it to you orbital with a little fogged on 3-M 77 adhesive spray. When you hit it with the Orbital you will see the shine come up and any brush or wipe marks flow out and even. It’s amazing to watch. I use Behr Floor and Tile Sealer. It is a Satin, but they also make a “Wet Look”. Lowel