Speaking as a surfer rather than a shaper. I just traded a fish in after 6 months When I cleaned off the wax the deck resembled the surface of a golf ball. One of my longboards is epoxy and that got dogs abuse only marks are from paint chips I even used it to protect myself from the rocks getting out from a sketchy point break. I have started selling my poly boards and buying secondhand surftechs. They ride better and are shorter and lighter for the same volume. Shaping wise I’m moving over to epoxy are are quite a few shapers I know, even though It is difficult for us here to get anything other than SP which is expensive. I’m sick of boards damaging so easily.
When I build boards for glide like noseriders or trad fish, I build them heavy which helps with compressions. Though I’m thinking of now building in eps/sty and adding ballast
Mostly I just think epoxy is easier to use and doesn’t stink up the neighborhood. Also makes stronger boards with better resin/fiber ratio. But then I would think that.
Adding ballast … when the core is light you have so many choices… I built a board many years ago with Scott Bouchard for riding Pipeline. Scott was sick of breaking boards there and felt we could do something that would solve that dilema. First I shaped him a 2# density EPS blank with rail channels cut into the deck. Scott then installed power rods into the bottom and glassed it with three layers of 6 oz on the bottom and 4 layers of 6 on the deck. Finished the board weighed the same as a regular polyester Pipeline board with a 6 bottom and a 4 and 6 deck. He rode the board for five winters and then sold it, still without a ding in it. It’s probably still floating around the North Shore today.
I’ve also built lightweight boards and added ballast to different places. Weight in the nose adds drive. Weight in the rails makes rail to rail transition quicker.
One of the real beauties of epoxy is it’s versitility with other materials. In the long run that’s probably it’s biggest advantage.
I prefer standard resin for dings and small amounts, but RR epoxy for glassing whole boards. The only substantial problems I’ve had with epoxy (not RR epoxy), is mixing small amounts for dings. If my mixture ratio was even slightly off, wich is easy to do on small amounts, it doesn’t completely harden and leaves a semi-hard and rubbery layup. I’ve had to use a razor blade scraper to scrape/cut the patch back off. But I was in a high-heat environment when that happened so it may be different for others.(?)
I have had to repair epoxy board before and found the perfect solution to small repairs w/ epoxy. I went to home deopt and found small tubes of epoxy that dried clear and ahad a self mixing syringe tip. i just patched it using that and it gets perfect ratios just fine.
“poly” because I only get a few hours at hicksy’s shed , and for fin panels I like the speed . (Yes , full protection !)
I’ve enjoyed watching Hicksy doing his epoxy glassed boards [wood AND foam]…he’s only ever used epoxy , I’ve only ever used polyester resin . Although , I recently went halves in 2kgs of epoxy resin and hardener with him . …haven’t had the chance to use it yet . I guess for moulding fin bases , it has proved stronger , even if it HAS taken ages to ‘cure’ / harden !
ben
I will probably use both kinds of resin in the future …
There is another type of resin that no-one seems to mention in relation to surfboards, furfuryl alcohol resin. Never had anything to do with it myself and don’t know anyone who has. Maybe there is good reason for no-one mentioning this here. Feedback from anyone who has would be interesting.
I like Poly but I can’t afford to try epoxy so have no basis for comparison.
ben . I can do a epoxy repair in my living room with no mess or odour… easy peasy
i do my lams and layups in our spare bedroom with a mat on the floor… the most i spill is a few drops…
so many guys are so anti epoxy its crazy… I watched a dude let a ding get waterlogged .cause he had no poly to fix it. when a tube of 5 min 1 to 1 epoxy would have permanently repaired the hole in a few hours…
thats just a few advantages
(who cares what the factories reckon…they dont do lams in there spare bedroom)
in a sandwhich construction with epoxy you can go lighter and heaps stronger then poly
its not religion its fact… ask any engineer who works in composites tech.
There is no doubt about it. Epoxy is a far superior resin than poly. Personally I prefer to work with poly. Even though I hate mekp. Last week I was given a sample of some UV hardener. This for me is a way of using less mekp.
I think it depends on what you want to build. No choice if you are using eps blanks. Epoxy is a must. But if you are building old school logs not much need for them too be light. Two layers of 10oz top and bottom in poly or vinylester will be plenty strong enough.
Having never used the RR epoxy I can’t comment. But with over 20 years in the composite boatbuilding industry I have used plenty of different epoxy resin systems. I have learnt that. If it does not smell it is safe. IS not the case. These are hazadous chemicals we work with. Wether it is an odorless epoxy or stinking poly appropriate protection should be worn. You may not be able to see or smell the fumes but they are there. platty.
RR epoxy has been engineered to have minimal VOCs. Hence no smell. There is still the potential for allergic sensitization - which is the only real risk. Avoiding skin contact is preferred (when is it not?). It is not carcinogenic.