The more likely conclusion I come to when I search and search for an answer on a forum that’s new to me is that I STILL haven’t searched diligently enough. It’s always possible, however, that the question I have is unique so that’s why I’ve finally decided to suck it up and start a new thread. My sincerest apologies if this has been covered before…
I’m getting to the end of putting together a white cedar, hollow body 9’10" log. I have plenty of woodworking experience, but none in foam, which is why I went for the wood when I decided to build my first board. While I’ve done plenty of work with epoxies and wood finishing, I’ve never glassed a surfboard before so there are a few things I’m wondering about.
I love the natural look of wood as much as the next guy, but I think because people love this look SO much that all wood boards end up looking like just that: surfboards made of wood. So I wanted to try something I personally have never seen before (maybe you guys have) - a wood board with a resin tint.
I’m sort of assuming this doesn’t exist for a reason – maybe the tint collects in the grain of the wood in an uneven way, making it look like a bad tonal resin swirl – but there’s also the outside chance that no one’s ever given it a shot.
I’d like to go with something like an all over light sea-foam green, or a light windex blue in the lam process. (I’m working with epoxy resin, not polyester). Any help is much appreciated. Thanks, guys!
What you propose was common in the late 50's balsa era. Recognize that the rails will be considerably darker than the flats. If it were me, I'd do a ''windex blue'' in the gloss. That will also create a challenge in the rubout of the gloss seam on the rail. No easy answer I suppose. Best answer, IMO, is clear over wood grain. Afterthought: perhaps an alcohol or water based stain on the wood,(allowed to dry) leaves only color, no residue. Then glass clear. Best of both worlds. Careful sanding with the grain will produce best results. Crossgrain scratches will show up darker.
I was thinking about an alcohol stain before laminating also but I was afraid the extreme sun exposure would quickly fade out the color. Maybe not so with the pigments in the water based? Suppose it's time to do some test samples.
thankfully (or not) a myriad of options available for you here, try behlen wood pigments dyes etc uk based. - a large german firm, name escapes me for the moment. quite a few others as well. Look at all the wonderful guitar finishes, enjoy the journey. Post your progress
