Foam hardener?

Has anyone ever experimented with a spray that could be applied to a shaped blank, that would harden the foam surface prior to glassing. Shaped blanks dent and crush so easily, it’s like carrying nitro glycerin to the glasser when transporting! Seriously, it would be great if there was a hardening spray that didn’t yellow and could accept paint and fiberglassing.

Has anyone ever experimented with a spray that could be applied to a > shaped blank, that would harden the foam surface prior to glassing. Shaped > blanks dent and crush so easily, it’s like carrying nitro glycerin to the > glasser when transporting! Seriously, it would be great if there was a > hardening spray that didn’t yellow and could accept paint and > fiberglassing. …Grant,I spray my blanks with clear acrylics before I glass to hold the paint in place.It helps a little in the strength department,but it’s not that much stronger.Herb.

Herb, can you spray the clear acrylic prior painting or only after.

I shaped a board(my 7th) over two months ago. I used a 9’10" harbour blank. The blank comes 3.5" thick. I shaped it down to just under 3.25". I know to take more foam from the bottom which I believe I did. The problem is that the board dings so easily. I have pressure dings all over the deck. I can ding it just by holding the tail real tight. I’m wondering if the glasser messed up. Is it possible he didn’t use enough catalyst maybe or did he glass it two light. I specified 2x6oz. top and 1x6oz. bottom glassing with a gloss coat. Being that it is only my 7th board, I kinda feel out of place to question or complain to the glasser. I did however shape a 6’11" A which is 3.25" thick down to 2.75" with no problem. Any ideas, Could I get a deck patch or something? Hoping it doesn’t delaminate.

2- 6oz. layers on deck and 1- 6oz. on bottom is a typical glass job. It shouldn’t pressure dent from your fingers gripping it. I’d hate to see it after you tighten it down on a surf rack(if you don’t use a board bag). Talk to your glasser and show the problem to him. You could always try a glass job of 1-8oz. + 6oz. on deck and 1- 8oz. on bottom. Remember, deck patches only help with preventing dents on the area you stand on. I shaped a board(my 7th) over two months ago. I used a 9’10" harbour > blank. The blank comes 3.5" thick. I shaped it down to just under > 3.25". I know to take more foam from the bottom which I believe I > did. The problem is that the board dings so easily. I have pressure dings > all over the deck. I can ding it just by holding the tail real tight. I’m > wondering if the glasser messed up. Is it possible he didn’t use enough > catalyst maybe or did he glass it two light. I specified 2x6oz. top and > 1x6oz. bottom glassing with a gloss coat. Being that it is only my 7th > board, I kinda feel out of place to question or complain to the glasser. I > did however shape a 6’11" A which is 3.25" thick down to > 2.75" with no problem. Any ideas, Could I get a deck patch or > something? Hoping it doesn’t delaminate.

I’m not sure about long boards, but the majority of short boards I have get pressure dings after the first session. This may be due to lighter glass jobs on shortboards, but I think it’s pretty standard.

Can not enough catalyst cause the glass to be weaker? or does it only control how much time you have before it hardens? good post

I shaped a board(my 7th) over two months ago. I used a 9’10" harbour > blank. The blank comes 3.5" thick. I shaped it down to just under > 3.25". I know to take more foam from the bottom which I believe I > did. The problem is that the board dings so easily. I have pressure dings > all over the deck. I can ding it just by holding the tail real tight. I’m > wondering if the glasser messed up. Is it possible he didn’t use enough > catalyst maybe or did he glass it two light. I specified 2x6oz. top and > 1x6oz. bottom glassing with a gloss coat. Being that it is only my 7th > board, I kinda feel out of place to question or complain to the glasser. I > did however shape a 6’11" A which is 3.25" thick down to > 2.75" with no problem. Any ideas, Could I get a deck patch or > something? Hoping it doesn’t delaminate. use volan cloth and problem over.I also bet the balnk wasn’t very old.good idea to buy blank,stick in a plastic bag,set it out and let it cure for about 6 months or so.That should help as well.Finally, one should wait at least two weeks for galss to cure before riding a freshly glassed stick.Carry on!

I can think of three explainations. You either took too much foam off the top. Your glasser put on a lighter glass job than you asked for. Or the sander over sanded the sanding coat and sanded down into the cloth layers thus creating a bunch of weak spots all over. My early boards show the same signs and I remember sanding (burning)way into the cloth and sometimes foam then just covering it up with the gloss coat, ha. Maybe point it out to the glasser and tactfully ask him how do other shapers prevent this from happening. Better yet figure out how to glass/sand yourself, its a great feeling to do a board all the way through! And rub on it while your out in the lineup and get all giddy inside. Ok I’ll stop there.

I can think of three explainations. You either took too much foam off the > top. Your glasser put on a lighter glass job than you asked for. Or the > sander over sanded the sanding coat and sanded down into the cloth layers > thus creating a bunch of weak spots all over. My early boards show the > same signs and I remember sanding (burning)way into the cloth and > sometimes foam then just covering it up with the gloss coat, ha. Maybe > point it out to the glasser and tactfully ask him how do other shapers > prevent this from happening. Better yet figure out how to glass/sand > yourself, its a great feeling to do a board all the way through! And rub > on it while your out in the lineup and get all giddy inside. Ok I’ll stop > there. It is unlikely that if you used a commercial glass shop that there was something that wrong with the job. What weight foam was the blank? Blue is almost std., green is stronger and using classic make an almost bullet proof lam. Most sanders stop as soon as the shine is gone, unlikely is was sanded too much and or hitting the weave. Not enough catalyst, the only thing here is it wouldn’t go off very fast, the result, a stronger glass job. This leaves a possiblity of the deck being a 6/4, rather than 6/6. My noserider is a 4 bottom w/ a 4/4 deck on classic foam, it is 2 years old and has no dents in the deck. The bottom has a few and could have used a 6 with not much more weight as the result.

Thanks for all the responses. I should clarify, it won’t ding by just grapping it, but I can squeeze it hard and see the glass flex . Along the stringer is where the most dings are. I can’t tell if it’s from knee paddling or from the pressure my but sitting on the board. The board is less than 3 months old and cured a full 2 weeks before I rode it. Anyways, is there anything I can do to keep it from delaming? Or maybe get a extra layer of glass in the problem area? Or should I sell quick before it gets worse

methinks to you, kill the glasser. or, in perhaps, cut off his hand like back home in Jalalabad.

Thanks for all the responses. I should clarify, it won’t ding by just > grapping it, but I can squeeze it hard and see the glass flex . Along the > stringer is where the most dings are. I can’t tell if it’s from knee > paddling or from the pressure my but sitting on the board. The board is > less than 3 months old and cured a full 2 weeks before I rode it. Anyways, > is there anything I can do to keep it from delaming? Or maybe get a extra > layer of glass in the problem area? Or should I sell quick before it gets > worse While I was still in Fla., Rogers Foam, then Desert Foam, located in Tex., brought a truck load of foam to Fla. It ws a real deal or so I thought, $15 a blank. I had Fred Grosskreutz, one of the best laminators there are working for me at the time. I commonly used a 6/4 deck with a 4 - 27" up on the tail. This made a very strong tail, Fred had “tennis” elbow from too many hours of squeegeeing and left off the extra tail patch, in his defense, the foam was crap. All of ther boards came back with butt delams and the area above the free lap looking like prunes. Weak foam cannot make up for strong glass.

I’m not sure if I got bad foam. I did by the blank from Basham’s in San Clemente and from what I know is that they have a really good rep. My friend and I buy all our blanks there and have had no problems. Please any suggestions on what to do. I guess I should at least show it to the glasser, but I don’t to offend him since he lets me use his shaping room and has been super cool. He even has let me use the shaping room when know one was there.

Herb, can you spray the clear acrylic prior painting or only after.>>>>>>>>>>Grant you can do it before or after,just don’t make it to heavy of a coat before painting.You can get away with more after you paint,but I would stay on the light side as well.>>>>>>>>K-Mart use to sell Fresh Look by Dutch Boy in a red and gold trimmed can this is the best to use(from a can that is)I can’t find the clear anymore(sucks)so now I use future in one of those refillable harbor freight cans or my regular sprayer with compressor.Herb.

Just ask the galsser what he thinks the problem is without laying blame. I’m sure he’ll give you suggestions or take the blame if it’s his fault.

Thanks for all the responses. I should clarify, it won’t ding by just > grapping it, but I can squeeze it hard and see the glass flex . Along the > stringer is where the most dings are. I can’t tell if it’s from knee > paddling or from the pressure my but sitting on the board. The board is > less than 3 months old and cured a full 2 weeks before I rode it. Anyways, > is there anything I can do to keep it from delaming? Or maybe get a extra > layer of glass in the problem area? Or should I sell quick before it gets > worse if most of the problem is along the stringer you may have left a high stringer a very common mistake i see all the time in homeshaped boards if its really bad we wont glass the board until we can show the shaper how to properly take down the stringer . High stringers just baffle some guys until they get the hang of it but once they figure it out its a eureaka moment. Most boards end up with dents,maybe with classic foam and double 10oz with a kneepatch you might avoid them but light boards are so much easier to carry down the cliff.

Oh yea,forgot, you can seal a blank with whiteglue/water mix, shot thru a gun,but it may not bond as well as acrylics, though. Also,guys are painting blanks with white acrylic paint. I prefer to use the netural peril white liqutex.Herb