Hello everyone!
I am almost done with my first board (5’6’’ x 18 1/2 x 2 1/4), and after having read every post from the previous 10 years I thought I was ready. Nothing however could have prepared me for the dreaded future fin tenting. I didn’t put much thought into preventing this problem and now post-hotcoat I’m paying for it. I sanded down to the fin box and exposed an opening around the edges of the fin box into the foam (not because I sanded too far, but because of the large air bubble surrounding the boxes was sanded into). I’ve found plenty of ways to prevent this problem here on the forums but nothing on fixing it. Should I just lam new football patches over the boxes, hotcoat then re-sand? I’m ancy to get this thing in the water! Any advise is greatly appreciated!
-Claye
Claye,
* Disclaimer * I am no where near an expert on the subject. Hell, I have only five (5) boards that I have done using futures.
When I have run into the same problem, I mix up some laminating resin with some cabosil and fill in the holes. When cured, I just lightly sand to finish.
Again, I have not much experience with futures, but that has been my fix. Again, I may not even have the experience to offer any suggestions. I am interested to see what others have to say.
Hey Sean, thanks for the reply. I decided to do as you said fill in the holes with resin and then throw another layer of glass on top of that. Just finished sanding and it appears to be water tight! time to take her out in some, less than perfect, oceanside mush! Thanks again
(If anyone else has some better solutions for next time, I’d love to hear them!)
-Claye
Right on Claye! I am sure it's better than the north Florida awesomeness that we are experiencing now! Have fun with it.
yes, glass over it. if it were me, I would rough up with 80 grit. then put about 8 layers of tape over the slot/hole so that you have a bump, glass 6oz footballs over, making sure that you have no bubbles. grind down rough edges, hotcoat, and sand. when you do this, you will sand through the tape and expose the fin slot. Not sure if this is the best way but I would do it like this.
you probably know this now, but it would help to paint a thin layer of lam resin on the box top before glassing so that the glass sticks and stays down bubble free. only on a clear job though.
good luck,
adam
@ claye1993
Go to the frozen epoxy thread and read the tip I put up about pre-preg football or butterfly patches using the method shown in the video’s with the post. Put the glass patch/patches into a freezer bag and squeegee in the resin into the patches as shown on the vid. Cut out the shape of the patch you want to apply, and peel off only the bottom layer of plastic bag material. Apply the football partch to the board over the exposed future box and squeegee down the patch with the top plastic still attached. Once you’r happy, peel off the top plastic and lightly smooth down any of the fiberglass that was lifted from removing the plastic material. Hot coat as usual and sand then go surf.
Scuff the area slightly with coarse sandpaper to aid keying. As if you were applying a bicycle patch to an inner tube.
There is a sure fire way to avoid tenting bubbles with future or FCS Fusions or any pre glass installed box that has a raised ridge that causes the tenting. It’s called a vacuum bagged laminate stack.
Better yet install pro -box using post glass lamination and cap with the patches discribed above. Tenting avoided by design.
Patches installed after the main/full glass lamination is finished can be hit by sand through’s and even feathered at the edges without any harm done to the full length glass.
Patches under the full board laminate force the full length glass higher to the surface , leaving a bump under the main glass, providing more chance of sanding through this critical glass layer, as well as needing a thicker / heavier hot coats to hide. Patches out .
I hadn’t thought of that… Great idea I’ll keep it in mind for my next one.
@ Vanhelsing
What a neat idea I’ll have to give this a try.
-Claye