I’ve searched youtube for help on glassing. All the videos show you how to tuck the laps under the board and then they show how to glass the other side.
What do you do with the laps before you glass the other side? How much and what tool/grit do you use to sand them down before you start glassing again? I suppose there’s a way to glass both sides in one process but I cant find videos on how to. Does someone have a link to a video of this process in full or can you explain how to do it? Thanks…
Do a search on grinding laps. There’s lots of tips and tricks, and they’re different for eps/epoxy and pu/pe.
Lay them flat and tight when you lam. Run the resin out a bit on to the foam. If you have any strings I flip them back on themselves (back on the glassed surface) Pull any fiberballs off the glassed surface. Never leave and booger drops on the rails...everything has to be flat and flush.
Once it kicks off real hard...not green, but crispy hard. you can take your choice of sanding aparatius, i.e., Gringer sanded, sanding block. I prefer the "Oh SHIT Thats Fast" kick ass high speed 7" sanding pad. I feel it cuts through the cloth better than mashing it down. You can always tell a mash down sanding job because it leaves the rails a bit milky with poly.
Sand away until it's pretty flat with the foam...remember you ran a bit of epoxy or resin out on to the foam to make it crispy and protected. Sand away until you don't feel safe anymore..then you can push any high spots or leftover ridges slighty into the foam..Don't go crazy pushing all sorts of shit into the foam, just enough to smooth'n the transition so you don't get a bubble line. Remember any transition that's not smooth will potentially cause a bubble line. Bubble line= no good
Now flip the board and just lay your other layers over the top and do it again...except when you prep that side for the hot coat it's a lot easier because you have the other glass protecting the foam.
The tighter the lamination = less prep work,
less prep work = less bubbles.
less bubbles = less mystery brown spots in 6 weeks
Thanks resinhead. I’m using a PU blank ,so no epoxy. This is my first board so I’m taking it slow. If I’m using a sanding block do I sand towards the edge of the lap or can I go along the rail. Any advice for a first timer? How come there are absolutly no videos of this process? I do have a dremel so If you’d advise grinding I will do what you suggest.
Even though this is my first board I want to do a good job but don’t have the money to buy glassing 101 dvd so I may be bugging you some more.
Howzit ekim, Just use a sanding block ith some 60 grit and just be careful not to hit the foam so take your time and be very careful. Once you have done a few boards it will be easy for you. As for the deck lap on the bottom you can use a grinder since the foam is covered with the first lay up on the bottom but still be careful. Aloha,Kokua
Anyway to find that damascus dvd?
I’m pretty confident on every step except the lap stuff and maybe the fin box also. I may just pay someone to glass it so I can watch them. There is a local guy who said I can sit it with him. I have an old Liddle 6’8" that I’m using as my template directly on the blank. I’m making my stands this week.
Why does every video on youtube stop just before they deal with sanding or grinding the laps and glassing side two? One more question… Do I have to hotcoat? And what is the difference between glassing and hotcoating?
Thank you Kokua and resinhead.
Like kokua said, hard block with 60 grit to fair the edge down and remove the bumps and bristles. Easier if you cut your lap the right length, so it’s still on the curvy part of the rail, and not on the flatter part of the deck.
Not as complicated as you might be thinking… YOU CAN DO IT!
Glassing is really laminating. Yes you have to hotcoat. Tape off at the rail apex to get a drip edge, and paint on a hot batch of resin with a 4" natural bristle brush.
…take on this way: you do not really need to sand the bottom lap
no?
yep
with freelapping, try to lam very tight to the other side and clean everything with a smaller squeegee.
check again the nose and tail cuts and corners
so, then you only sand around the relief cuts.
or
do a cut lap
Do I sand the bottom and deck before hotcoating? If so how much? Do I hotcoat both sides?
Where should the laps be when I lay the 2-layers for the deck and whats the sanding process?
Howzit ekim, I like to do a cheater coat on the bottom lap before my hotcoat but that is just me. After you lay up the bottom you need to take the edge down and whether you sand it or power grind it is up to you,then lam the deck and if you sand the lap before a cheater coat or just a hot coat is up to you but sanding it makes a less chance of hitting the lap when doing you final sanding of the board.If you are glossing it then it really doesn't matter. Aloha,Kokua
I put my heart and soul into a thread for first time glassers. You can use RR Epoxy over a Poly blank. Contact TaylorO. Drive the distance. Taylor is a super guy that will help you. Get rid of the fear....go for it!
http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/first-epoxy-glass-job-s
Ray
Thanks guys.Great thread stingray. I think I can do this without a video.
Do I go 2" over the rail when laminating the deck?
When do I do the 2nt layer of fiberglass on the deck?
I need help on this too so I did a search on grinding laps and I got videos on strippers grinding laps.
That was funny.
One method is to use Google to help you find stuff only on Swaylocks. Paste this:
grinding laps site:swaylocks.com
into a Google search bar, and you’ll get results for grinding laps ONLY from swaylocks.com.
60 grit and a block of wood …right? Is there a special type of sandpaper to use? Someone said the lighter colored stuff so it doesn’t leave dark speckles under the glass? If I use a leash plug and fcs plugs I can do both after glassing right.? Thanks so much guys.
Sure. Do you own the right size Forstner bits?
You can, but you shouldn’t. Considering this is your first time, get the JC101 glassing video. (Fiberglasssupply.com, FoamEZ.com, etc.) Take it with a grain of salt when they use a 3" air angle grinder to hit the laps. That is for pros – sort of. Using a block is better when you are new. You are only looking to knock the high spots off the edge of the free laps, and get it kind of flat. Get them close, that is good enough. Don’t expect too much or you will over work it. Pulling some tight resin past the edge of the laps a little when glassing, (2" or 3" like ResinHead said) helps protect the foam when blocking the cloth laps. Yes, lap at least 1-1/2" to 2" of cloth over the rail edge. There needs to be enough cloth to lay flat and pull the rail tight. 3". Whatever. Get a video. You need to have a good idea of what you are trying to do, or it may end up being a mess.
Good luck.
Howzit ozzy,I watched part of that JC video and got a good laugh from it since it doesn't even start to address how to really glass and make a board and the only interesting part was the glassing rack that went up and down. I think the Damascus video is a lot more informative, especially for a first timer and Cleanlines does 2 boards and not just parts of a board like the JC video. Actually I feel that watching a video is not the way to learn how to glass a board since so much of the process is having a ceratin touch that comes from practice,practice and more practice. Aloha,Kokua
Sure Kokua. I don’t mean to discredit the Damascus video, or contradict your advice, the JC-101 was just the first one that came to my mind when thinking of a first timer. I too believe that there is no substitute for experience, but most here, as the OP, are looking for the short path to expertise on their first board. That isn’t going to happen. But viewing video after video will help in the sense that at least they will understand what they are trying to achieve. Training the hands and understanding all the other stuff is another story.
They will find out how hard the ‘details’ are soon enough.
Howzit ozzy, Well said and you have some valid words there. I think that the videos which ever one actually help a person ho has tried glassing a board and knows some of the night mares that can happen. With the video info he can learn what not to do to keep his mistakes to a minimum since he has been there even if only once. Aloha,Kokua