Hi,
I have an approach to glassing that I need proofed. There are very few shops in my parts so befriending a local glasser is not an option. So, anybody that’s willing to chime in and point me in a better direction for better results… I’m all ears… As it is I’ve shaped/glassed about 50 boards culminating in the following;
My materials are 5.5 oz glass S & E. I used to use only E but found a batch of S to try which resulted in me using cut laps by necessity… hard to cut. Resin is Silmar 249, I mix my own hotcoat resin and as of late gloss resin too. (thanks Kokua)
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Rack the shaped foam/install fin boxes/Tape deck for cutlap
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Pull cloth and cut (chop/hack/beg/plead/trim for S-2)
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Agv pour for 6’5" about 1 quart with about 15cc cat in 72degree room
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Mix until ‘good green’ and no dark swirls
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Pour down center of board, push until soaked, squeegee to rail.
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Wet the lap dry spots (walk around twice) final squeegee and then wrap the laps. (S-2 is stringy nightmare at times)
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Wait an hour
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Flip, pull tape/trim, cut out air holes if any (usually a couple on the bottom of rails… result of poor lighting mostly and ad-hoc, homegrown laming technique)
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Sand the lap (and any smaller bubbles to ‘kill’ the cloth.
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Baste if it sucks but it’s usually OK and/or tape for cut lap
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Pull the patch and trim to hull line, always full length, never S-2 for reasons mentioned above
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Pull the top layer and trim to not pass over the tape
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Mix and pour about 1.5qt at about 18cc
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Repeat 8-10 above
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flip deck up, drill plug hole
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Set plug (lam and q-cell only)
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Hot coat deck with approx 1.5 pint at 15 cc and about 75ml SA
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Flip after about 30min minimum, grind any drips if they’re there and tape.
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Hot coat bottom.
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Cure for at least a day
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Grind the boxes/plug (and clumps if any) with 40 grit
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Sand with 100 grit top/bottom/rails
(problem here is my hot coats are usually not fill the gap between the hull lap lines to level and I invariably sand to weave on lap)
Now the recent change to my program as I used to sand 100 grit → 220 → 320 wet → surf
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After leveling everything out with 100 grit I now gloss or more aptly I put on a batch of Silmar about 1pt with 100ml SA and 200ml styrene shot at 18-20cc deck first
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Flip and tape the bottom off and sand with 100 grit the deck gloss left untaped (about 1/8") scuffing the tape just a tad (someone on swaylocks… works well, less ‘lip’ to sand. thanks!) Then gloss the hull with the same glossing mix.
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Let cure for about a day
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Sand 220 → 320 wet.
I don’t like gloss, fixing it sux, keeping it shiny is suckier. That and much like skis, structure is good. (structure being scratches on the base of skis for water to travel along and through preventing friction and suction cup type of effect therefore potential to increase speed. I figured the science applies.
The final coat is proving outstanding with regard to a)durability b)imperfections (weave sanding, pin holes, air holes that showed up during sanding :o0 ) In short it’s a great seal on the board.
What can I change to make my life easier? Criticism most welcome.
Cheerio,
\r