help with blending lap lines

can anyone give advise on how to blend lap lines without having to hide it with pin stripe?

Practice, practice practice, but then I am not that good and my pinlines suck, so I keep practicing.  Some people got it and some don’t.  Still its good to be friends with a few that can, and they can’t shape like me.

can anyone send out some pics of before sanding lap lines and after sanding. it might help and give me an idea of how it’s suppose to look
thanks

i don’t have pics, but its easiest for me a with a decent block and some white 60 or 80 grit. The white paper is purely optional, but at first your results will be better because you won’t see the little pieces that come off the paper and get stuck between the the fibers. Another factor is how clean you keep the lap when wrapping under the rail ( keeping those strings from getting away from you), and the point where the lap ends. If your laps are too long you’ll end up having to sand on a flatter part of the board and risk sanding into foam. 

   If your lap ends on the curve where the end of the rail curve meets the deck slope you can get your block on a perfect angle to just hit the end of the lap and flatten it out. Sanding the final lap is much easier because you have no exposed foam.

 You will go through a few sheets because the lam resin will gum up the paper.

The block I use is a balsa block from a hobby shop. Its the same length as a sheet of paper and about a half ince thick. White paper can be obtained from foam ez.

last tip- lap the 4 oz  and use the 6 oz as the patch. the 4 oz will lay much flatter and be easier to sand. ( not possible on boards over 22" @ widepoint)

good luck and listen to ghettorat, practice is the only way to get better.

thanks for the good advise. i have only glassed around 20 or so boards, and it’s the most awesome yet challenging thing i think ive ever done… i do this for fun, and practically give my boards away! i only want to make enough money to do another one… but i will try and post some pics sometime, and would love some constructive criticism.

Good advice Pico, especially the white sandpaper, and if you dip the sandpaper in clean acetone before you use it it won’t gum up as badly, and you can then clean it with another dip and a stiff brush.  That’s my helpful hint for the day.

nice thanks ghettorat

A cheap right angle die grinder from Harbor Freight, equipped with a 3-M Rol-Loc disk.  Two or three inch diameter.  Held at angle that puts it flat to the lap, but the edge is up and away from the foam.  Once around the block and a little extra at the nose and tail.  Cut- laps should be pressed down right after they are cut with a seam roller or popsicle stick,  I use a thimble to press down my tape when I tape off for a cut-lap,  Two layers of tape makes it easier to find the tape line under a tint or opaque.  If a cutlap is taped and pushed down properly the only sanding or grinding you may need to do would be at the nose and tail. A die grinder will give you a “Pro” free-lap.  But if you have an adversion to power tools go to the sanding block and the unbranded “Mirka” sandpaper(white) that was mentioned above.  3-M “purple” or “green” and Norton “champaigne” or “gold” are all good papers for hotcoats, laps etc as well,

so when it comes time to lam the top, run my tape line just past the apex of the board, not quit on the flat of the bottom. i have heard to keep the blade on an inward angle to avoid “white line” cut marks. i had this happen on my last board, but the hot coat covered it (somewhat)… harbor frt tools rocks!

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the “baste the laps” trick yet. Only takes about 1 oz of resin to do a lap around a shortboard. Brush a thin stripe of resin from the lapline about an inch out into the foam. Use a 1" chip brush. Once it cures you can be more aggressive sanding the lapline without worrying about hitting foam. I got that tip here and it’s improved my lams/glassjobs tremendously. I do it with epoxy but I imagine same thing works with poly.

Take your time cutting the fiberglass straight and clean. A few strings will pull when laminating just use the edge of the squeegee to pull them off the deck and let them hang until cured. Much easier time sanding the lap.

~Brian

[quote="$1"] can anyone give advise on how to blend lap lines without having to hide it with pin stripe? [/quote]

You need to have a big Ego and a Sharp razor blade. You also need to have thick skin to handle the critics.  I want my lap lines to show not blend. Cutting into the foam when cutting your lap gives a dark line all the way around the board. Steady hands and a sharp eyes help. If you can't tape good you won't be able to cut good. A perfect lamination helps too. Read McDings comments a few times..................ThinSkinRay................................

 

 


Two inch lap is norm.  Basting helps but if the lap is done properly not necessary on every board, especially clears.  Brian is absolutly right about loose threads,  Better to let 'em dangle and take care of them after things have set,  I can’t exactly explain the cutting technique but;   start at the nose with the blade securely in your left hand, with your back toward the tail.  Cut with the point of the blade on a slight angle, using the fingers on your left hand as a guide will keep you from cutting too deep.  With your right hand pull the tape and excess glass away from the blade as you go.  If you cut into the foam the cutlap will be more visible,  Some guys will intenionally cut into the foam on the deck on a tint to create an accent line.  I know others will mention bending the blade, but that trick is the exception, not the norm.  Laminators in factories don’t fool around with basting and bent blades.  Good tricks for a backyarder with lots of time though. I’m mostly left handed so I guess you’d just reverse the above method if you’re a rightie.

Aloha McDing/Sting Ray:
Mahalo for the post and information. I keep on learning good stuff from you guys.
Thanks,
Dennis

Uncled and Ray------  here’s an example.


you did not say what kind of laps youre doing ,,,

cut lap or free lap??

if your talking about a cut lap,, all the responses seem to be correct and good advive.

I myself use the bent blade tecnique and also I fold the lap up at the tape edge when cutting,,,, this keeps the blade out of the foam.

and with the bent blade in the corner of the folded glass, blade almost flat to the board, blade curving up, pulling toward me, blade at a 45 deg angle

cut the glass while pulling the tape up. the corner fold guides the blade and helps to keep it on track.

 

tips

lam must be somewhat cured, not sticky and bendable at cut time

bend the backbone of the blade and the edge will flex to a nice easy curve.

 

this method takes some time to get the hang of, but when you do its easier, cleaner and faster to cut a lap.

 

exibit A and B


One thing I must say is Don’t use one of those lap cutters! They cut into the foam too deep. The color fills the cut and looks bad! Some guys use them to cut the tape and the lap. So it gets cut twice in the same spot.

My friend, Greg Webster taught me a really cool trick. He’s a UN-real color guy. One of the best I know!

Set off lam as normal.

Rack it overnight.

Next day, when it’s good and dry, peel back lap and tape as normal.

Take a heat gun and warm up lap. (Don’t burn it. These heat guns get really hot!)

Bend razor blade so it won’t cut into foam. Like Ken said.

Lap will be soft and cut like butter.

Once I tried this method, I never went back to the old way!

Cleanest lap cuts ever!

If you screw up lap cuts you can always bring me the board for a clean-up pinline. I do it all the time to save some very questionable lap cuts.

Good Luck!

Barry Snyder

And for bestresults use a extra-sharp American made RAYzorblade

Droping in backside I grab my rail....that's my style....good or bad????