Okay , so I did a search in the archives but wasn’t totally satisfied with what I found(probably didn’t look hard enough as usual)
Can someone explain in detail the concept of cut laps? I have been wrapping my glass around to the opposite side of the side I’m working on. Similar to the way they show in Glassing 101 and in Charley Baldwins old movie. Probem is the build up is too much and I can’t get the sharp edge I want on the rails toward the tail.
With a “cut lap” do you actually cut the glass after you have put the resin on? After it’s partially cured? … Do you cut it at the mid point of the rail? Bottom of rail?..
p.s. I’m using epoxy if that matters.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Sorry to take up peoples time on this one, but I appreciate the help.
to do a cut lap, you need to lay tape on the opposite side you are glassing on the line that you want to cut. then, when you glass, wrap the excess around the rails and lap it up on to this tape. once it gels (but has not fully cured), take a razor blade and with a very steady hand cut the glass on the tape line and then pull it clean, along with the excess glass that was lapped over the tape. this will leave you with a nice, clean cut lap line. good luck.
Okay , so I did a search in the archives but wasn't totally satisfied with what I found(probably didn't look hard enough as usual)
Can someone explain in detail the concept of cut laps? I have been wrapping my glass around to the opposite side of the side I’m working on. Similar to the way they show in Glassing 101 and in Charley Baldwins old movie. Probem is the build up is too much and I can’t get the sharp edge I want on the rails toward the tail.
With a “cut lap” do you actually cut the glass after you have put the resin on? After it’s partially cured? … Do you cut it at the mid point of the rail? Bottom of rail?..
p.s. I’m using epoxy if that matters.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Sorry to take up peoples time on this one, but I appreciate the help.
Chris
I don’t think a cut lap is going to solve your problem. The sharp edge that you are looking for, is going to need to be sanded in. You don’t want too sharp of an edge on the bland before you glass it will make it hard to get the glass to wrap real tight. Just hot coat and sand in a sharp edge. I think this is really what you are after.
many thanks for the advice. Will follow and see what happens. Do you worry about cutting into the foam? I suppose you can just sand off the marks that the stands leave on the board, correct?
Howzit Bagman, It was good to meet and talk with you while you were on Kauai. As for getting that sharp edge in the tail area , I do a tape off and pull the top of the tape away from the board in the tail area and fill with lam resin. Then hot coat. This adds extra resin so you can sand that sharp edge in to the tail. Aloha, Kokua
Kokua, it was good to put a face on the man that know so much, about, glassing. The board that I saw in your shop looked great. I only wish there was some surf while I was on the island. Ambrose took me out to some of his outer reefs on his 12+ footers. Boy let me tell you surfing those outer reefs are a real bitch. I think it took even Ambrose a few years to figuer them out. I have tried now 4 outings and there still have me stumped.
The point I was tring to make was that his needs could not be filled with a tape off.(no punn with the filled) Your input with filling the area with lam resin is a good one. If it is a short board that should be great. If it was a long board that needed a sharp edge I would go as far as adding a 4 oz layer of glass to that area which should add strenght, as well as the bulk needed to sand in that sharp edge, and don’t be afraid of sanding into the 4 oz that is what it is there for. I’m one that does not believe in adding too much plain resin to an area. I feel that it will crack since there is no strenght in resin without glass.
be sure you’ve got a super sharp blade, and go real light and easy to avoid cutting into the foam. if you do, it isn’t a big deal, but still you should try to avoid it. also, make sure the tape is pressed down securely before you do your lam so that no resin bleeds underneath it. one last thing…after you do one side, you’ll need to sand down that ridge where the cutlap is before doing the other side.
as for the marks that the stands leave on the board, there shouldn’t be any. what are your glassing stands like?
Howzit Bagman, I hear and agree about to much resin with no glass, if only I could get resin and milled fibers to fill in between the rail and the tape that would work pretty good but with the fibers the resin is to thick. On the other hand I’m what you call an aggressive sander and when done there isn’t very much of the resin left to crack. Next time you come over try Oct when there’s more waves to pick from. Aloha, Kokua
listen man if you want a sharp rail in the tail…shape the board with a sharp rail there, the knock it off just enough so its not a 90 deg. angle, so the cloth can wrap…hotcoat like these guys said…with tape letting the resin build up in the tail…then you can sand it so sharp it’ll cut your …well you get it
Howzit have, I'm known for putting some of the sharpest tail rails on boards here on Kauai. There have been times when I thought I'd cut my fingers running them along the edge, especially on concave bottoms. It's like Bagman said though some people leave to much resin there and that can cause cracks to form since there's nothing but resin there. Aloha,Kokua
You guys are great! Sooo much good advice. I think after reading it all I just need to sand more and bring out the edge to my liking. I shaped it super sharp(or so I thought), but not too much so the glass wouldn’t stick. I just think the glass buildup I have created needs to be sanded like crazy to get my edge back. Thanks all.
The board in question already went out the door and the guy I shaped it for was truly stoked. I forgot to take photos, but if I can get him to send some I’ll post them for all to see and give feedback.