How do I paint XPS?

General Discussion
1

Can I use acrylic paint on XPS and then put then glass over it or will it delam?

Or youl I Put glass on it and paint under the hot coat?

Do you hot coat with epoxy or can I also coat with poly on epoxy?

2

My $0.02…

Don’t do it. The bond between resin/glass and foam is already weak. Painting it will only make it weaker.

I have wondered if there is a paint out there that could act like a “primer”… bonds better with the foam, and allows a better foot-hold for the resin. So far I have not found it, and don’t think it would solve the compression/gassing issues anyway.

3

How do I color it then?

Do prints under the hotcoat work?

4

DON’T paint direct onto the foam!!! just asking for a delam. either paint under hotcoat if you must or even better use an epoxy paint and paint over the hotcoat. If you are using the blue foam it has a nice colour anyway once you glass it.

good luck

5

the color is beige…its from Czech …glascofoam.

watercolor on the blank was another idea.

http://85.124.199.50/surfboard/

for the glas I will use 2x 80g on the bottom and 80+160g top

6

Another vote for “don’t do it”. It was almost exactly 20 yrs ago when this type

of foam was “discovered” here in Florida. At first, it seemed like a dream come

true: hard, light, hydrophobic, etc. Dow Chemical even came into town and did

a big dog-and-pony show for the assembled industry.

We should have tested a little more before we went to market, however. But

these were the early days of the epoxy movement, and enthusiasm was hard

to contain. Soon the bond strength issues arose (literally) and within a few

years everyone had abandoned the material.

I’m not familiar with the brand of XPS you’re using, but I wouldn’t advise putting

anything between the glass and foam. Hot coating with poly can be done if you

catch the epoxy lam at just the right moment, the stars are aligned correctly,

and you say the magic words 3 times. In other words, don’t do that either.

Modern wisdom(?) on using this foam dictates venting the finished structure

somehow. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to drill holes in my finished

boards and leave them open… And that only solves one of the issues, it won’t

help the load bearing capability at all.

Hot coat with epoxy, sand, and then do your art. How you seal it depends on the

paint you use for the art. Hopefully all will turn out well for you.

Mike

7

When in doubt, do a test panel. See if the paint will peel off the foam.

8

i recommend painting on top of the finished product…

you don’t really see too much painted epoxy foam and i wouldn’t want your shape to be the one that gets the test run

time spent on board + delams = BAD TIMES

i paint on top of boards like the homies from …lost

and i have painted a whole board one solid color over the glass

just do that and find a light clear coat to lock in the color