Want to do a reverse layup on a new 7-10 and was wondering if I could do a freelap when I do the clear bottom or would the ragged edge show up when I lam the deck with the color? Or, should I not be lazy and just tape off and cut the lap on the deck even though it would be a freehand tape job as I don’t want a pin on the deck - so no pencil line to tape to.
Any other precautionary tales when doing a reverse layup?
Nothing to be found in the archives on this and for obvious reasons I don’t want to glass the deck first.
Beware: as a general proposition I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about. this applies to many aspects of my life, including building surfboards.
With that caveat in mind, consider that a consistent colored lam depends upon resin soaking into and staining the underlying foam. By free lapping your clear lam first, your laps will effectively seal off the foam in the lapped areas, preventing even coloration.
It seems then that you would want to tape the bottom, do your top lamination first, cut the lap, and then do your bottom lamination. I see no reason why freelaps should be a problem doing it in this way. However, the manner you described seems like it would not only show a ragged edge, but also inconstent color on the rails.
I’m sorry, what are the obvious reasons for not wanting to do the deck first.
This is the voice of limited experience speaking. Hope that is remotely helpful.
I realize question addressed Kokua/Cleanlines… FWIW the freelap under a pigmented lamination will likely leave a splotchy/ragged looking colored area where the lap ends unless you’re doing a totally opaque lamination. Sand throughs might be an issue if the freelaps aren’t really clean.
“for obvious reasons I don’t want to glass the deck first.”
Also FWIW, that is exactly how I’d do it - Mask cutline on bottom, colored deck lam, trim overlap, clean the edge up and clear lam the bottom with freelap on to deck. Maybe I’m missing something obvious?
Kokua/Cleanlines??
EDIT: sorry Boys… I was typing and didn’t see your post.
Howzit Pete, What you are descibing is not a reverse lay up. a reverse lay up is when you glass the deck first and the bottom second. The easiest way would be to paint the board and then glass it the conventual way. I’ve done reverse lay ups with both pigment and tint but I never really liked the look. I always liked the bottom and rail colored look but that’s just me. Like the pervious post stated the pigment needs to get into the foam and what you descibe will not allow this to happen and I hate to think what the result would be if you proceed this way. Aloha,Kokua
To All, Thank’s for the replies. All of your opinions are valued - I sought out Kokua and Cleanlines to catch the attention of the master glassers among the masses.
In all my 40+ years surfing, we’ve always referred to colored deck wrapping to bottom lap as a reversed layup and though I thought it wouldn’t work with a freelap - for the responses you gave - hey, if you don’t ask, how do you know…
I don’t really want to glass the deck first because of the potential for twisting as has been discussed here before - why chance it.
Paint on foam just looks like - paint on foam. I never thought it looked anywhere near as good as tinted resin. Why drink concentrate when you can have fresh squeezed.
don’t use a pencil if you don’t want a pencil line. last time i did a cut-lap i used an out-of-ink biro, resin-pooling in the indentation doesn’t show if it’s right on the edge of the lap.
which has just made me think, could i etch a design onto the foam, then lam with a darker tint and have a really subtle bit of board-art?
i know that doesn’t address the lay-up question, sorry.
Howzit Pete, I say go for it with the reverse lay up, even a board with the bottom laid up first can twist and some times those work better. Do a cut lap for a cleaner look and try free hand taping it off, you might do a good tape off and if you never try you will never know if you can. I got my first job in a factory because I had the ability to do them free hand and the first one i did was when I applied for the job. We learn from our mistakes and the joy from making your own board will far overcome any little imperfections that might occur. Aloha,Kokua
Freehand taping is what makes boards like Cooperfish so nice.Cut Laps look really good when they are wider at the nose and narrower in the center.All of my glassing back in the sixties and seventies was freehand.Check out some of the old Lightning Bolts and you will see this subtle touch.I should have shown that in the Glassing video but forgot. RB
Roger, you got me thinking back re: the wider nose tapered to the tail. Don’t know if your time in Florida was the late 60’s/early 70’s and you saw - or maybe worked with (?) - Tomb and Reeves in Indiatlantic. They did their glassing like you mention - quite pronounced overlap in the nose with a resin/glass bead on the tip, tapering to the tail. Took mine - a, for the time, very progressive pocket rocket - to Huntington Beach and it bounced off a piling with only a small nick out of the bead. Great glass job and good looking.
Freehand it is…like the old fellow I used to work in a boatyard with, who swore the only way to paint a waterline was freehand,“After a good shot of Irish whiskey to steady the hand, Of Course!”
Wow what a trip.Yep I did a guest shot with Tomb and Reeves before opening my own factory in Jacksonville Beach with Bill Hixon.I stole their best Glasser (Jeff Thompsen) who was originally from Santa Cruz.He and Jim Phillips taught me a lot.Tomb&Reeves along with MTB were high quality boards in their short life.Jeff showed me how to do unreal cherry red opaque laminations.It used to piss Bill Hixon off (he was the main money guy) because it took about a 1/4 of a quart of expensive Ram Red pigments to do one side.Thanx for the memories. R Brucker