I was laminating a 10’2 the past couple of days with multiple lam/logos. I have a couple of tricks I use to get them saturated, straight and positioned correctly. I will reveal my tricks, but first thought I would ask the Sways crew; What tricks do use to correctly lay down a lam/logo?
To center a lam that has no reference point; ie you can’t count spaces and letters, no center line etc. A simple trick is to fold and create a slight crease in the lam at center before placing it. I keep a small two foot step ladder in the Lam Room that I set at the end of the blank, so that I can stand above the blank and look down on it. An overhead perspective makes it easier to avoid crooked lams.
Thnx, that’s smart. I generally just go by eyesight, but admit to being a little wonky sometimes 
The 1st pic is perpendicular but a little off center, the 2nd pic the band is perpendicular, but the logo not so much. I’m not real picky about it, but never hurts to learn little tricks to up my game a bit!
Have never placed a logo evenly in my life. So much the case i don’t even try, and look at it as a backyarder signature lol. But you may have put an end to that. Good tip that shall be put to good use
So here’s the trick I like the most; I never catalyze the resin I use to put down my lam/logo. If I have a lam at each end of the blank, I will roll the cloth back at each end. Then I lay the lam/logo on the board to eyeball it, position it and generally just get a visual. I have my lam resin poured off but not catalyzed. I move the lam to one side and pour just enough resin for under the lam. Not too much. I sometimes squeegee off the excess. I place the logo and top it with a little resin. Squeege the excess and make sure the lam is straight and positioned correctly. I’ve got all the time in the world because my resin is not catalyzed. I roll my cloth back over the blank. Catalyze my lam resin and then proceed to laminate as normal. The catalyzed resin is squeeged and blended with the uncatalyzed resin. Of course this is Poly Resin and this method could not most likely be used with Epoxy. The biggest issue is getting just enough resin under the lam/logo. Too little and the lam will have dry spots or bubbles. Too much and the lam/logo will be wavey gravey.
This is very helpful. Thanks McDing.
I only do epoxy, so it’s a little different. You had better NOT put un-mixed epoxy on a board. I accidently did that on a logo and it was a mess.
Your tricks for proper placement will be really helpful.
I usually mix up an ounce of resin and place the logos first. Then come back and roll back the cloth then with the full resin amount mixed, lam the board. And cross my fingers the logo is on right.
BTW, I like the place the logo where I believe the riders eyes will be when laying on the board in approximate paddling trim. Just a quick ref point when you’re in a hurry after remounting at the end of a ride. Seems obvious, but some guys get weird about it.
all the best
100% accurate warning, there, re epoxy.
Earlier this year I was starting to set some Probox boxes when a friend showed up. I got distracted and remembered to mix color, but not hardener, and then poured. After draining the boxes (by turning the board over), I remixed and even poked around the edges of the boxes with a kabob skewer using it like a kind of mini-plunger to try and get the two applications to mix (Proboxes install with a gap around them, so this is possible). The boxes set up with the second batch, but they immediately leaked resin that failed to mix. They went on leaking unmixed resin for about 4 or 5 months.
Yes putting the lam down with a small mixed batch of Epoxy is the way to go.
In my case, the small amount of resin (no hardner) made the logo bubble up in a bulge. I couldn’t imagine why, since I am a super skilled epoxy guy who never ever makes a mistake. Ha. I chased that bubble several times. Cut it out, cleaned up the unhardened resin and delamination. Bubbled again. Shoot me. I cut it out a second time and this time removed a chunk of resin-wet foam. It worked but just damn. I could not contain my pissed -offed-ness and gave the board away. I guarantee I will not make that mistake again. I will only make other mistakes. MIstakes that I can’t even imagine now, but are coming.
all the best
Nice one.
all the best
Most of my tricks are about making the logos, but I do have one on laminating them. Never squeegee directly on the paper, use a piece of scrap 4-6 oz cloth over it which absorbs some of the excess underneath. I do the un-catalyzed lam resin under but I spread it thin first. Instead of a rubber or plastic squeegee, I use smaller pieces of carboard (cut from a cereal box). Never had any bubbles or problems. Those 6 ft. step ladders come in very handy around the shop, good tip Lowel.
Yes the scrap cloth over the top is a good idea. Glad you brought that up. Helps absorb resin and prevent the lam from moving. Heard about that one before and completely forgot about it. Thank you…
I think my biggest tip is ; don’t over-do it with the resin. Before you put the lam down squeegee off the excess then put the lam down. Then a little resin over the top and squeegee the excess off the top. Any dry spots that you can see will be taken care of when you roll back the cloth and laminate. Too much resin underneath will give you a wavey lam. Wavey lams can be taken care of with extra resin over the lam on the hotcoat, but be careful when you sand. Wavey lams are easily burned thru. PS – Just to clarify; when I put resin down on the top of the lam/logo I have already Catalyzed the resin in my pot, rolled the cloth back and am proceeding to laminate the whole board. Putting a scrap down as Pete suggested is a good thing to do if you are overly concerned about saturating the lam. The scrap can be removed before you roll the cloth back for lam. The scrap trick wets and protects the lam/logo enables the laminator to pull off excess resin without tearing the lam or moving it.
I do mine on top of the lamination before I hotcoat. I cover the lams with 2 oz cloth that is about an inch and a half bigger than the perimeter of the lam. It is super easy this way. My theory is that the board will be a tiny bit stronger and I won’t have to mess with the cloth and lams at the beginning of laminating.
https://shapersupply.com/collections/surfboard-fiberglass/products/2-oz-38-e-cloth