Im having a little trouble with my laps coming out discolored. How much is everyone cutting their laps over on top and bottom? Should I be working the lap and squeegeeing all the resi out I can. My problem is you can see the lap line on the deck and some discoloration below it. Thanks for the help. Klein
Im having a little trouble with my laps coming out discolored. How much is > everyone cutting their laps over on top and bottom? Should I be working > the lap and squeegeeing all the resi out I can. My problem is you can see > the lap line on the deck and some discoloration below it. Thanks for the > help.>>> Klein I waited to answer in hopes that someone with a real fix would respond. I assume that you’re talking about the tape glue, and trash that collects on the tape, then comes off at the lap cut. I have the same problem, but it’s getting better. I tried blue tape, but I just got blue dirt. Number one, use new tape. Store the tape in a clean clear plastic bag, so you can recognize the tape easily when you want it. …So you’ve glassed the bottom and the lam resin has gelled. When you cut the lap, cut it maybe 1/32" away from the tape edge as you pull the tape up. That will cut off most of the dirt which the glass absorbed from the tape-edge. Then you’re left with a discolored foam edge. Since I don’t have a real solution for removing this discoloration, I plan my lap edge to fall over over white foam. I cut away the discolored foam using a hobby tool with a little metal bit. I’ve also used a knife, but a knife removes more foam. I fill the grinding pits, trenches, and the entire lap-edge with pure lightweight exterior spackling paste. After the spackle dries I sand the edge smooth. I glass with epoxy, so I have to sand the entire glass lap anyway. Using polyester resin, I would probably brush on a couple inches of sanding resin, and sand the glass edge with the spackle. I would sure appreciate a pro’s technical advice on this issue. … or is this even what you’re asking about?
Thanks Noodle Wow this gives me a little insight on what I might not be doing. Let me explain how I lam my boards. I lay the clothe down on the bottom and cut it so it hangs about 2 inches over. I lam the bottom and fold the laps under as smooth as i can. I repeat the same on top. I have not been taping anything off.Should i be taping the foam or clothe. Wow now im kinda confused. Im gonna wait to do my next board until someone responds and fills me in. Thanks Noodle. Klein>>> I waited to answer in hopes that someone with a real fix would respond.>>> I assume that you’re talking about the tape glue, and trash that collects > on the tape, then comes off at the lap cut. I have the same problem, but > it’s getting better. I tried blue tape, but I just got blue dirt.>>> Number one, use new tape. Store the tape in a clean clear plastic bag, so > you can recognize the tape easily when you want it.>>> …So you’ve glassed the bottom and the lam resin has gelled. When you cut > the lap, cut it maybe 1/32" away from the tape edge as you pull the > tape up. That will cut off most of the dirt which the glass absorbed from > the tape-edge. Then you’re left with a discolored foam edge.>>> Since I don’t have a real solution for removing this discoloration, I plan > my lap edge to fall over over white foam. I cut away the discolored foam > using a hobby tool with a little metal bit. I’ve also used a knife, but a > knife removes more foam. I fill the grinding pits, trenches, and the > entire lap-edge with pure lightweight exterior spackling paste. After the > spackle dries I sand the edge smooth.>>> I glass with epoxy, so I have to sand the entire glass lap anyway. Using > polyester resin, I would probably brush on a couple inches of sanding > resin, and sand the glass edge with the spackle.>>> I would sure appreciate a pro’s technical advice on this issue.>>> … or is this even what you’re asking about?
Klein, if you’re using volan cloth and/or using pigment in your laminating resin, you should be taping off and doing cut laps. otherwise, you can free lap as you described below.>>> Thanks Noodle>>> Wow this gives me a little insight on what I might not be doing. Let me > explain how I lam my boards. I lay the clothe down on the bottom and cut > it so it hangs about 2 inches over. I lam the bottom and fold the laps > under as smooth as i can. I repeat the same on top. I have not been taping > anything off.Should i be taping the foam or clothe. Wow now im kinda > confused. Im gonna wait to do my next board until someone responds and > fills me in. Thanks Noodle.>>> Klein
Thanks Noodle>>> Wow this gives me a little insight on what I might not be doing. Let me > explain how I lam my boards. I lay the clothe down on the bottom and cut > it so it hangs about 2 inches over. I lam the bottom and fold the laps > under as smooth as i can. I repeat the same on top. I have not been taping > anything off.Should i be taping the foam or clothe. Wow now im kinda > confused. Im gonna wait to do my next board until someone responds and > fills me in. Thanks Noodle.>>> Klein Klien dude! Been there done that. Yeah, you gotta tape the foam off before lapping. Turn the board top side down. Plan your lap on curved foam. In other words, lap nose and center glass across the rail line. Lap hard-down tail rails above the rail line. I schedule lap overlaps to have the same number of layers, at all points, as the rest of the board. That said, put a tape line down around the intended edge of your top glass. Pro glassers are good enough to merely turn the tape down. You’ll want to turn the board back bottom side down. Use plastic and tape to mask off the rest of the board top. You have to do this so you can squeegee rail glass strings onto the top without worrying about them sticking to the top foam. Turn the board back top side down and glass the bottom, lapping all the glass over your tape line. With polyester resin, wait til the resin kicks to cut the lap line. Cut the lap line just BARELY off the tape edge as you pull the tape up. As I said above, lay down some sanding resin around the lap line. Cut any dirty foam and glass edge away and fillet the entire lap edge with lightweight spackle. Let it all dry, and sand the lap edge. Sand it back to the lam resin, so the top glass will stick. Sand it so that the top glass will lay smoothly over the lap line. I tape off the top glass similarly, but it’s much less critical. You’re going to sand the whole board after that anyway. Good luck.
Are you grinding or using a file on your lap after it has set and before you do the other side? I have noticed that you have to be careful not to overdue it. If you grind or file in one spot and let heat build up there where you are grinding, you might not see it right away, but it has a tendency to yellow in that area. Just a thought. I just use a file on the high spots, and I always do a free lap (unless of course volan is used).
Are you using suncure resin by any chance? If you use resin with suncure in it the resin doesn’t go as clear as it does with catalyst. Suncure resin makes thick spots turn greenish blue. So if your not squeeging out your laps all the way it will make your laps darker. Suncure is still the shit though. A little tip for ya. If you are using suncure resin put a few drops of catalyst in resin before using it. Put like 1cc per quart. Should clear that resin right up and give you plenty of time to work the resin around. If your not using suncure, volan cloth, or pigmenting I have no clue what your doing wrong. Could be your resin if its old or something, I dunno. Sounds like suncure to me. Hope that helped