Hi all, posting here to see if there is any possible way to restore a large heel dent. I have an old board with an airbrush spray on the deck. This deck also has a good sized heel dent (6-8" round, 1/4" deep). I would like to try and fix the heel dent without removing deck foam (ruins airbrush) and without adding clear glass (too large, too heavy). This board was very cheap so I’d like to experiment and see what I could do, worse comes to worse the deck gets destroyed and at that point I’ll add new foam, foregoing the airbrush deck.
Here’s what I was thinking, and yes I know it’s probably overkill and absolutely dumb:
1. sand the heel dent down to the weave, hopefully not sanding into the spray on the deck but weakening the structure in this area
2. remove a good chunk of foam from the bottom of the board, directly underneath the heel dent.
3. gently coerce/push the remaning foam and airbrush back out level to the deck, glass in new foam underneath, fix bottom, glass deck.
I know this seems a bit over the top but I’m doing it more for the experience. Any help or other methods to do this are appreciated.
Seems a bit over the top, overkill, and not a great idea. Just my opinion, although seems to line up pretty well with yours, haha. Put a patch of 4 oz. or 6 oz. over the dent to strengthen it, feather the edges, and call it good. IM (humble and unprofessional) O.
I like to reinforce big dents cuz i feel it strengthens against future delam, and if its near the stringer, there can be hairline cracks along the stringer that will take in water and brown the foam, over time.
6”-8” around, 1/4” deep? Damn dude, what kinda heels have you got?
I’d add layers of glass. Can’t see how it would add so much weight as to justify the other repair. Might be 1/4” deep in center but tapers out, so I don’t think you’d be adding as much weight as you think.
I like it, but the dent is on the mid-rail. It actually looks like the airbrush is sprayed on the laminate. I’m debating dremmelling the deck layer off (carefully), fixing the foam underneath, and glassing the deck back down. It’s a lot of work but I’m doing this more for the challenge.
mid rail dent??? Fark, some resin, mix with milled fiberglass, mix fibers to tooth paste consistency, slap on rail and put plastic over with tape to match rail. When cured sand flush and patch with four ounce fiberglass and resin, second coat and sand then surf. 4 hours of time, 20 minutes of total work.
I’ve removed shallow dents with a heat gun, but it is very tricky. You’re trying to heat up the foam to expand it and there’s a very fine line at that temperature where you’ll delam the glass. But I would recommend you try it since you’re going to cut it out anyhow. First very gradually heat up the area just outside the dent by keeping the gun moving and about 12" away. If you see the edge of the dent raising carefully continue until it gets higher. Cool the surface down using a towel soaking in ice water. Move inward and repeat. If the glass starts to discolor or nothing happens stop. Practice on a dented scrap of polyfoam first to get the feel of distance on the gun and how fast to move it.
I’ve pulled up dents on blanks using a wet cloth and an iron (steam is hotter and doesn’t discolor) but I wouldn’t recommend this on glass.