my first gloss

General Discussion
1

Ok, I’m going to attempt my first gloss tomorrow. I have Fiberglass Hawaii gloss resin. After searching the archives I’ve saw recommendations on adding 10% styrene and 3% surfacing agent. Is this a good idea? What I’m a little unclear on is the amount of resin i should mix up? The board I’m doing is 6’8. I hear 16 oz of gloss is enough. Is this for the whole board or per side?

3

I just glossed a ten-six, 24 inch wide mega-log with about a cup of lam resin, 4 cc of surfacing agent, and maybe 8 or 10 cc of styrene (didn’t measure the styrene). Pour it on, long stroke it to fully cover, cross stroke to distribute, feather stroke long to finish. Stand off 10 minutes for the wax to rise and excess styrene to evaporate (wear activated charcoal dual filter mask), then move into sun and snappp! the UV resin kicks.

4

I use Sylmar gloss resin and always add additional styrene and SA. It make a big difference over straight gloss in the amount of zits and brush strokes, so final sanding can be started at 320.

5

2 questions…

  1. WHAT is ‘SA’ ??

  2. How long should a gloss coat take to gel ? both my boards took over an hour the other day, using 250mls resin and 1 % catalyst.

One was done at 90 degrees [! yeah, I know !], the other at 70 degrees.

…First gloss coats I’D ever done, too !

ben
6

I use a little less than a pint of gloss with about 30 cc of catalyst for a long board, nothing added straight up pink gloss. It kicks in about 15 mins, just about the time I’m done cleaning the brush and popping open a beer. I always mix up too much gloss, or lam / sanding resin. It’s way easier to waste a little resin then to scramble and mix up more 3/4 through a job.

I always pour all the gloss on the board and really wet out the flats. Once thats done level it out like a hotcoat, except you pull off more resin on your brush out strokes. Using a bit more gloss will eliminate brush strokes, and a lot of zits. The reason you get brush strokes is because the resin doesn’t have anything to pool with, it needs to have enough critical mass to level, and like wise with the zits. ( it’s just like painting, watch a pro painter and see how much paint they put on the wood) If you have enough gloss resin to let the zits pieces settle in the resin they just disappear. i know so now your saying that adds too much weight? Well when i sand with 400 on the machine, I can move a lot of gloss off the board in a hurry. it’s about another 10 mins of work per side. 600 grit to get out the 400 swirls, then foam pad & polish.

-Jay

7

Howzit chipfish, S.A. is surfacing agent, If your gloss coat is taking that long to kick then you must be using Silmar resin. I use Rhiechold (spelling ) and even with the extra styrene and S.A. it still kicks in about 10-15 minutes. Thats using about 18oz resin and 25cc’s catalyst. I think that if I were using Silmar I would go with some UV catalyst powder to hurry up the kick off like Honolulu does. Aloha,Kokua

8

Ah…more enlightenment… THANKS, Kokua !

I’d better ask my supplier for ‘reichhold’ gloss next time, by the sound of it , then. Or else, not stress over waiting for the stuff I’ve already got to gel.

Mind you, the next one will be epoxied, so a whole new ballgame there… luckily, I have PLENTY of fins to use the remaining gloss resin on…

    ben
9

yo chipfish- did you know you’re a barnacle now!

10

…you mean I’m clinging on to boats now ? instead of an ‘addict’ ?!!

I don’t know which name is worse, actually ! [who thought up these names, anyway ??]

ben