Just looking for some feedback on my next board concept. Mainly interested in my resin/glassing plan is realistic. This is board #4 - a 7’1" semigun which is already shaped. Plan is to glass the bottom clear, 1 x 6 oz., free lap, grind flat. Tape off the bottom one inch in from the rails. Then, glass deck in 2 x 6 oz. using transparent resin tint. My “plan” is to mix three containers (each two cups) of resin using red as a base in all three and just a hint of blue in one, moderate amount in another, lots in the third. Then, catalyze the reddish resin, pour and work in to the cloth near the center of the deck. Then catalyze the second (reddish-blue) container, pour to surround the first spread (but not all the way out to the rails) and work in to the cloth. Then, catalyze the third (darkest) container and glass the rails wrapping around to over the tape. Once gelled, cut with razor along the tape line. When set, grind the cut lap and put a black pin line (posca pen??) on this lap. Hotcoat. I really don’t want to try a black resin pin line. Posca Pen?? tape off and paint??
Never done the tints, so someone else will have to comment… I think the Posca’s are great for pins, really easy, though trying to put it on the lap line, before a hotcoat could prove troublesome… even if you baste well. You need a really smooth surface if you want a smooth line. I’d baste, sand, hotcoat, then pinline. I know that many are going to disagree, but I use 4 oz on everything but LB’s… I know its a semi-gunn, but if you make boards, for yourself, who cares if they don’t last as long? - to get a much lighter board. …unless your really going to take that thing out on a macking day, or on a trip.
Hate to poke a negative in here - IMO, DON’T try a tint over freelaps. Even if you smooth the freelaps, there will be a ragged edge where pigmented resin builds up creating uneven color on the deck and rails.
John, what do you suggest? Do a cut lap on the deck and then the tint over that and around the rail? Please spell it out…I thought about that but honestly didn’t know whether it would help flatten that transitional spot…I’ve not done cut laps before.
It’s like John says the base under the freelap will never be perfect and as a result the color will not be even. Might be better to do a reverse lay-up, ie. the deck first, then the bottom with a lot of brushed-on cheater coat to protect that vulnerable bottom lap. A sand-through on the bottom lap-line will compromise the integrity of your board; avoid it. Poscas work well for free hand pins but can be a bit shaky. I once used electrician’s tape laid down as a guide for the pen to slide against (be sure the surface if FINE sanded). 3M makes a plastic blue tape (spendy) for pinlining when using Breakthrough or NovaColor and a brush, but I can’t remember the stock number. Good Luck.
If you haven’t done the bottom yet, try to lay an even mask line on the deck where you want your overlap to end. Mask off the rest of the deck as well. Glass the bottom and when semi-cured, trim overlap as cleanly as possible at the tape line. Gene Cooper (thanks Gene!) has advised on this site that he uses a roller tool of some sort to press the edge of the overlap into the foam slightly to minimize the “step” at the cut. A little grinder or file and you can get it pretty flat. Mask off the bottom along your intended cutline and laminate the top. With tints, expect a little deeper color right at the deck cutline as this will never be perfectly flat and resin will collect there. Trim the overlap carefully so you don’t cut into the bottom lamination. I surform the nose and tail overlaps, mask off an “apron” along the edge, dab the ends (where I surformed) with styrene and hotcoat. Hope this helps.
the last five no maybe six boards Ive laminated were full multi color decks over freelaps… it has taken messy and irritating iregular color and texture into the super statos… color the foam - glass clear is what I have done…I do resin art on plywood and the foam is great medium but of course control is not my issue, color band width experimentation and juxtaposition is …there are special areas on the board that are stellar color happenings … and the dry freelap areas that arrest color in the weave are so cool …it exposes the fabric and reveals it to inspection like never before…production glassers would cringe and their pavlovian electric neck terminals would glow red with voltage overload … dewey would roll over in his grave an dock my pay for flaws if I were employed and not an independant test labratory constructing for the fun /reality check quotient…ambrose… its your life and you CAN do what you want…unless you are concerned about resale?