Hey everyone I have just shaped my fitfh board and am looking to glass for the first time. Due to a previous lack of space I have no experiance glassing and ive found little help online. I understand the basics but am not able to find videos on the proper complete steps in order. All the videos online skip steps that are leaving me wondering. Sorry if this has been answered but if anyone has a link or could help me get through the complete process it would be greatly appriciated!
best advice I can give is use the search function. Then google, then youtube, then practice with some scraps. All before you try on a completed blank. Lots of little mistakes possible, and you will be way less stressed if you have to throw away a little chunk of foam than a whole board.
Aer you doing epoxy or resin?
I’m not kidding, try fiberglassing a foot long chunk of 2x4 before your first board. Practice lapping. Practice folding the cloth around the corners.
low stress that way.
You can also buy the glassing videos. pay the money for a world of secrets.
I am by no means an experment but heres a quick step by step of the basic process
Laminate the bottom of your board with one usually 4 oz layer of cloth and fin patches. Lay your cloth out evenly and leave about an inch overhag off the board. You won’t need a whole inch in the nose if it is a shortboard style nose. Mix your resin and pour down the stringer and slowly work the resin around with a squeege or brush makeing sure it soaks into the cloth. I find that working on just one side of the stringer at a time during the lam usually gives the best results. Work your way out towards the rails and then soak the laps before rapping them. Do your best to wrap the laps evenly leaving a clean edge. I usually start from the tail and go to the nose for each rail.
After the bottom dries sand the laps on the deck and then lam the top the same way but use 2 layers of cloth usually 6oz + 4oz or 4oz x2.
Sand your laps again and then put your hotcoat on bottom first. Use masking tape on the rails to guide dripping resin down to the floor while doing the hotcoat to get a clean edge along the rail. Damning up the tail with tape can also produce a sharp tail edge that some like if done right. Finish sand your hotcoat and your done.