Just a quick one. What are the possible problems with using a non UV stabilised resin? epoxy and poly?
I have searched to try and find the answer but as you can imagine the search terms RESIN - UV - PROBLEMS pick up about half of the threads ever written.
Resin will become brittle faster, Board will discolor quickly. It’s the stuff you find at marine supply shops and auto parts stores.
Mainly the boards will yellow.
Surely there’s an additive that can be added to protect the resin a bit?
Give it a yellow tint. Not sure, but boat resin may not be as ‘safe’ as the stuff formulated for surfboards. RR and the others are low VOC. Mike
Before UV stable epoxy was common we painted over it with “refrigerator paint”, or epoxy paint.
I wouldn’t use it now. Buy the good stuff.
I used to resist buying better materials (EPS, cloth, epoxy) and better tools (hand and power). Now I really like them since you get better results for less effort. Same goes for wood for projects and finboxes and their installation tools. Nothing wrong with ‘getting by’ and ‘making do’ if needed but I do not see a good reason to always bottom feed tools and materials if better options are available. And don’t neglect the stuff like sidelights and stands, having good ones of those are also a great boost to a shaping setup.
Thanks to all for the replies. Pretty much as I thought its mainly the yellowing but possible brittleness and other slight performance degradation.
I live in the Southern Calif. region, so the availability of materials around here is much better than most anywhere else. Those people who live outside our bubble have fewer options.
I just used ~$40 in EPOXY resin to glass an 8ft mini longboard in 6oz. That’s purchasing the resin in the small 1.5 gallon kit at the retail price.
Add in the dollar’s worth of vinegar that I used for cleaning up and the fact that I weigh my resins so I can use any generic plastic cup to mix resin, and FOR ME the quest for cheaper glassing materials just isn’t worth pursuing.
Often those of us who live outside the US and particularly on islands dream of the kind of figures that are posted on sways.
I can get a gallon of proper epoxy but it will cost me 200 dollars, I can get a gallon of general purpose stuff for half of that. Add in the cost of buying a proper blank here which is maybe 150 dollars +
All the little things too like chip brushes, cups, squeeges, solvents always seem to cost at least 3 or 4 times as much as figures i see on here. Even when bought from trade outlets etc.
Enjoy the benefits of living in a large market.
Oh and I realise im lucky to have what i have available even at a higher cost. All you people in super remote islands you have my sympathy and all you poor scandinavians Im sure you are even worse off than me in ireland haha.
G Daddy,
You know where to find me. I can hook you up with resin and cloth. My sources have been very good to me over the years…
If you’re gonna use no stabilized resin try putting a drop or two of blue tint in it. Painters frequently due this to keep whites from yellowing.
It may or may not help, but it is worth a try.
Thanks, to be honest when it comes to proper boards ill buy the dearer stuff for the cosmetics. Just keen to get the first few experimental boards done without breaking the bank. The cosmetics don’t matter, as long as the resin performs ok.
Given the purple/red cast of cheapo resin, why not just add a little red tint so it looks intentional?