Yes, I’m retarded now. Would it actually be a good thing to have a small open ding somewhere on a board with delam problems? Like if the ding was on the deck, could it serve as a vent during the summer so the delam wouldn’t spread when it gets all hot? If you could find some kind of tape or something that was waterproof to put over when going surfing, but take it off when you leave the water, would a ding/vent on a board help slow delams? I’ve just been thinking about one of my own very old boards with deck delam problems. I got it from a freind who didn’t think ding repair was important and… you know what I mean. I love the shape, so I was pondering possible ways to save the board (yeah i know i can shape it, I’m planning on it eventually).
why not just repair the delam? if it isn’t too big, just drill 2 small holes (1 on each end of the delam), shoot a bunch of lam resin in there, and put a weight down over the delam. it likely won’t be a permanent fix, but should help to re-bond the glass to the deck and will stop the spread of the delam. or, if it’s a big delam, just cut it out and glass over the patch.
Yeeahh I was thinking about repairing it but I don’t really care about that board a lot. I like the shape but it’s my hurricane board which means in my town that I don’t care if it breaks or not. I don’t want to repair the delam cause it would add alot of weight probably. I was just pondering about the hole for ventalation.
you go from " I love the shape, so I was pondering possible ways to save the board" to “I don’t really care about that board a lot. I like the shape but it’s my hurricane board which means in my town that I don’t care if it breaks or not” just because your a lttle lazy to do a basic repair that will take 20 minutes? its just two holes a little resin and a couple bricks to weigh it down.
I did it two years ago to a board of a friend of mine he rides it all the time and no delam problems and not much weight increase maybe 3 ounces.
Just don’t use it every day!
Had a 'ette who surfed with a 6’er about 5 days a week for a year with one inch open exposed foam.
Just dried it out between seshs, and it was fine.
Finally split the rails from too much water wrecking the bond between glass and foam.
She was waiting for a board sponsor, I guess, maybe even me, but it didn’t happen.
If you use it like twice a week, it won’t hurt. Won’t help, either…
my experience is that while an open ding isn’t necessarily always bad, it’s never good. the liklihood of any positive outcome is what ya might call minimal.
on the other hand, chances are fixing the ding, keeping the board away from heat and sun and so on will keep it going a lot longer.
oh, and if ya copy it, my suggestion would be to glass it a hell of a lot stronger than the original. it got that delam for a reason, ya know?
hope that’s of use
doc…
I’d be more than happy to fix your de-lam for a small price. Just buy a big crate and send that beauty out here to California. I call it open heart surgery because I’m gonna cut that baby open, remove all the cancer and then stitch her back together. Who cares about weight ,it’s for surfing Hurricanes right?
An open ding can never be good.
Get the water out and fix it now.
Ray
FWIW:
I found that if you fix a de-lam and there is still water inside, then you’re gonna have some big problems later on.
1.) Don’t Fix. Your board will surely meet its’ demise prematurely, (though not as quickly as if you repaired it wet).
2.) Fix (easy). Drying is mandatory. If you drilled only two small holes it could take eons for the bugger to dry out.
Tip: get your hands on an aquarium pump and feed the air supply tube into one of the holes. Air flow is
how your de-lam will get dry. This takes several days of continuous flow. Then glue as stated.
3.) Fix (hard). Drying is mandatory. Gut the thing. Cut off the deck area. Let dry. Use lightweight fill. Re-glass.
4.) Fix (tech). Router out the area at a set depth (like 1/2" deep). Inlay a structural PVC foam (Divinycell) and lightly re-glass.
5.) Don’t Fix (fun). Sell the board before it gets worse. Make 1 or 2 new ones. (But glass the tail areas a little more.)
There are so many options open to you. Hope you find the one that works best for you…