I’m in the process of building board #3, a 9’2 Timberflex-style longboard with bamboo veneer and carbon rails. I’m at the sanded hotcoat stage, and was originally intending to just do a pinline where the bamboo meets the carbon. However, I’m not completely happy with how the carbon has turned out, plus I’m a bit concerned about heat buildup with an EPS core, so now I’m intending to paint the rails white, do my pinline, and then epoxy gloss over the top. This brings me to the problem…how do I do this?
I’ve spent days reading the archives here about the best way to do this, and now I am thoroughly confused as there is a lot of contradictory advice. I’ve come up with a few options:
Spray the rails with flat white acrylic rattle-can. I've had a look for water-based cans, but can't really find anything (recommendations in Oz?). Then sand lightly with say 320grit. Pinstripe with black in the same way, then epoxy gloss coat over the top.
Brush the rails with water-based acrylic paint (standard stuff from an artstore), then sand, then pinstripe with rattle-can, then epoxy gloss.
Mix white acrylic paint with epoxy and brush rails with that. Light sand, feather edge, spray pinline and epoxy gloss coat.
Mix white tint from paint store with epoxy and brush rails with that. Light sand, feather edge, spray pinline and epoxy gloss coat.
Any other suggestions?
For #2, I'm worried the paint layer might be too thick. I also did a quick test for #3, but with black paint, and it came out a bit blotchy, so I'm not convinced that white done in this way will cover black carbon rails. I also left "epoxy paint" off the list (ie appliance paint), because most of it isn't really epoxy, especially the rattle-can stuff, so I'm concerned about bonding issues.
Krylon "Fusion" works well as does most rattle can spray paints. The issue I've had is compatiblity with top coats. I've a few brands that sort of melted when i shot a 2 pac clear coat over them. As long as you've sanded the board, adhesion shouldn't be an issue.
Your bed is made, you only have one option...just paint. if you paint then hot coat 1) it will be heavy, or 2) as it seems your glassing skill are so so....you will have sand throughs if you try to hot coat and sand smooth.
If you want it to be pretty durable just get some paint from the homedepot andf paint it. if you want it bullet proof, paint it with LP boat paint. Lp is the stuff they use on Surftechs.
They make 2 part epoxy primers, and LP top coats. LP paint is almost like water, and you can even thin it out with a special thinner (223)to make it beyond runny. I mean it lays out like glass with a roller, brush, or sprayer.
I’ve had no problems with regular rattle can krylon (flat not gloss) and an epoxy finish coat over top.Getting white to fully cover black might take a thick coat of paint though.Let it dry for a few days before applying the epoxy finish.I’ve used that appliance epoxy paint and it takes longer than epoxy to dry,and they spray jobs from that stuff are cosmetically challenged.
I have two epoxy boards from Greg Loehr that have rattle can sprayed on the rails with a sprayed speed coat over that. I didn’t think it would hold up, be it has, very nicely. It is a two tone color of light and dark blue.
Thanks for the advice. As resinhead says, my glassing skills are so-so (c’mon, it’s only my 3rd board, and it’s much better than my 1st!), so I definitely have to do an epoxy gloss coat to cover my sand-throughs. We’ll, you’ve all convinced me, I’ll just use a flat acrylic rattle-can. Worst cast scenario if it screws up is I’ll have to sand the gloss and paint off the rails and re-do it.
These guys are right; just finish with paint, don't try to gloss over it. LP would be overkill, automotive acrylic laquer is plenty good. (btw, resinhead - if you think surftech uses lp I've got some real estate to sell you... that probably came from the same source that said they used rohacell in the tl2, which was laughable)
Here's some painted carbon from 1988. We used regular auto paint sprayed off a gun, but auto parts stores will have rattle-can products that will be just fine for your rails.
This spot got bumped somewhere along the way and the paint cracked off into this pattern. Last time I posted this pic we had fun analyzing the image - what do you see? :
I see an elephant that’s being ridden by a crow, climbing up Mt. Everest, and coming up to a trail side arrow pointing the way up to base camp #2…
But then I’m nuts…lol…
Oh… To the original poster… Use white Krylon for Plastic, it’s a form of Fusion that sticks incredibly well to plastics and sanded epoxy fiberglass…
It covers great and if applied in light coats will cover carbon no problem… White covers better than colors due to the more opaque tints in the white spray can…
It’s really cheap, and one can will more than do what you need… You don’t need to clear coat it afterwards if you don’t want …it’s quite strong, because it bonds so well to the sanded hotcoat…
If you get a scrach from a rock or something quickly tape off the area and spray over the scratch… It dries very fast and levels out extremely well for a rattle can paint… Try it if you can find it near you…
Thanks for the tips MD and kiterider. Unfortunately a lot of products you guys take for granted in the US are much harder to get here in Oz. I’ve not seen Krylon for Plastic in stores, only found it locally online for $$$$$ with minimum quantities and long lead times (due to shipping from the US on demand!). However, I did find 3M Vinyl Paint at my local auto store, which according to the can bonds well to plastics. So I’ll give that a go, and epoxy gloss over the top (to cover my sand-throughs). I’m not fussed about weight - this is a 9’2 longboard that I intend to ride a handful of times a year at a certain break when the rest of the coast is too big and dirty for the shortboard. Besides, at the sanded hotcoat stage, it still comes in noticably lighter than the recent PU/PE board I’ve based it on.
I’ll post some pics when I’m done, but don’t hold your breath, my board building projects are slow going.
If not LP then what the heck do they use? every Surftech repair I use my supply of Lp paint mixed to match and it is bullet proof. i just assumed it was LP? What could be a tougher finish?
