Question regarding cloth/ding

First, thanks to all of the contributors to this bulletin board. It’s incredible for a relative newcomer like me to be able to benefit from the experience and spirit of those who have gained the knowledge over time. With a five hour round trip to waves, it’s a way I can at least get in touch with it all during the week. The question: I’ve been a little concerned after reading the posts regarding the potential for water damage with a ding. The nose of my board got smacked by a rotating ceiling fan when I was moving it without due attentiveness. There didn’t result in an actual ding which cracked through all of the glass, but there did result in what looks like a splitting between the fiberglass cloth and resin in an area which runs along the rail from just below the point of the nose and down about four inches. Essentially, it is possible to see the texture of the cloth, and it is whitened along that section and about .5 inches onto the deck along that length. I haven’t been able to discern if any water has yet leaked in (but don’t in fact know what to look for - might not recognize it if I saw it). I’m thinking it might be wise to try to seal over it. Is there a substance suitable and readily available for such applications?I seem to recall something about nail polish (?). Thanks in advance. Billa

I’m thinking it might be wise to try to > seal over it. Is there a substance suitable and readily available for such > applications? Yes, It’s called fiberglass. Surfboard resin is best, but if you have to use boat resin from an automotive patch kit, use it. Sand the old glass out with a half-round file. Bevel the glass and resin back away from the ding. If the ding went into the foam blank, fill it with lighweight spackling compound. Thoroughly dry the spackle and sand it back to the original blank level. Tape around the ding along the edge of the bevel. Lay fiberglass across the ding. Catalize the resin, paint it on, and squeegee it out. As the resin hardens, cut the glass around your tape border. Sand the patch, and cover it with sanding resin. Sand again, and polish if possible.

If a finger nail can catch on the area then it would probably be a good idea to seal it. If not, then don’t worry about it. But if you are going to repair it, use surfboard sanding resin. Boat resin is not clear and will dry darker. Spackling compound is structually weak. If you need a filler there are several different types that you would mix with the sanding resin. Do a search on this site or on the web and you’ll come up several helpful instructions. Basically you remove any wax in the area. I use acetone. Make sure it doesn’t run and puddle on the gloss coat. Sand with 100 grit and brush on the resin. Cut and use a piece of 4 oz cloth if you think you need to add strength to the area. Watch for runs in the resin. After it dries, start the sanding process. If you do use a piece of cloth it will require sanding and another coat of resin. For the final sanding process I usually start off with smoother paper like 180 or so. Then go up in stages, 320, 400, 400 wet, and even 600 wet if you have a glossed and polished board. Sometimes you can skip the 600 and go with a polishing compound. All it takes is patience and some practice and you’re on the way to ding repair. Good luck

Hey thanks, This is just what I need. billa