Can you get fin panels that transparant?
My guess is that it is left over resin from the mixing cup.
use to you use clear casting resin for making fin panels…fairly clear…i think the yellow board makes it seem more clear in that picture
could be straight resin ,?
Thanks guys for all the input.
As for left over fin panels: My fins are all plywood, no glass, so I don’t have anything left.
2 reasons why I chose to not install a leash plug: I think the resin leash loops are aesthetically more pleasing and I wouldn’t have that good of a feeling drilling a hole in my freshly glassed board. I know that everybody does it, been doing it for years etc., but it’ just a feeling. Nothing retro or anything, I just find them more beautiful.
I find them to be beautiful too. Until I stepped on one. Kind of like stepping on a stingray. It hurts like a mofo.
Here’s a post from 11 years ago. Check out the reply with pics, from “Drew”. Nice, clean looking job and low profile so as to not be an issue if stepped on.
Thanks for the pics balsa (that looks really nice btw) and the link sammy.
I had some trouble with my van, so the start of my trip will be postponed one week. I’ll just order roving then, seems better than unraveling scrap cloth.
Nice advise!
Just gotta say Balsa
gotta “woodie” just looking at that board.
I’m in T band heaven!
sooo… just to be sure: as with my fins, I do this after lam, before fill coa, right?
do you have rough numbers how much resin will be needed?
Having seen Balsa’s board in person, I’ll comment that the leash loop is beautiful.
Heck, the whole board is beautiful.
Rides nicely, too. Got a “best classic longboard I’ve ever been on” vote from someone who surfs much, much better than I.
Here’s the other side.
As for the resin… it depend on the size of the loop, but 50mL should be enough, 100 if u do a big one.
GL & HF !
Z.
Thank you Zourite.
I kinda have the amounts for the lam coat dialed in by now, but I am still very unsure when it comes to other questions, like fins, leash loops, hotcoats and the like, hence all my questions.
But it is clearing up more and more.
Ok, I jsut glassed my fins on, once the resin gels up, I’ll cut down any excess and can continue with my resin leash loops.
I am pretty much set on the styles; horizontal over buttcrack on the fish and for the mini one of those you’d see on a longboard.
For my #3 however I’d relly like the style for which you recommended using leftovers from finpanels. As I don’t have any of those, I thought of doing the following: build a dam/form/whatever of tape, chop up some glass strands (0.5-1cm) mix them with resin, pour that in my form, let gel, glass 2-3 layers of 6oz over that. Does that make sense? Maybe a little?
As a reminder, I want it to look like that:
It makes sense. But (why is there always a but?) two things come to mind. The first is transparency - an issue or not depending on the look you’re going for. The second is solidity - make sure that in shaping your loop you don’t sand off too much of your glass - this is epecially pertinent for the top unless you’re glassing over it? The filler won’t have much structural integrity without those sidewalls. I may be over-thinking this, but I hate when simple stuff breaks.
Never done it that way since I always seem to have a bit of a fin sheet or a cut-off fin base. Probably have a couple of pieces in red or semi-opaque transparent. If you’d like one I’m happy to send it your way. In any case, be curious to see what you come up with.
Thanks for the kind offer jeffrey, but I am located in Germany.
Anywho, just did the leash loops. Pretty straight forward actually. As I didn’t have any roving, I pulled strands out of my 6oz glass. There were a few bubbles in there, but I got them out. Hopefully haha.
Tomorrow fill coat, after that an aweful lot of sanding, as I don’t have any electric devices for that and than I’m done.
Stoked for the leash loops then!
Hand sanding is not all that bad, just be patient. Speaking of sanding, since you’re in Europe you might try the Entropy resin from Atua next time. If you get the very fast (very being a relative thing) hardener it has great mechanical traits and it sands out beautifully. I’ve always loved RR for reliability and ease of use, but I think that this is the best polishing-out epoxy I’ve handled.
By the way, writing from France so not that far.
Cheers
Ah ok, so we’re some euros after all. I always assume people answering are from the US with some aussies in the mix.
I tried the thing with mixing epoxy with chopped up glass, hopefully it turns out ok. I didnt glass a patch over it immediately, as there were glass trands sticking out here and there, so I have to sand that in form before putting on any more glass.
Here are the pics from right after the glassing.
Speaking of sanding the hotcoat: what are the typical grits for handsanding? I found very contradictory info on that, some starting as low as 60, others suggest 100-120.
one more question (hopefully not too stupid): I just sanded all the laps flush from the fin-patches and also the patches of the leash loops, but do I also sand the loop as such? I used strands from my 6oz cloth, i got a feeling if I sand those, they’ll just come apart.
I’m late to the game but I hope this will help future glassers. This technique is not my own but one seen via Clutch who glasses at Waterman’s Guild.
Step 1. Roving. Pull 10 strands and tape the ends.
