As ever, nicely explained and nicely illustrated. And it is surprising how useful plain old turpentine can be: I like to mix it with boiled linseed oil to make an easy and good-looking wood finish.
One quick thought; if I am understanding your plans for the board it seems that you are going to go with a black cut lap bottom and a clear plus fabric overlay on the deck. I might be wary of that black if there’s any delamination possibilities, as I have seen a black board soak up heat on the beach and I literally watched it delaminate as the heat built up.
-Full flower fabric cloth inlay on deck (no lap at all) + cut cloth over logo
-Full solid color cloth inlay on bottom + cutlap over deck + cut cloth over logo
-Hot coat bottom
-Hot coat deck
-No sanding, if possible
Black choice for solid color on bottom is not done, but I need a quite dark color if I want to hide all that brown/yellow/white amalgama. Maybe dark blue or purple.
Do you know by chance Eduardo ETCHEVERRIA, ZIPS SURFBOARDS’ owner, shaper, glasser, sander, fin-installer, glosser…? Super-nice guy, friend of mine, glassed a few boards for me some years ago. (Taught me a few tricks, too…)
Yes, of course I know Edu “ZIPS”. Edu (ardo) joins us at some of the ACL (longboard clubs association) events. He was the sponsor and provider of the 1st place prizes of Salinas and Los Locos events this year 2005, but he didn’t appear, but sent one of his riders (Jon Aizpurua) to bring the boards.
Salinas2005 (30-31 july) or “you should heve been there”
Some time without posts, but work has kept been done these weeks.
After a complete clean up of the board, using gentle quatities of turpentine for removing deck grip, I sanded rough the deck and bottom, removing all the gloss I could remove.
Then I decided to fill the deepest pressure bumps, which I did with a mix of lam resin and foam dust. Then sand flush to deck and bottom, not very accurately since they will be hidden by the cloth.
Finally, I used cheap tape to mask ZIPS logo, leash plug and tailblock.
ZIPS logo masked using 2 layers of cheap tape, so I will “feel” the step when it gets covered with the cloth.
Deck sanded, logo+tailblock+leashplug masked…so let’s go for the full deck cloth inlay.
I found this piece of red+white flowers around my girlfriends house, so don’t ask me what type of cloth is it.
I simply laid it over the deck, mix some 1/2 litre of resin+some drops of MEKP (under ratio, I want to work slowly) and wetted the cloth with a paintbrush, trying to avoid air gaps under the cloth.
Since I’m doing a cutlap from the bottom cloth and since this cloth DOES NOTHING for the stiffness of the board, I just let the cloth hanging from the rails. I didn’t even do a free lap.
Next day, when resin was set, I took the razorblade and went for the cosmetics.
First, the logo: 2 layers of cheap tape are enough to allow you to feel the “step” under the cloth. I Passed the razorblade along the “step” and “voilá”: cloth was removed cleanly.
Now, the HIGHTECH tool: and EPS+pencil rail marker for drawing the bottom cloth cutlap:
Cutlap line drawn on deck (note the shaper’s logo under the cloth, I didn’t expect for this translucid effect…but it’s OK:, Edu Etcheverria, you’re there):
Well, I’ve found no BLACK piece of cloth at low price. What I found was a large and cheap piece of dark red cloth, so I think this is how it will be at the end of the process.
2" cut laps are maybe too long for the cloth, so I think it’s easier to keep them at 1".
Can you tell me more about sanding off the Hot Coat:
What grit sandpaper did you use and what type of sander?
Around 80 or 100. Sandisk attached to a drill and hand in the rails and bumps. Don’t be afraid to show some glass, but be careful not to overheat the inner glass when sanding off the hotcoat, don’t insist in a certain area, just sand 1 second, go to other place and come back later.
How did you know when you had the hot coat off, visual or feel?
Visual. If it shines, keep on sanding.
Why no additional glass? you just lamed on the cloth then hot coat? If the boards broke wouldn't that indicate it needs more strength?
Board was broken twice before I bought it. I think it's fixed OK since some gentle waves have fallen over it and it didn't brake again. Due to these fixings, the board is quite heavy now; I don't want to add more weight. So I'll just SAND-LAM CLOTH-HOTCOAT.
Let the cloth set then trim, with a razor right? Trim right away after it gels or let set overnight?
Right, but I let the resin set overnight. Cloth has not the properties of glass, so you can cut it easy even after some days. It remains always a little flexy.
Be sure not to apply wax resin (sand resin), only lam resin.
Latelifer: Can you post or send a pic of your board before starting??
I really like your threads, as always tons of infos, but i’ve to ask a question, i also use cheap masking tape, and have really big problems with it, cause it soaks epoxy, with poly is even worse, the glue melts and than the removal is a pain in the a$$.
If i can give you an advice, guess you’ll have some problems with the dark red bottom, on the rails it will be a bit transparent and you’ll see the flowers, instead of a cloth inlay maybe a light coat with acrylic paint will cover it better, than one layer of 4oz glass, weights less, soaks less resin and really adds strenght… my 2€cents.
