Hi All,
Has anyone ever tried using S glass? the tap plastics website says it’s 30% stronger and 15% stiffer than E glass. The shop I get all my stuff from sells only E glass. I checked the archives, but no luck. I dunno if it’s worth it for me to buy S glass or just stick with E glass. Anyone have any idea about this stuff? Thanks.
Rio
Howzit Daklaw, I personally love working with S glass. It’s a little harder to saturate with resin but that’s not really a problem. I will say that it is very expensive especially if you buy by the yard, as much as $ 8.00 a yard. It is stronger but S-glassed boards will still break. Aloha,Kokua
Lots of people use S glass. Its a bit more expensive - like 6 oz S costs as much as 10 oz volan (which is E), but its worth it if you want thin, strong, and water-clear.
Glassed a board with it and could not tell any diffference in either weight or strength and frankly regretted shelling out nearly double the cost of E-Glass.
But that was only one board a few years ago. I have since become a much better laminator so if I might be able to talk myself into trying it again. But maybe not.
Drew
Thanks for all the replies. S glass is definitely more expensive. And the cost was what I was concerned with the most. So, I’ll probably stick with E glass until my laminating skills improve.
Rio
i have glassed most of my boards with the direct sized S glass and they seem to last forever if they don’t snap. super hard to cut though, i sharpen my scissiors before every board…
RWG glass is a good compromise between S and E in strength and price, again super hard to cut because of the direct size…
Another classic “Im dumbfounded by this” subject.
S-glass is stronger.
Do some basic math and you’ll see that the price diff to complete a board is fairly small…pay a little more but get a stronger, or lighter whichever you prefer, result.
E-glass is more profitable for the pro makers…I reviewed a friends 6 month old brand name board the other day…the thing looked like it was 5 years old…dents everywhere…yellowing…you could breath on it and dent it. What a joke…you know he’ll be back to buy another one next year and thats exactly how the makers want it.
Make some small hand sized samples and test them…bend, twist, push, press, buckle and see for yourself.
S-glass lammed with epoxy…fahgettabouit
Hi Meecrafty,
Why is S glass not good to lam with epoxy? Thanks.
Rio
Hi Meecrafty,
Why is S glass not good to lam with epoxy? Thanks.
Rio
What? S-Glass was originally developed for use with Epoxy. Where do these myths come from?
Uhhhh, I think he was saying that epoxy/s-glass is very strong… but I am often wrong
7/10
Ahh, OK that makes sense. 'Sorry for confusing others. I thought Meecrafty meant that it was bad to lam with epoxy.
Rio
fahgettabouit = no worries
the combo is very very strong…btw, the dry cloths also feel different…S being stiffer…E glass is very suple…drapes real nice but its not as stiff and strong.
Rough price diff on a shortie would be about $15-20…now, you’ve invested time and effort to make your own stick…what’s that extra $20 really worth?
For me its cheap durability insurance…
I personally love working with S glass. It’s a little harder to saturate with resin but that’s not really a problem. I will say that it is very expensive especially if you buy by the yard, as much as $ 8.00 a yard. It is stronger but S-glassed boards will still break.
The weakness comes from the polyester resin. Where polyester resin has about a 1.5% elongation percentage and E-Glass roughly 4% elongation percentage the polyester resin is still the weakest link. S-Glass was developed because some epoxies can have an elongation precentage as high as 8.5% before it fails, or possibly more these days. S-Glass has an elongation percentage of about 5.5% before it fails, S-Glass has the best elongation percentage you can get.
But in the surfboard industry I’m gunna say that some of the epoxies that are being used are so weakened by trying to make them like polyester that they are weak compared to the strongest epoxies availiable and probably only have an elongation percentage of about 3% at best. That a company like Boeing or Northrop would laugh at using such an epoxy for the Stealth Bomber that most use for surfboards. Your not gunna get that crystal clear look with the super strong epoxies and you need to post cure them at temps that would melt both polyurethane and EPS to get full potential out of them. Yet I beleive that surfboard makers could use better epoxies if they were willing to alter what they expected out of the appearence of the finished product.
PS. this post was not directed at the original poster that I quoted above, because he know his shit. I just wanted to state the facts as I knew them about S-Glass and Epoxy.
Excellent feedback Glenn.
Just to add…the funny thing is you can paint a finished board quite nicely indeed…
You’re right Meecrafty, it seems to be a strange fixation of seeing the strength, seeing what’s inside, seeing what it’s made of.
The sanded filler sprays I did were nearly always questioned as to whether I was covering up a stuff-up. Just the fact that glass fabric goes clear when laminated hides many glassers inadequacies.
I must admit I would only get a sprayed board if I trusted its manufacturer. In other words, I would probably build my own.
I use only S glass on high wind sail boards. And E glass for surf boards. Install a deck patch in the area you dent. If you want it strong go with epoxy. Gordon
I have now done several s-glass and epoxy layups. they are pretty darn strong.
I will say if you ride them soon after they are finished they will be very weak. If pressure dings scare you let it cure for a few weeks. I just did and s glass epoxy fish today. finished laying up the belly of the best and it came out amazing. I love epoxy because its strong and clear, and i always figure heck…if im gonna spring the cash for epoxy might as well make it indestructable with s glass as well.
I have ridden the same 5’10" for close to a year now. It was glassed with 4x4/4 with a patch along the stringer to protect the board from my knee. my poly boards have some bad gashes there. The only pressure dings on it are from the first day surfing it. I had sanded it that mourning then headed up to catch a surf with my brother in jax. i was bummed when i saw the dings…but i now understand it was still fairly weak.
I now try to drop into every closeout wave i see breaking right on the shore. 
I try constantly to put it to the test. Give it to beginner friends in shorepound and tell them to surf.
I will say if laminated correctly sglass is much stronger and worth the price. I use it on all of my personal boards.
DK
…I try constantly to put it to the test. Give it to beginner friends in shorepound and tell them to surf…
Ex-friends now?
mtb
just bought 4oz S for $5.13 a yard…E goes for $3.65 (i think)…the price diff for a shortie is what…about $10…
no brainer…
if you use polyester resin and s glass , your wasting your money …
the resin fails long before the glass …
glenn gave some details as to why …
meecrafty is on it …
s glass and epoxy = the best you can get currently at a reasonable price …sglass and polyester is still stronger than e and polyester , but the percentage difference isnt as great as using it with epoxy …
theres many tasteful ways to cover unsightly resin …
regards
BERT