To Glass or not to Glass?

Is it really easy to screw up glassing a surfboard? Would you suggest sending shaped blanks out to get glassed? What do most of you do? Glass or get glassed?

Is it really easy to screw up glassing a surfboard? Would you suggest > sending shaped blanks out to get glassed? What do most of you do? Glass or > get glassed? …NOW DAYS I glass my own personnal boards ,my customers get there’s sent out.That way if I screw up it’s my board and my board only! I STILL AIRBRUSH EVERYONE!..Herb.

Is it really easy to screw up glassing a surfboard? Would you suggest > sending shaped blanks out to get glassed? What do most of you do? Glass or > get glassed? Glassing is a nightmare for a rookie(gelling,lapping,air bubbles,dirt,stains,toxic,sticky), sanding is worse. A glass shop is the ticket but you need to make sure your stringer is flush with the foam and your fin layout is penciled in. Observe the goings on in the factory, pick up a little at a time if you still desire to mess up your garage,pants,shoes. Hell, I did it for years until I figured there really isn’t any signifigant savings glassing yourself because your paying higher prices for smaller quantities of materials. The pros can make your shape look presentable, they will possibly make suggestions to improve your quality for next time and its better all the way around. Of course if the creative urge is that strong…go for it!!!

i’m a garage builder with only 4 boards under my belt. my suggestion would be to glass your own board. yeah, you could screw it up, but you deny yourself the (possible) thrill of a job well done by sending your shape out to a glasser. if you haven’t done so, definetely watch someone do a glass job, or get a hold of JC’s glassing 101 video. watch your catalyst ratio, protect your lungs, eyes and skin, and go for it. it’s quite thrilling when you start to pour your first batch of lam resin on your cloth. there’s nothing to fear but fear itself!

Herb, I thought you did it all! Oh well…, I don’t blame you, glassing is messy and there’s all the environmental stuff to deal with. Looking forward to the new board, hoping still for some decent surf. Aloha, Old Longboarder

I think the challenge of glassing is a great, but it is messy and sometimes you will wonder if it is worth it. I stopped glassing once I finally glasses a board all the way to the gloss coat with a shiny shiny finish–the board looked like out of the shop. Then I said, “Mission accomplished, I can glass.” But if I had to do it all over again, I would have either sent out all my boards for glassing, or I would have protected my lungs better. It is a very toxic project. Only do it isf you have allthe proper saftey equipment. And I mean the proper resperator with organic filters. A cheap dust mask wont cut it. Fiberglass particales embed themselves into tissue-nose, throat and lungs. It really would be nice to have “green” surfboard manufacturing.

I’ve done 4 boards, and like ramon, I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to learn and ride my own stick. If somebody else glasses it, it’s not really your creation. Use UV resin. Suncure is the least expensive brand. See the discussion below. Yeah, you can make lots of errors, but most of them can be corrected before the resin kicks. Most glass shops have temperature controlled rooms. They glass and hotcoat in a cool room, then cure the resin in a warm room. They have more time to glass and hotcoat than you or I would using catalized resin. Even then, they don’t make many mistakes. With suncure, you can finish your work, then kick the resin with little regard for temperature. Some shops are changing to UV resins like Suncure. But Suncure is really the only way to go for us amateurs.>>> Is it really easy to screw up glassing a surfboard? Would you suggest > sending shaped blanks out to get glassed? What do most of you do? Glass or > get glassed?

Steve brought up a good point. All this suuff is bad for you. The most toxic and flammable glassing substance is MEKP, the catalist used to harden resin. Suncure uses no MEKP. Suncure is actually allowing glass shops to bypass federal EPA licensing requirements. The difference if curing fumes is amazing.>>> I’ve done 4 boards, and like ramon, I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to > learn and ride my own stick. If somebody else glasses it, it’s not really > your creation.>>> Use UV resin. Suncure is the least expensive brand. See the discussion > below. Yeah, you can make lots of errors, but most of them can be > corrected before the resin kicks.>>> Most glass shops have temperature controlled rooms. They glass and hotcoat > in a cool room, then cure the resin in a warm room. They have more time to > glass and hotcoat than you or I would using catalized resin. Even then, > they don’t make many mistakes. With suncure, you can finish your work, > then kick the resin with little regard for temperature.>>> Some shops are changing to UV resins like Suncure. But Suncure is really > the only way to go for us amateurs.

Herb, I thought you did it all! Oh well…, I don’t blame you, glassing is > messy and there’s all the environmental stuff to deal with. Looking > forward to the new board, hoping still for some decent surf.>>> Aloha, Old Longboarder …Oh yea , I use to do everyones when it was 20-50 boards a year ,but the numbers have increased ,and I don’t make any real money glassing,Surfhungry said it right; how can such a beautiful art come from such a mess!Besides the kamakazi bugs,neighbors that hate the odor,and lack of good space,I have a small Co. that does great glassing for me and in most cases SMOKES ME AT IT!Because they have a set-up that I DON’T HAVE!I DON’T JUST GO TO ANY GLASSER,i’m very picky and have dumped glass shops for poor workmanship and or lack of concern, because" you’re not giving them big orders" in a heartbeat.Look around find someone you can work with.One thing nice about having glassing exp. is you know what to look for,and if you’re not careful they’ll put you to work.LOL,Herb.

Steve brought up a good point. All this suuff is bad for you. The most > toxic and flammable glassing substance is MEKP, the catalist used to > harden resin. Suncure uses no MEKP. Suncure is actually allowing glass > shops to bypass federal EPA licensing requirements.>>> The difference if curing fumes is amazing. Another thing to keep in mind is that the fumes not only enter your body thru the mouth or nose, protect your skin and eyes to. Especially when working with epoxy resins, if this burning feeling in your eyes starts your already to late. The effects stay with you a long time, some say it wil never leave your body and it can cause cancer. TAKE CARE. Only a cat has nine lives. Peter Rijk

…Good warning! Yeah, I’ve had epoxy “tomato face”. I couldn’t see between my swolen eyelids. I didn’t even know epoxy was so toxic. The skin on my eyelids is now much looser. Epoxy is bad news, but that’s life. There’s no reason to hide in a corner. Now I respect epoxy, big time. It’s full gloves, long sleeves, and a tape band between the two… long pants and shoes. I wear a filter mask and ventillate the shop with a fan while glassing.>>> Another thing to keep in mind is that the fumes not only enter your body > thru the mouth or nose, protect your skin and eyes to. Especially when > working with epoxy resins, if this burning feeling in your eyes starts > your already to late. The effects stay with you a long time, some say it > wil never leave your body and it can cause cancer. TAKE CARE. Only a cat > has nine lives.>>> Peter Rijk

Another thing to keep in mind is that the fumes not only enter your body > thru the mouth or nose, protect your skin and eyes to. Especially when > working with epoxy resins, if this burning feeling in your eyes starts > your already to late. The effects stay with you a long time, some say it > wil never leave your body and it can cause cancer. TAKE CARE. Only a cat > has nine lives.>>> Peter Rijk I have great respect for those that can do it all. Shaping is most everyones dream. Why should someone be able to start out at the top. There is two ways to get into making boards. Love surfing and the board building process and start from the bottom sweeping and hope to learn dings then glassing, sanding etc. Or have money (rich parents) that set you up in business. Basically the shapers in the world that dont know how to glass or any other steps. There is a certain amount of soul in it. Just remember however you get into it always wear the proper safety equipment.

EPOXY OR NOT,SAFETY STUFF AND VENTILATION IS A MUST…AFTER YOU BLOW YOUR FIRST FEW BOARDS THEY WILL GET BETTER… I’M UP TO 125 AND STILL ENJOY SHAPING, AIRBRUSHING AND YES EVEN GLASSING…DO IT TILL IT’S NOT FUN ANYMORE…AND TRY NOT TO BLOW UP YOUR GARAGE…WATCH THAT WATER HEATER!

i know, i’ve got a gas powered water heater, and i think it has a little pilot flame that is always lit. i’m very aware of it, and if i have any resin curing, or any resin or solvent that is not sealed in a container, i’ve got the garage door fully open and 2 18 inch fans blowing outward. one at floor level in front of the water heater, one at chest level just blowing out. having a makeshift glass shop ignite has got to be a catastrophe. someone who’s just starting out has to be especially aware of stuff like this, always analyze what’s going on in the shop.

A gas water heater does have a constant pilot light. Most of the danger however exists when the water heater burner ignites. Whenever you’re working with flammables in the presence of your water heater, shut it off and relight it after you’re through working and the garage has been ventilated. In addition to this, never wash or dry rags, clothing, etc. that has been saturated with flammable liquids or material. My dad worked for 35 years for So Ca Gas Company and has seen gas dryers that were blown apart due to this. Remember it’s the vapors that ignite when the air to fuel ratio gets just right, not the liquid itself. As most vapors travel along the ground being heavier than air, a water heater inside a garage etc. is supposed to be 18" off the floor. A fireman friend’s son was cleaning his motorcycle with gasoline in a garage with a water heater. When the water heater burner came on, the fuel mixture was just right and blew the kid right out of the garage. This was with the 2 car garage door opened. When the kid dialed the fire department (in the days before 911) he was so excited about the garage being on fire, he transposed the address and the fire department (including his on-duty father) went to the wrong house. By the time the correct location was found, the fire had spread to the house 20 feet away. As a teenager, our water heater was also in the garage. Dad about crapped when he came home one evening and I was painting a car in the closed garage using acrylic laquer. I didn’t do that anymore without shutting the water heater off after hearing some of the stories. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and we’re not talking about resin here. Be safe, not sorry…, shut down that water heater. Aloha, Old Longboarder

I guess I’m lucky in that respect…no source of flame,it’s a unattached garage.Herb. p.s. your power source could present a problem…unless you have explosion proof switches & lighting?