I did some glass on fins a few days ago, my question: Say you have your lamination layer (6 oz. cloth & lam resin on your fins- silmar 249A) and it is still tacky to the point where you can barely trim it with a razor without pulling the glass all around, but yet its tacky enough that you are not going to cause your glass to float when you hot coat on top of it. When you put your hot coat on top of this tacky lam layer, does the kicking/hardening of your hotcoat on top do anything to speed the hardening to the lam layer below, or for the most part do these two layers kick individually depending on the amount of catalyst? The reason I ask is that I’m restoring an old thruster (6’ hot tuna, probably a knock off, no lams and no sig, the board looks fun and I’m going to ride it) that had its fins ripped out and other damage on the bottom. I preped everything set my fins in the late afternoon and went a little light on the catalyst for some extra working time. By morning the glass (6oz. full patch and one half patch per side & fin rope) was tacky but had not kicked fully and was like I had described above (the remaining mix in the pot had kicked but still had a fine gummy layer on top). I trimmed it and hot coated over it. I mixed the hot coat so it kicked in about 10 mins. I’m concerned that my lack of catalyst on the bottom lam layer will make for a weak fin set up. Thanks for any info.
No worries it will kick off, even if resin sits out without any catalyst it will eventually kick. Was it cold & rainy day when you were working? If the stuff in the pot kicked off, the stuff on the board will kick too, it just takes longer due to the chain reaction of resin to catylist molecules. On a side note, thats why it’s best to break your resin batchs down in to multiple buckest when doing big lam jobs. Anyhow, I’d just keep working, it probably sandable right now? -Jay
No, it won’t eventually kick without catalyst, I have a finsheet from Fins Unlimited that had the first 6 layers done without MEK. It is now 4 years old and those 6 layers are still too soft to grind without loading up every piece of paper that touches it
…Safely ! no flames ! It’ll work out just don’t go postal on it and everything will turn out.Herb
Thanks to all for the info. I think it will be alright but I was just curious if the chemical reaction on top (the hot coat) did anything to the chemical reaction going on the bottom (the lamination layer). I am going to wait a little while before I ride it. Thanks again everyone.