Anybody ever get tired of suffering the ‘error’ part of trial and error method?
I bought some new glass to try on my boards, and found out a little too late that it doesn’t stay bent around the rails good without vacuum … well the short of it is I’m ‘fixing’ the rails now … what a bunch of extra work …
But at least they’ll be rideable. Some cosmetic flaws, but rideable … I suppose I could airbrush the rails to hide the flaws …
My gun turned out great with this glass … the first board I did with it … but that’s because I vacuum bagged everything. These most recent two I tried hand layup … it just didn’t work out.
The glass is 5.6 oz. S-2 … it is tough stuff but just seems a little tougher to conform to rail curves. I like the strength though.
Yup. The 6 oz. stuff from my local place hates to stick to the underside of rails unless it’s sopping with resin, and even then it refuses to stick to the underside of the nose rails.
Yesterday I found out exactly why nobody uses balsa strips for the rails on hollow wooden surfboards. It’s too soft and the strips crush and bend. Had a bit of trouble cleaning up the mess and now I get to rip my own 1/4" strips of redwood. Ugggghhhhh!!!
Oh well … the price was right on the fabric, so I’ll use it … I’ll just be bagging any future boards I do with it (which kind of pays off in the long run anyway in terms of strength and weight.)
I’ve got a good chunk of the bad spots fixed already, soon I’ll be able to finish sanding, then it’s time for the new Probox side boxes. This is gonna be sweet not having to set the cant with a protractor etc. and being able to adjust them in the box … I like the idea. Should be interesting.
Larry sent me out the rest of the jigs etc. I need today, so I’ll be ready to drop 'em anyday now.
I’m gonna let my brother have the funshape in trade for some other stuff, I’d be embarrassed to ask money for it with the rail situation … doesn’t really look pro
To err is to be human or some crap like that. Acrylic chemically bonds to polyester as well if that is what you are glassing with so giving the rails a paint may not be a bad idea if you think it’s necessary.
Yup. The 6 oz. stuff from my local place hates to stick to the underside of rails unless it’s sopping with resin, and even then it refuses to stick to the underside of the nose rails.
The very first board I did was a stripped down mal and when I tried my oh-so-professional 6oz rail lap technique, it didnt hold, dunno why but it was a panic stations, code blue, jesus help me type of situation. I panicked and wrapped the rails with glad-wrap ( saran wrap) and then paper-taped that down from hull to deck every inch or so along the rail.
Guess what, it was perfect, the plastic wrap smoothed the surface out so I didnt need to sand too much and the tape made it conform exactly to my hideous shaping attempt, held it to the blank like it was vacced and Ive since always taped those pesky sharp corners just to make sure.
Why hope its perfect and then sand/fill/sand/fair/sand when a roll of tape gives you confidence that its going to set in place and exactly conform to the blank. Even if you just use it on the nose and tail contours, give it a try and you’ll see its like wearing a belt and suspenders; comfort and confidence !
Next board I’ll try the saran wrap on the nose. Thats the only really annoying place. Great tip and a good laugh!
EDIT: My first board was a try and ERROR! I shaped 2 blanks and only glassed the second. The first one I surformed the whole deck with no level or anything, just by eye, and ended up with a stormy ocean as a deck. Then I totally destroyed the rails, trying to do them with no markings ect… wow. And then my first fin box install just a few days later. Routing full blown with a dull bit against a maple stringer and I burnt a cavernous hole 5cm deep and 3cm wide! That was fixed with elmers glue and sawdust, albeit the box is canted about 2 unwanted degrees to the left.
Next board I’ll try the saran wrap on the nose. Thats the only really annoying place. Great tip and a good laugh!
EDIT: My first board was a try and ERROR! I shaped 2 blanks and only glassed the second. The first one I surformed the whole deck with no level or anything, just by eye, and ended up with a stormy ocean as a deck. Then I totally destroyed the rails, trying to do them with no markings ect… wow. And then my first fin box install just a few days later. Routing full blown with a dull bit against a maple stringer and I burnt a cavernous hole 5cm deep and 3cm wide! That was fixed with elmers glue and sawdust, albeit the box is canted about 2 unwanted degrees to the left.
FWS,
Give it a shot! Saran wrap is polyethylene which doesnt stick to anything,so tape it down smoothly, even use more tape to make it absolutely flat and smooth, and when its set, the whole thing peels off like an F-16 and leaves a smooth result. Test it with a scrap of foam and you'll see its a good idea.
As for your shaping errors…, join the queue,
but its good to hear that Im not the only one who learned by mistake.
Thank you for that, up until now I thought I was waaaay out there with that idea, but as it happens its a good idea and someone else does it too.
The saran doesnt make it ultra smooth unless you keep it tight but Ive never tried to make it mirror perfect. It does flatten out the peaks and troughs tho.
So simple , dirt cheap and I hate sanding. I wonder if anyone will actuall try it or if they’ll keep doing the same ol’ thing ?
Howzit SrPato, The trick to hardening the rails is to sweet coat the wood, any wood. This not only helps make it a little stronger but will keep the oils in the wood from rising to the surface from the heat of curing and causing delamination since it seals the wood. We always sweet coat balsa boards before laminating.Aloha,Kokua
I and probably heaps of people have used a similar technique for making fins, boards, bits and pieces for all sorts of applications, but I think Bert Burger popularised it here when he showed what polethylene WONT stick to. He did fins and a board I think?
Try making something small and do it on a smooth bench with saran wrap on it or a smooth sheet of 2mm polyethylene which can be bought from a plastics supplier.
Epoxy doesnt stick to it nor polyester resin, when set the item just pops off with a little flexing. Even a whole board laid up on a curved rocker table just pops off. Glassy smooth too.
Carefully clean the poly sheet afterwards , no scratches at all and its good to go again.
