I have my bottom laminated with cutlaps about an inch wrapped onto the deck, and was planning on having the 1st deck layer wrapped about an inch then the top layer of cloth wrapped about an inch farther. Anything I got to worry about except for more weight and a bit more work? 7.5 volan being used
If it were me I might skip on trying to do all three at once.
I would do two layers, grind the laps, nose and tail, then to a third.
At the same time, depending on the board, I don’t know if I’d do three layers of 8oz to begin with… but that’s besides the point.
It wouldnt be 3 layers at once. There would be 1 layer from the previous bottom layer, then the 2 on the deck completely wrapping the rails. Ive heard of people doing just the deck and a full wrap, a wrap to the rail apex and a full wrap around the rails, but never really 2 full wraps for the deck lamination.
Just to be clear
1 layer = bottom
2 layer= top (1 inch onto deck and 2 inches onto deck)
Your cut laps will be nicer looking if you trim the first layer at the apex of the rail or just under.
KD- So, three layers of 7.5 oz and color work (inferred from the basting thread)?
What are you doing color-wise?
Here is a pic, is this the idea you are telling us?
Exactly jrandy. I was thinking going past the apex on the 1st wrap In hopes of possibly getting better protection. I like heavy boards and it’s a pain drying out my board and repairing every time I lose my board and it hits a rock. Some are inevitable but I’d like to avoid as many as I can. Already put a nose and tail block in so this was the final layer of armor. Here’s the board for color reference. I was gonna do a light green on top.
1st board so please give me any and all critique…
KD-
You have a nice looking board in the works, way better than my freshman efforts.
The Volan glass will add a light green cast without additional tint or pigment, and each lap will show.
It’s on my mind as I am fixing rails on a Volan-glassed beast this weekend.
I’d think about going without tint or pigment on the top since you already have strong color on the bottom. It will be easier to manage and then the wooden nose and tail blocks will pop more. Or do a color inlay and clear over that…
So more like this?:
thats what I was suggesting in your other thread as one option - its what I do when i have a colored deck.
Not sure why you’d do wood nose and tailblocks if dings and drying time are a concern. Wood takes longer to dry, sucks more water, and is harder to repair than foam. It looks nice and all, but it’s impractical.
As to your glass job? Most 60s longboards up 'til about 1967 had double 10 oz volan glass jobs with four layers on the rails.
I haven’t had any problems with wood tail blocks - the wood is stronger and more ding resistant than foam, and I get less cracks at the very tip. I do a fair measure of restoring old boards, and find the nose and tail on older boards prone to dings and rot, the wood minimizes that tendency.
I was thinking a wood tail and nose block would give the board more structure, therefore it wouldn’t crush upon impact. I guess youre right about dry time. Something to think about and if the trade off is worth it. My boards go through a lot of banging around, whether it be on a bike trailer or in the water, so the idea behind this board was to make as strong of a board as possible. Most of the boards with the attributes i was looking for dont come up in my price range so I decided to just give shaping a go.
Would I have been better off just using heavier/more cloth?
The wood nose and tail blocks were always about function never looks haha. Guess I missed the mark on that one.
That board is clean Huck! Is that water based acrylic on foam?
Thanks, the painted portrait picture is water based acrylic brush painted on foam, the rest of the deck is resin tint swirl in the lam coat. My boards are epoxy resin and glassed a little heavier than the usual. I have wood tail blocks on several boards, and find them to be very strong and ding resistant. Have never had my boards take in water, in the wood or the foam. I seal any fresh dings with duct tape while surfing, and tend to fix all my dings fairly quickly after they occur. My boards last for years, I have yet to wear a board out, although my first home shaped foam board, a longboard that’s about 6 or 7 years old, is getting pretty close to getting a bit of a renovation.
Huck, on that board I noticed the bottom lap over the tail block is clear. How did you achieve a yellow bottom and clear lap on the tail portion? Did you sand it off flush and only lap it with the top clear layer? The more I look at that thing the more nuances I see.
As best I can recall, I shaped and glassed the board without a wood tail block. The tint is in the first lam. The deck is tinted resin on an inset lam, that terminates at the rail, as was drawn in an earlier post. Then I cut the tail and added the wood, which is two pieces of thin ply, not a solid piece of wood, as well as some reinforcing of the stringer where I left it high for the leash loop. When I added my second lam on the deck, with clear resin, I lapped the rails and the tail.
I like to add my wood tail blocks after one initial lam, because the board is much easier to handle without damaging, as opposed to gluing and shaping the tail block to raw foam.
Beautiful!
ok i forgot about that but I did add a little extra something at the rail when I wrapped it cuz I wanted that look on the deck side. I forget half the stuff I do but it made sense to me at the time lol. Most people never notice, you have unusual powers of observation!
Tail/nose blocks were always about function. They look great too but thats not why they were originally put on boards. They add structure and make the board more resistant to dings in those areas. If they do get a good ding and take on water, wood will take longer to dry. I dig your efforts. Maybe try resin blocks next time because it won’t suck up water like wood can. Plus they can be pretty darn groovy.
You can always seal the wood blocks before applying. Thin out some epoxy with rubbing alcohol and brush on a few coats and glue on to shape. Properly sealed wood will not suck water. At least too much and less than foam. I think at least tail blocks are a must.