I found a number of threads on this and other sites where folks inquired as to the results of fiberglass and resin commonly available at big box construction stores and Hometown hardware stores.
Mostly there were cautionary tales of oily smoky-looking resin, and a lot of homebrew substitutes for Q cell, including talcum powder, sugar, sanding residue, etc.
Having recently acquired a board for $40 that was a good candidate for garage repairs, I found myself in a good position to experiment with hardware store Materials, and decided to take photographs for other folks faced with doing the same.
I bought a 7 foot modern black fish surfboard for $40, with a snapped off nose, serious heel dents, and the usual sorts of dings and crunches.
Today I started by repairing the nose. I used Bondo brand resin and hardener (kit), $12 on the Auto aisle. I also purchased a couple square feet of what looks like 4oz cloth. Nothing new here as far as technique, except that I added talcum powder to the resin to try to mimic Q cell. I feel that it worked pretty good, achieving a consistency thicker than resin, but not nearly as stiff as peanut butter.
The resin is not clear, but looks like motor oil that has been recently changed. For this repair I happened to have a can of red spray paint on the shelf that I used to blend the repair.
I had considered trying a variety of backyard pigment or tint experiments, but I will leave that for another day.
Sanded, and a layer of glass. I did not add wax or anything else, but this dried hard and was not sticky or tacky. I was worried it would be.
I did not get carried away with sanding and fairing. 220 grit by hand and orbital, and then a real light coat of paint.
If you are stuck somewhere where you have to/want to make use of hardware store resin, hopefully this thread will help you decide if the finished product will be to your liking. As I do additional repairs, I will post results.
What works, works. I’ve used regular old baking flour or pancake mix in a pinch as resin filler. For repairs, it’s no big deal. If you’ve got a clear board in a showroom against other clear boards, any sign of yellowing or discoloration will likely work against you. “Surfboard Resin” typically has some sort of UV inhibitor and maybe some blue tint to give the appearance of, and a longer lasting, bright white.
The hardware store/auto/boat resin is less expensive for a reason. Still, it is just plain old poly resin by nature. The biggest difference in using it for repairs is that thicker batches tend to show the dark color more, where surfboard resin stays clear. Plus, there’s that UV thing. But repairs that get painted can be done effectively and not look too ugly. I
I’ve glassed whole boards with the stuff. Did a strip and reglass of a messed up old Harbour, back around 2002. Used it to surf crowds so dings from collisions didn’t matter. Sold it for $100 a couple of years ago.
Curious as to why you used a solid and heavier repair medium like straight resin and filler?
I would have cut the foam into a triangle shape and glued a chunk in.
That’s what I would liked to have done, but I didn’t have any.
I was looking at ordering a bunch of “real” repair supplies from Foamez, but they said they didn’t have any scraps or little blocks of foam I could have or purchase. Then I got curious what results would be like if I made do with what’s locally available.
I threw up the post because I know other people have wondered what kind of results they could expect from Home Depot glass and resin.
I’ve used it with Q cell and white pigment before. Works fine for me.
OMG!
Back about 4 1/2 decades.
All I had was marine resin, Moms flour and some white pigment.
Essential swaylocks knowledge! Whatcha gonna do on a Pacific island when all you have is some of this stuff and no foam in sight!
Note: epoxy and flour goes yellow.
5min epoxy is very thermic in blobs like this… Some can also froth
adapt, overcome…
nobody starts out with
cornstarch no more,
flour,? talcum…?
all that stuff is so
hightone get the stinky
baking soda out
and herbie spitzer
was the one
that busted open the
dry pamper… are we
broke ass or not?
sugar powder?
yipes . crush some pumice
stir in some sawdust.
all in all a stellar job laddie.
may it ride waves till it don’t.
…ambrose…