Ok I think I get it. Something along the lines of “go and try it, dont get advice before hand. When it goes wrong, come and tell people how it went wrong.”
At which point two things happen:
People read it who already knew it was a mistake and say “You prick, you don’t know what you’re doing, TAKE TIME TO LEARN FROM THE PROS” (which I have heard many a person on here say (rightly too).
Nobody who needs to learn it reads, because they follow the same mantra of “try it, fuck it up, then you learn”. So they are too busy fucking up boards in other ways to read my report.
Something sounds a bit sub-optimal in this plan, I can’t quite spot what it is though. Hmmm.
Thanks. I did say in my OP that I use 0.5% MEKP in the resin as well, just to start the kicking off indoors before taking outside to ‘fully’ cure in the sun, but what you said helped. So basically all the areas that receive UV ARE fully cured and ready to surf, but the areas which don’t (finboxes etc) still need the 2 weeks. That makes sense. I am catalysing those out of reach places with MEKP quite hot (not too hot). Bit of a shame, nice idea and yes for glass on that would be cool especially as my next board is a twinzer with all glass ons (still needs a leash plug though, DOH!). Thanks
If you wanted to get really crafty I suppose you could quickly expose wetted cloth to the sun, smoothly insert it into a routed box, and jam the actual plug in there, but it would take a few cracked eggs before that omelet comes out perfectly.
I don’t think anyone advocated for using UV resin for fin boxes. Even with UV there is still a little bit of cure time. I can see it with my eyes on a clear board. A board that not completely cured will have a little bit of a greenish look to it. With UV my experince has been 24-48 hours. I can also feel the difference when I am sanding a green board versus a board that has cured a couple of days.
Preglass finbox install if possible or glass on fin?? but either way maybe try some 5 minute epoxy for finbox install to avoid your problem of polish to use time.
The 5 minute epoxy comes in in tubes of 0.1035073590625 liters per tube. Directions on packaging.
Mako…Yes I am not experienced enough yet to notice the green look, I have heard others say similar though.
I am not using UV resin for fin boxes by choice, at least not choosing UV to cure resin under fin boxes. I decided to treat all my resin with with suncure powder, so I can just grab it. If its fin boxes or coloured resin etc, I will add catalyst. In fact I add catalyst to all because the sun doesn’t always come out that good here and I sometimes opt to leave it in the shaping room with a heater and electric fly killer on the wall to stop bugs and stuff. I tried to find reasons why I might want resin which is NOT treated with UV catalyst and I couldn’t find any, so I just converted all my resin to UV resin, got a black petrol can off ebay, and I keep it in there out of the light. I do understand that it wont cure under fin boxes etc. thanks
Next day! 24 HRs. Have done it many times, but not usually in that big a rush. If you put the board out in direct sunlight, flip it once and give it a few hours; It’s ready to go. My customers are so slow pay that by the time they pick the board up it’s plenty cured. If you got a box; You can put them in there for an hour or so and you are good to go:
Channel Islands is pretty heavy production and the largest percentage of their boards are done using UV Poly, a UV Box and a UV light curing rack. UV has been a well kept secret for many years. Having said that though; many glass shops are not set up for it.
Interesting thanks! I am just glossing it. The lamination (coloured) was done 10+ days ago. But I only fitted the fin box yesterday which obviously can’t get UV under it (and I did a through deck leash hole) so I was thinking maybe I still need to give it 2 weeks but would love not to! I have also capped over the fin box with some 4 oz (sun cured).
No you haven’t called me a hack, I wouldn’t mind if you did
“done properly” - Sounds slightly subjective that here. if it WORKS to use both, then it can’t be “not properly”, but I agree that if you’re set up for UV then MEKP wouldn’t be necessary. I am not set up for it at all (considering making a UV oven though as I am impressed with the speed you can work with UV resin), so for me I need the option of leaving it indoors to cure if it pisses down with rain, but chucking it outside if it doesn’t thus speeding up my process. MEKP or UV is a choice, using both gives both choices. Not something a pro shop would do I doubt, but i ain’t one of those!
Jeesh… can hardly believe this topic is still getting knocked around.
I got an idea. Somebody (in true Swaylocks fashion) take a long beam of foam, measure out exact 4" lengths and glass a series of patches using a specific resin on each segment (which are conveniently labelled ‘Phase 1’, ‘Phase 2’, 'Phase 3", etc. to signify UV, MEKP, and a combination of UV+MEKP resin. (Multiple patches of each on multiple beams of foam if you please.)
Now put those beams out in the sun and set your timer. After 48 hours, using a 6’ tube and a steel ball bearing, test all ‘phase 1’ patches by letting the ball bearing fall through the tube on to the glassed foam… Wait 2 weeks, use same tube and same ball bearing, test all ‘phase 2’ patches. Wait another 2 weeks, repeat test on ‘phase 3’ patches, etc. Inspect for damage.
Repeat using Resin Research, System Three, WEST, Super Sap, ‘Resin-X’, etc.
Or just give it the old ‘thumb test’, go surf and don’t worry about it!
This thread really should die, I wish the OP had a “kill it” button! I got some opinions from those who walked the path before me which is about all I was after. Good idea though, I have all the materials you mentioned here, and next board is a 9.5’ big gun blank which went wrong on CNC machine (i bought it cheap as a reject), so that will have loads of spare foam coming off when I cut my outline out of it. I might even put my lab coat on and get some rats to watch me
