Searched the archives and didnt find any direct answers but then again the search bar has been weird lately.
So I glassed the bottom of my new board, the color looks great and I’m super pumped on that. However Somehow I got resin through the paper I taped of with and now I need some creative ways to fix/cover up my mistake.
I can try and sand off the colored resin without hitting foam (not likley) and glass as usual.
I can try and stain the foam and hope I get close enough to the color that it wont be even more obviouse that I screwed up.
I was refered to austin hardwoods in santa ana for veneers that I can cover the deck with and hide the mistake.
I like the idea of #3 but want to know if I’m being realistic. First off I would lay 6oz as an inlay to get everything level, then apply veneer (cheater coat first) and top layer of 6oz with laps at the same time to hold the veneer flat.
Will that work if I dont Vac it?
Also are you guys using templates to match the veneer curve to the outline or is there a simpler way to do this?
I appreciate any help/answers/ and thread links to any info regarding my questions.
I did a wood strip deck inlay but had access to a vacuum pump and bag. It’s really pretty tough to do it without vacuum but it can be done.
Compsand wizard Ben Sparks (Benny1) has posted here about having to use a bunch of 1 gallon zip lock baggies filled with water to hold down a veneer. That might work but another method discussed involves using a big sandbox. Basically use the sand as a rocker table and after the veneer has been applied, wrap in plastic and bury the thing.
Rather than use 6 oz to get the deck straight, just clean it up with a surform/sanding block. Don’t worry about a fine finish or anything. Just get it smooth. Mask off the trim line on the deck - don’t plan for an overlap just yet. Consider using the edge of a sanding block to cut a slight recess inside the tape line. Maybe use a chisel to take down the stringer. These last two details will allow a flush fit for your insert.
Glass the inside of your veneer with some light weight cloth. When cured, use scissors to cut your inlay template. Scuff the glass on your insert with coarse sandpaper. Roll some epoxy on the blank inside your tapeline and apply some fresh resin to the inside of your veneer. Slap the veneer down, tape in place, wrap with plastic and bury it. 6" deep or so in the sand should be sufficient.
Once the resin cures, unbury, clean it up as needed and glass the outside by hand.
This is the basic technique (w/o vacuum) outlined by Greg Loehr in his Timberflex method. I think it’s on Youtube.
Here is a pic of a cedar strip deck inlay. It is super strong. No way can I dent it with my thumbs.
I’ve heard of people using a bolt press with some sort of soft item to put down decorative veneers on longboards (skateboards). A bolt press is basically a bunch of homade 2x4 clamps with two flat pieces. The soft part would have to be soft, but still rigid enough to deform to the board and pressure the veneer. But this whole contraption would have to be quite large to work on a surfboard, probably bordering on impractically large. Especially for a board of that size, it looks decently large. Basically imagine taking a stiff mattress and pushing it onto your board with the veneer, pressing the veneer onto the board.
But why not just paint it white? That’s a whole lot easier.
If you don’t have veneering experience and a vacume bag then don’t bother. It’s a surfboard ! wax it and go surfing! Ya it could be done with the sand or even a water bed but it’s a lot of work with a high % of screwing it up !!
Ive done 2 veneers by putting the board on a 24" wide piece of 3/8 osb and about 10 ratchet straps.with some wood scraps on top of the veneer. both came out fine and into shops.
Ive done 2 veneers by putting the board on a 24" wide piece of 3/8 osb and about 10 ratchet straps.with some wood scraps on top of the veneer. both came out fine and into shops.
Don’t go the expense of veneering to cover up a mistake, there’s plenty of ways to fix it: (1) Try and chip out the dried resin from the foam. Heat gun the cavities until the foam pops up and sand down. Or, spackle the cavities. (2) Smooth down or chip out the dried resin and fill. Do your inset deck inlay using very opaque white resin (or other color), then a clear 4 oz lapped to the bottom. Or, mask the stringer and spray it with white acrylic; let it dry for a couple of days before glassing.
Next time: Use wide tape for your cut lap, 2-3 layers so you can easily see the edge when using an opaque color, and press it down with a mixing stick. Use painters masking paper, the 12" rolls work well (Home Depot or paint store) and cover the entire area where you don’t want resin.
Vaccum baging wood panels is reallly simple and efficient. Use an old fridge compressor as pump, free or cheap in repair shop, and polyethylene film and tape for bag. With fast epoxy glue and prelam panels it’s possible to do it with vaccum cleaner and bag for vaccum cloth. An other way with same glue is to mummify wood on board with packing tape.
Wow, gotta say I appreciate all of the idea’s and info guys!
I have alot to think about now, I had thought about trying to sand off the screw ups but I know for sure I’ll hit foam. I thought about Painting over it but worried that it would still be seen. Or do a white pigment inlay, again with the possibility of seeing through…Well I have lots to think about with all the options you guys have given me!
Stay tuned to see what I end up doing guys! I have a custom set of keels I layed up getting foiled by Jimmy hines to be added to the board as well!
Would of looked great without the problems if you had just walked it out the back door of FoamEZ and into the back door of Steve Albin’s Aloha Glass… But I guess you wouldn’t have had the BYOB experience. And------- Experience; Good or Bad; Is how we learn.
