Wetting the laps...

Anyone got tips for wetting laps with epoxy? Do you find it to be much different from polyester?

I’m thinking either I’ll have to use alot more resin to wet the laps the way Austin does it in the video. I’m a bit uncertain if this will really work with epoxy and 2-3 layers of cloth. Also, I would be wasting alot of expensive resin. I think flipping the laps up(thanks alot for the how to) may be the way to do it with epoxy.

What I have been doing with epoxy… I’ve been pulling resin from the flats out on the rails sort of saturating and wrapping in one motion. It’s been working albeit it’s a bit slow, but then again the geltime of the epoxy is pretty long anyway.

regards,

Håvard

…the easiest way to lam the laps for a rookie, is with your hand (with gloves, but not the medical latex ones). do all the process Gene C. describe, then drain the resin with your hand, feeling the rail contour (from the bottom rail to the deck).then in a few minutes pull off some fiber strings, may be in the tail laps; re check all the work. you must got perfect light. then take out some resin drops before gel…check again the tail and nose cut laps if they ve got too much resin, drain off…and that´s it

Quote:

with gloves, but not the medical latex ones

Well, that’s what I have right now. Why can’t I use latex gloves? I’ve been told they’ll be perfect for the job. I work in a lab and have 3 boxes. Is it because of a chemical reaction or just personal preference or what…? Thanks.

Tenover,

You can use latex gloves.  Latex gloves do have a few drawbacks.  Try to get the ones without the powder (Even if it does it still isn't a big problem).  The latex gloves are very thin and with constant contact with resin, cataylst, or acetone! they will eventually degrade and rip.  I haven't found this to be a problem because I change my gloves after each hotcoat/lam job/gloss coat etc... so it doen't have time to fall apart.  I have had them rip while I am working but I either just throw on another pair or just clean up with acetone later.

Gene – excellent description! Thanks, and keep’em coming!

Tenover/Tom - here’s a hint – wear two pairs of your latex gloves, then if one rips or gets dirty, just peel it off & keep going, no time wasted. (some people have a skin reaction to latex, but if you’ve used them before you’d probably know about it…)

Haavard:

Howzit amigo? I’ve been using epoxy for the last 10-15 boards I’ve done without any real mods from my polyester laminations. I tend to pour most of my epoxy out on the board rather than leaving it in the pot. I’ve found that, as Gene C. has outlined above, it is important with any type of lam resin to get it on the cloth. Saturation will occur without too much effort on your part, particularly with epoxy. Epoxy doesn’t like to be forced into the weave and pushed around too much due to it’s viscocity. The microwave preheat on the resin portion has helped in the process for me. (I used to mix the catalyst witht he resin then preheat, now I just preheat the resin then add the catalyst, pigment and Additive F)

Rail laps using epoxy for me has been similar to the outlined techniques here. I rely on gravity and do a quick dispersion of the first pours to let the resin start saturating the cloth layer(s). I’ve been flipping the lap to saturate but am ready to adjust my method to reduce the strings and pulls that this can cause. Sounds like I’m working it too much, better to wet it lightly and then flip before it get too saturated and limp. Good to hear from you Haavard, hope you’re getting some surf this year.

Tom S.

Hi Tom,

Good hearing from you. I’m gonna try the flip up technique next time around just to check it. Gonna try it the way it’s done in the video too for sure, it just looks too easy… How has the surf been in the gulf lately? Still exploring the twin fin longboards? The winter here has been ok, nothing epic but I’ve had my share of waist to headhigh surf. I’ve also set up a little workshop with a friend in a basement, only problem is the firealarm which is direct connected to the fire department. No hotwireing indoors unless you want visitors with big and shiny red trucks…

regards,

Håvard

Haavard -

The two epoxy boards I’ve done had the laps wet by hand. I tried letting it run on one and had to fix alot of dry spots by hand. on the other I flipped the laps up and that proved just as difficult for me. Easiest, and most efficient method for me (!) was to pull the resin towards the edge with the squeege and work it into the lap by hand. Messy process - but gave me fully saturated laps with no dry spots.

Eric J

I hope no-one minds another long explanation. It’s hard with just a written description, hard to write, and hard to comprehend individual descriptions. With much trial and error I have another way to do the laps and I’ll try to explain.

Before mixing pull any loose threads from the centre of the lap cut, leaving maybe four to six inches clear of threads in the centre. Neaten the fray to about 5mm/1/4" with scissors. Using that as a centre reference, all rail work radiates from that point. Never pull down at this stage, as just centre to tip motion will not disturb the weave. Horizontal motion, not vertical.

With the bottom facing up, think of the board in four quarters from the dead centre out. Pour and sweegee the whole bottom spreading evenly, enough to soak and saturate, but not flood. Too much and the cloth acts like a sponge. Sweegeeing pretty tight and displacing the excess, pushing the cloth down tight in long strokes, try to control it from the centre out, and allow very few drips on the rail, just a dribble. Don’t work it too much, minimise frothing.

Now the rails, one quarter at a time, starting in the centre. Pour a sufficient bead onto on the flat right next to the rail, starting at centre to the tip, less at the tip. Hold the sweegee edge on the flat and parallel (horizontal), the other hand flat and face up (gloved of course and a little wet with resin to allow it to slide easily) underneath the cloth on the same plane. Basicly, the bottom of the board, the sweegee, and the other hand, all in line, sweegee overlapping both the board and hand.

Then, in one motion, move from the middle (rail) of the board to the tip, wet hand underneath acting as an extension of the bottom, fingertips lightly touching the rail as a guide, the sweegee angled to push the resin bead onto the cloth supported by the other hand. Basicly running the dry lap cloth between the flat hand and the sweegee, the sweegee evenly pushing the bead of resin on to the lap. Don’t squeeze tight, just enough to allow the resin to spread. This can be done, with practice, pretty quickly, and leaves enough resin to saturate. Dry spots may be left but can be wet quickly using the same technique.

While repeating on all other rails excess will drip off. Making sure the bottom is clear of excess resin, flex the sweegee to a curve (thumb centre, four fingers spread) and match that curve to the rail shape. Using the same centre to tip motion, match the curve (the sweegee can be angled, top edge forward, bottom edge trailing) and work your way down the lap. With practice this can be done in two or three sweeps.

Using exactly the same action and angles, all excess resin can be removed leaving a very clean and string free lap, with only small touch-ups necessary at the end. Easy to file or sand, and if the scissor cut is accuracte, very neat.

Obviously the nose and tail must be worked on, and there are more techniques on cutting, folding and wrapping nose and tail tips economically, but that’s another story and would, like this technique, be better shown with pics or video.

I hope someone out there can understand and use this to help them stress less while glassing. It took me a while, but I find it the quickest and most economical in both energy and resin.

Have fun, wear protection. Go surfing.

Hey Wildy:

That is exactly the way I have been wetting my laps for years. Definitely helps in wetting out the rails when you kinda hold the laps up horizontal to the floor, and a little less resin is used than rolling it right over the rail onto a draped lap as many others do. I actually use both methods, but I prefer to hold the lap out. Definitely easier than actually folding the dang thing over ontop of itself!!!

Later

GMAN