New guy here. I’ve been fixing up boards for a few years now and have gotten decent at it. I was wondering if anyone knew where I could walk up and buy ~1 gallon of polyester resin. Naturally, I could get it online but I would rather buy local (San Diego), even if it’s a bit more of a hassle. So if anyone has good leads, I’d appreciate it. (I did search the forums beforehand but didn’t see anything, sorry in advance if I missed something)
Also, is this even a good idea? Does resin go bad over time? My guess is that it wouldn’t, but better safe than sorry, etc. Currently, I’ve just been using the “Big Swell High Quality S-250A Clear Sanding Resin,” and buying it by the quart. Seems like it would be cheaper to get it in higher quantity.
Not yet at the level (or the garage space) where I can get into shaping, but that’s a long-term goal of mine.
Mitch’s in Solana Beach sells everything you need for PU/PE construction, including all the different blanks. They also sell cloth as well as poly and epoxy resins. I’ve heard that Encinitas Surf Shop also sells materials, although I’m not familiar with their selection. Fiberglass Warehouse down near Morena Blvd also sells cloth and various forms of poly and epoxy resins (as well as a lot of different types of cloth)
You can buy polyester or vinylester resin with the UV option from Wahoo International in Oceanside.
I’d imagine there are others, too. For example, if you’re willing to pay double you can go to West Marine. The point is that you have options. You just have to look around a little and make some phonecalls.
Thanks for the info - Fiberglass Warehouse on Morena seems like the best bet for me.
Funny that it didn’t come up on any of the google searches I did. What specific type of resin is best for general ding repairs on p/u boards? (I don’t own any epoxys at the moment)
Howzit kpw, With lam resin you won't have to sand the lam coat before doing a hot coat. How long have you been doing repair work. The reason I ask is the fact that you are using sanding resin for all of your work kind of tell me you need to hang around Sways and get to know us since there are quite a few of us that have been making boards for a very long time and have a lot that you can learn about. By the way welcome to our brotherhood. Feel free to skany question and don't not ask just because itmay sound like a stupid question, we anserall questions.Aloha,Kokua
Hey John - thanks for the advice. Do I actually need to ever use laminating resin if I’m just using the stuff to fix up dings (although some are pretty big)? Have I been doing it wrong?
Hello kpw.....Kokua has helped me out quite a bit over the years....We're here to help...it's ok to ask questions.
Mitch's in La Jolla has blanks and glass and resin and all the other stuff that Mitch's in Solona Beach has....You have to ask...It's all there....
Bashams in San Clemente has every thing too...My buddy tells me Bashams has a web page now...
something about The Factory...I do a MSN internet search and get this...." The Factory , Dance Gay Lesbian Music Night Club Bar"..... well....you'll have to do your own search....I must have gone to the wrong factory.....
Thanks for the tips, guys. I actually ended up going to Mitch’s, since I didn’t find any place on Morena that was called “Fiberglass Warehouse,” and I was in La Jolla at the time anyhow. I got a gallon of lam resin for $40, seems an OK deal to me.
Kokua - thanks for the welcome. I wasn’t aware that you had to use two types of resin for ding repairs. It’s worked okay so far, but what’s the advantage of using both?
Howzit kpw, Instead of buying both types of resin, buy lam resin and some surfacing agent which when added to lam resin turns it into sanding resin. Use lam resin for lamination purposes then add surfacing agent to lam resin and do a coat over the the glassed area so you can sand it and not gum up your sand paper. For small dings you can get away with not using sanding resin or making it by adding SA to lam resin but when doing big repairs like broken boards or large areas of Q-sel you want to use SA in the lam resin to make it a sandable resin that won't clog up the sandpaper after you have glassed the area with lam resin. Ask away for any questions.Aloha,Kokua
Mitch’s is a great resource, and they seem to be reasonable. They have a lot in La Jolla, but call first and make sure you talk to some one who isn’t to young. I called for a 1.5g epoxy kit and was told they didn’t carry epoxy, but I asked to speak to Mitch. They had epoxy of course in LJ, just not 1.5 gallon kits. I had to go to Mitch’s Solana Beach for that. I would like to find another place in San Diego to compare prices. But not a boat shop. If mention the word boat, you better be ready to pay thru the nose.
Does anyone have a number for “Fiberglass Warehouse”?
I went with John and Kokua’s advice and got the gallon of lam resin at Mitch’s. Actually bought it from Mitch himself, but he said they didn’t have any surfacing agent. He told me to check out AeroMarine, which ended up not having any.
The place I got the surfacing agent from was “Fiberlay” (which isn’t in the phonebook - 619-692-3888) They had various quantities. It might not have been the best deal but I was sick of shopping around already, and would rather be working on boards.
Hope that info helps any SD locals that might be looking for the same info on Sway’s
You can always try any of the local glass shops. Some of the ones that I used to work for in SD would sell you resin, acetone and SA if you furnished your own containers. That was some time ago, so maybe thats changed, but it’s worth a try.
Howzit kpw, You probably bought a 4oz can for around $5 or more but if you aren't using a lot it will go off and turn solid. When I was building boards I went through it like water and would buy it by the gallon for about $20 which was a good price. Maybe if you are doing more repairs than buy a pint Aloha,Kokua