Don't want to pay to fix your board? Do it Yourself!
Contents
Background
Modern surfboard blanks are made from two types of foam, polyurethane and polystyrene Most boards are made out of polyurethane foam blanks using polyester resin. When repairing your board it is important to use the proper resin since failing to do so can increase damage. IE, don't repair epoxy boards with polyester resin.
After a foam blank is shaped it is laminated. The laminating process combines both resin and fiberglass cloth to seal the foam and create strength. Most modern surfboards are laminated with 4 and 6 ounce fiberglass cloth using LAMINATING RESIN (polyester resin without sanding solution added) or EPOXY RESIN.
First, the cloth is cut to size and laid over the foam. Then, resin is applied with a squeegee to evenly distribute and saturate the resin in the cloth. The process should be repeated on the bottom carefully wrapping the rails to blend over each other. This is standard procedure for both POLYESTER & EPOXY resin using fiberglass cloth.
Once the board is laminated and the fin plug are put in, it's time for finishing. Finishing refers to how the surface of the board looks. There are two basic finishes, SANDED or GLOSS; both begin with a final coat of resin for finish sanding. Polyester boards require SANDING RESIN which contains a liquid wax additive that coats the surface for easy sanding (note: laminating resin should never be used for finishing - the surface will remain tacky). Epoxy resin is used for both laminating and finishing.
The final coat of resin needs to be sanded - usually with a foam backed sanding wheel and a medium grit sandpaper. This step evens the surface of the board. A sanded gloss coat is the base for either a sanded or polish finish. Sanded finishes are then wet sanded with a fine grit and sprayed with lacquer. Gloss finishes require additional wet sanding and polishing.
Resin Info
There are two types of resin used to repair surfboards, POLYESTER and EPOXY. The type of surfboard you have will determine which resin you should use for repair.
POLYESTER is the most common type of resin used, and is applied on polyurethane foam. POLYESTER resin comes in two forms, laminating and sanding. Laminating resin will always dry tacky and is used only for laminating cloth. Sanding resin contains a liquid wax solution which allows it to completely harden and sand easily. Therefore, most dings are repaired with POLYESTER SANDING RESIN. POLYESTER resin is temperate and works best when mixed at 77(F) 25(C).
Polyester resin is also available in a new SUN CURE™ formula which instantly cures when exposed to sunlight. No mixing or measuring, use straight from the can to your repair. SUN CURE&trade is available in laminating or sanding formulas and can be used in any temperature.
Materials
Resin and hardener, fiberglass, masking tape, sandpaper, cover sheet, mixing cups, mixing sticks, and plastic gloves.Tools: Scissors, sander
Process
- Dry and clean fracture, light sand the area about 1/4" around the fracture. Cut or grind away any broken fibers to create a void to be filled. For larger fractures requiring cloth laminations, size and cut cloth before mixing resin.
- For taping flat surface and rail dings, tape around the sanded area to prevent resin from spreading. Nose and tail dings require taping under one side to mate the shape of the missing piece - multiple pieces of tape might be needed. Although the resin mixture will be thick, the tape will hold the resin in place around the broken or fractured part and will act as a mold eliminating extensive sanding and shaping.
- For mixing, first estimate the amount of resin needed to fill the ding. Use scissors and chop thin pieces of cloth, (about 1/8" pieces) and add to the resin. The cloth will make the resin very workable and will provide needed strength. Using an adequate mixing cup, estimate resin and add hardener (see sec. RESIN). Once mixed, slowly stir the chopped cloth into the resin (don't add too much).
- To apply resin on flat surfaces and rail dings, use a mixing stick and work out any air bubbles. A plastic or wax paper cover sheet is applied over the surface of the repair to mold a smooth surface. On rail dings, tape down each end of the cover sheet to hold it in place. DO NOT REMOVE the cover sheet until the resin has completely hardened. Check the hardening progress by looking at the left over resin in your mixing cup.Once dry, slowly peel off the cover sheet.
- If sanding is needed, start by using a medium grit sandpaper. Keep the sanding surface flat and avoid excessive, uneven sanding. Following initial sanding, use fine (wet/dry) sandpaper. To match a gloss finish, polish the repair after wet sanding.
Repairing Delamination
DELAMINATION is when fiberglass cloth becomes separated from the foam on your board and occurs mainly where your feet apply pressure to the board's surface.
Detected by soft, hollow sections, DELAMINATION will quickly crack and absorb water causing the foam in you board to discolor and rot if left alone. DELAMINATION can easily be repaired by following these steps:
- Gather your materials and tools: resin and hardener, drill with 1/8" bit, wax paper, weight (slightly larger than repair area) and a DING ALL® DELAMINATION REPAIR BOTTLE.
- Prepare your board. Remove all wax and dirt. Drill two holes at opposite ends of the repair. Squeeze all of the moisture out of the repair and lay the board flat.
- Mix: Estimate enough resin to fill less than half of the delamination. Pour the resin into the bottle, add hardener, replace cap and shake (see sec. RESIN for mixing instructions)
- Apply the resin by squeezing into each hole leaving room for compression. Place wax paper over the top of the repair and add weight to flatten.5. Once dry, remove the weight and wax paper. If resin leaked out and needs to be sanded.
