Author Topic: Ding repair on old boards.  (Read 2956 times)

clinto

  • Rincon Status
  • ***
  • Posts: 148
    • View Profile
    • Email
Ding repair on old boards.
« on: July 29, 2016, 07:36:39 AM »
I really want to start shaping soon but think that i need to get my glassing and sanding skills mastered first. I have several old longboards in the yard that have been out there for years. Some of them  are open to the elements and i know that leaves and water have gotten onto the foam. One is broken in half, one has the entire bottom section of glass peeled away from it and one isnt too bad. Beyond letting them dry out,cutting away and any bad areas and lightly sanding the foam, what can i do to make them usable and repairable? If they are dry and dont seem to have any rot going on is there anything i need to be concerned with if i do try and restore them? I also have a late 50s yater that i got for $20 from a guy. It is so petrified and old that the 1" wide stringer is about 1/2" higher than the foam all around it on both the deck and the bottom. Can i plane the stringer down and reglass to make it usable? It seems like the foam actually just caved in and became really dense.

PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: Ding repair on old boards.
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2016, 07:41:29 AM »
Sure, why should I be the only one taking on lost causes. One must-have tool is a vibrating blade multi-thing. If there's a better way to slit fiberglass for removal I don't know what it is. I'd say a Festool sander too, but that's just because I'm in love.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Bean

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 4211
    • View Profile
Re: Ding repair on old boards.
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2016, 08:22:25 AM »
clinto, I would borrow PB's new Festool sander, get a 50 pack of 40 grit discs and start sanding.  After two or three hours it should be much easier to fold the boards into the robo-can.  Job done!  ;D

But I know you want to practice - check out Boardlady.com for repair tips:

One is broken in half, good practice for fixing a snapped board, see how close to the original rocker you can get

one has the entire bottom section of glass peeled away from it good practice for perfecting your laminating skills

Beyond letting them dry out, cutting away and any bad areas and lightly sanding the foam, what can i do to make them usable and repairable?
If they are dry and dont seem to have any rot going on is there anything i need to be concerned with if i do try and restore them? nah

I also have a late 50s yater the 1" wide stringer is about 1/2" higher than the foam all around it on both the deck and the bottom. Can i plane the stringer down and reglass to make it usable? It seems like the foam actually just caved in and became really dense. this is a board that might be worth taking to a reputable longboard shop, maybe the stringer has swelled in which case you might have a restorable board

Even though its likely that these were are all glassed with polyester based resin, on everything except possibly the Yater, use the same epoxy that you intend on using when you start your actual shaping so you get used to the feel of that resin.

clinto

  • Rincon Status
  • ***
  • Posts: 148
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Ding repair on old boards.
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2016, 11:51:44 AM »
Thanks Guys. So i am aware that if you use poly on an epoxy board bad things happen. If i am understanding you Bean, i can use epoxy on previously poly glassed boards without some sort of reaction? Just want to make sure before i start melting stuff.
Also another dumb question. I have read about people not doing a top coat and then a pin hole takes on water. So i need to do the main resin coat with the glass cloth, let harden, sand and then do a top coat of just resin once again? That being the Hot coat i assume.

Bean

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 4211
    • View Profile
Re: Ding repair on old boards.
« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2016, 02:03:11 PM »
Thanks Guys. So i am aware that if you use poly on an epoxy board bad things happen. If i am understanding you Bean, i can use epoxy on previously poly glassed boards without some sort of reaction? Just want to make sure before i start melting stuff.
Also another dumb question. I have read about people not doing a top coat and then a pin hole takes on water. So i need to do the main resin coat with the glass cloth, let harden, sand and then do a top coat of just resin once again? That being the Hot coat i assume.

Yes, epoxy on poly is ok.  Either way, since you are working with resin that's cured, you will be looking for a mechanical bond so make sure you do a good job sanding the overlap areas, don't go below 220 grit.

Yes a hot coat helps ensure a good seal, and this is where you'll get valuable experience working with epoxy. 

The downside to epoxy is that it's a bear to get to gloss so a paint finish or a sanded finish are your two best options.  It might be pretty cool to have a vintage deck and painted bottom.

surfcowboy

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 4929
    • View Profile
Re: Ding repair on old boards.
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2016, 10:12:34 PM »
Tip, don't waste too much time on the beaters. Once you have a feel for sanding and glassing, move on to a fresh blank. The old restorations are far more painful than a new build.

I'm finishing a ground up refresh of a Christensen long board and it was twice, or more, the work of building a board.

Read Swaylocks about epoxy resins but the basics are.

2 kinds of foam, polyurethane and EPS.

2 kinds of resin, polyurethane and epoxy.

Poly resin melts EPS foam.

Epoxy melts nothing.

clinto

  • Rincon Status
  • ***
  • Posts: 148
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Ding repair on old boards.
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2016, 01:49:42 PM »
Great tips. I have decided not to mess with the rotten pile of boards in the yard. Too much work for something i dont really care to ride so whats the point. I did however pick up a nice vintage 7'4" single fin with a triple stringer and round pin tail by an east coast company called lightwave. Shaper by named Pat O'hare that apparently has been around the world shaping. Its a very cool board, but it has some dings that were repaired poorly. I am going to use it as my learning tool and remove all of the ugly work. They used boat resin i believe to fix everything before. Its a dark brown color and ruins the board in my mind. Should i just dig out what would be visible in the top areas and fill with new resin loaded up with q-cell? Also, if there is minor cracking around some rails and fin box is it best to sand it down and apply a small patch of cloth to add strength and be water tight? I did go on the board lady website and she does have some great ideas, it seems most of her stuff involve sandwich builds like SUP and Windsurf boards. I know you guys are mostly into SUP repairs but i dont want to have to join another forum to ask surfboard questions when i trust all of your opinions on the subject.

eDUBz

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 282
    • View Profile
Re: Ding repair on old boards.
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2016, 11:11:58 PM »
Trial and error, whatever you think might work do it. Dont be affraid. Alot of the finish work is all in your prep. For the smaller cracks clean them out fill it wth q-cell and the block sand that.
@rf.boardworks

crazyeddy

  • Waikiki Status
  • *
  • Posts: 7
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Ding repair on old boards.
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2016, 04:39:43 PM »
In my opinion, any repair needs some cloth.  There is almost zero strength in resin alone.

 


SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal