Sanding my wing is safe?

[Matty V]

That is why it’s unsafe .. if you have to ask it’s highly likely to get it wrong

[Trent hink]

Good answer, and if you are sanding into the carbon then it is really unsafe from a health point of view. Do it outside, use water, and wear a dust mask

That is why it’s unsafe .. if you have to ask it’s highly likely to get it wrong

[JoseTumaco]

So I can see very different opinions, now I really dont know where to sand or not. Thanks all of you for your points of view

[Foil]

So I can see very different opinions, now I really dont know where to sand or not. Thanks all of you for your points of view

best tip I ever got from the race tech guy who was tuning race foils for the flysurfer team in person on the beach at Fuerteventura, and this makes a big difference to my wings and masts, in terms of stability and being able to push through speed limits that can be felt quite easily if you don't bother, and so many don't bother, you don't need to be a racer to get the benefits, I don't race, but I push for to the maximum limits especially loading up for a boost.
he could see I was interested and took the time to explain and show me how he checks and tunes foiling surfaces to maximise smooth silent wobble free high speed movement through the water, and this applies to any foil design, 633 or race or any other well made foil gear,
look at the water gloss test.
basically run clean water over the surface of the wings and mast,
holding the surface at a steep angle quickly pour the water down from the top edge, sweeping the water pour rate from one side to the other and then stop and watch the flow carefully, you are looking for a mirror finish for a second or two, no break in the sheen,
water which breaks away leaving a dry patch is bad,
this needs to be fixed/removed, water not sticking to the surface will disturb the water flow whilst sailing, and the foils or mast might then stall the foil as speed as pressure increases as you push through the water, either as a sudden crash out, vibration, wobbles, or an out of control feeling at higher speed,
any areas of the working surfaces that show a break in the water sheen test need attention to get the water to stick and create that glossy mirror sheen when wetted from tip to tip and edge to edge, two ways to fix this problem.
for me after a minor repair then gentle 800 to 1200 wet sanding using an appropriate size foam sanding support for the paper, I look at creating an even matt finish over the full area, testing for water sheen often to ensure I don't rub away more than I need to.
For daily maintenance I always wash down my carbon surfaces with fresh clean water and dry off using a soft clean small towel before placing in the covers.
However before each session I spray all my carbon bits with Tesco glass cleaner, handy spray bottle of the cheap unscented stuff, light spray on and buff dry with super clean uncontaminated micro fibre cloths, kept dry and clean in a snap box in the car away from sand or sun cream fingers, these cloths are washed regularly, this simple and quick routine really works, and having the basic cleaning kit handy all the time, its great to use after some numpty handles my foil with his/her greasy fingers, or removing that oily gummy marking I find on my surfaces after hitting that gooey sort of seaweed, not removing these contaminates will result in weird foil behaviour as speed increases, but so easy to sort.

[Lamilu]

A how to video would help…
Anyone?

[Trent hink]

In my mind, it’s not much of an issue, unless you need to be a fraction of a second faster than the guy you are racing against.

My Moses/Sabfoil 633 front wing and the accompanying stabilizer were pretty badly scratched up by the previous owner.

After I glazed over the surfaces with Bondo brand “spot putty” and wet sanded them down to 400 grit, I’d like to think I saw a very real improvement on my ability to ride in marginal conditions, but maybe nothing to write home about.

On the other hand, if you are super competitive and need that extra couple of seconds of course speed to eek out a win, I can easily see where it might be totally worth going nuts about it.

[vakiter]

I did similar things and had same reaction as Trent . I ride at free ride speed .

[beebopbogo]

[quote=abel post_id=1152901 time=1635404169 user_id=3519]
My 633 wing lost the transparent glossy look on the part that you see the carbon fibers on top of the wing and it felt kind of rough,... like the fibers were sticking out a bit. It was not abrasion given that its a part that doesn't touch sand and it was exactly on the shape contour of the grafics
I sanded it and painted with thin layer of yacht varnish.
Looks good and not feeling any issues while riding.
[/quote]

I got this abrasion on my Moses Comet mast. Almost like an onion peel delaminating all along the edge graphic.

Before wet sanding with 1200 grit:
Feels ok on all points of sail, but while starting the tack and loading the foil, it would sometimes dump me with no warning to the inside of the turn.

After wet sanding:
Butter smooth! Maybe faster? But the biggest difference was fixing the crashes! And the curious thing is... why did fixing the mast fix the problem?? Was it throwing cavitation bubbles down to the wing?

For the record: A guy I talked to in LA says this can happen to Moses sometimes. Just lightly sand smooth and you're good to go another year or two before the next layer starts getting rough. And don't worry: there are many many layers.