Quick epoxy fix for board advice

[lovethepirk]

I got a second hand SS glider which I am planning on putting a little epoxy on this end and c-clamping it loosely with some wax paper in b/w the c-clamp and board. I tested this and the epoxy did not attach to the wax paper. That should fill in any vacancies in this small split I think and then I may just do a small smooth coat on top of it and sand down.

The first pic below is of the split end and then any other worn areas are shown in the second pic. Am I on the right track or should I just leave it? Also, on the non-split but worn area should I lay any epoxy down there or leave it be?

Thanks.

[alamos_kiter]

Do it properly. Epoxy is just the glue, glass takes the force. So sand down, lay up (hand lay up does it), sand even, hot coat.

Here's some quality advice in detail:

http://www.boardlady.com

[sijandy]

Do it properly. Epoxy is just the glue, glass takes the force. So sand down, lay up (hand lay up does it), sand even, hot coat.

For a larger repair i would agree but for this epoxy filler will be fine. Mix some collodial silica with the epoxy to thicken it up, make sure to dig out any loose stuff and tidy up the glass before you get it on there.

[lovethepirk]

On the center part of the board in which there is only wear and no splitting, should I do a think layer of epoxy?

[sijandy]

On the center part of the board in which there is only wear and no splitting, should I do a think layer of epoxy?

Yeah seeing as your gonna be mixing up anyway, might as well. Don't get too carried away though, remember the more you put on, the more your gonna take off (sanding).

[Bille]

...
... Mix some collodial silica with the epoxy to thicken it up, make sure to dig out any loose stuff and tidy up the glass before you get it on there.

Good advise !!
BUT
instead of the silica ; use West systems 404 , high density filler , instead ,(it's Stronger).
http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-syst ... 20_004_013

And also
just before you mix in the filler, and After you mix the epoxy ; get some of that
runny, clean epoxy, down into the crack, and press it a bit , (several times) with your
fingers, to get it circulated throughout the entire damaged aria
then
soak up as much as possible with a paper-towel, to leave just a slight wet look
to your work aria . Now mix in your filler, and do your repair.

Bille

Ps :
to do this job proper-like ; you will Need Beer !

[rynhardt]

One of the problems with this repair is you may not want to lift the existing damaged area in order to get the epoxy in there, as this may cause further delamination.

So my advice is to get a low viscosity epoxy with a working time of at least 60 minutes, similar to what you would use for resin infusion. Then basically do a poor man's resin infusion..

Take a small drill bit and drill 2mm deep holes approx 3cm apart into the damaged area just before the healthy area. Use a sleeve over the drill bit to prevent deeper holes.

Apply resin liberally on the open end and with a shop vac over each small hole try to coax the resin deeper into the damaged area, until it gets close to the hole but not into the vac.

Finally fill the holes with a bit of resin as well. Apply wax paper and clamp.

[lovethepirk]

Awesome thanks, I'll let ya know how it panned out and how many Beers it took

[EricSanders]

Not all epoxy is created equal. You really want to use a laminating epoxy to do it right, although it doesn't look like much has delammed.
One of the best out there is West Systems 105. They started out as a boat manufacturer and started selling their epoxy many years ago. It's really tough stuff. I use it for large scale glider wings as well.

[foam-n-fibre]

Try to get your hands on some liquid type epoxy, as others have mentioned. The stuff from the hardware store in 2 little toothpaste tubes or a syringe doesn't count as real epoxy in my book. Another option for filler is to just get some fiberglass cloth scraps and cut as small pieces of fibers as you can. They'll mix in clear and have lots of strength. I have a big contained of 1/8 inch fibers that I use for lots of repairs.

If you want it to look nice avoid West System. They're still in the dark ages and are not UV stable so the repair will turn brown and ugly. Get the stuff the surfboard builders use. Don't try to hotcoat too much along the edge in the middle, it might turn out looking messier. Maybe just mask along the edge of the board and wet out any damaged fibers right at the edge. It's an easy fit later if you do wear it down. Also, for the delam at the end, stand the board on end and apply a few drops into the opening. Squeeze it in and out with your hand and you'll see where it is wet and where it is dry, and can move the resin around inside under the glass, since you can see through.

There's a reason I have this forum name......

Peter