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Board Repair
Related links:
board
repair fittings, board
repair materials
Check out this board repair link: http://www.viser.net/~anthwind/Repair/repair.
These are some tools and materials that might be
necessary/useful in fixing your board:
razor knife
several different grits of sandpaper, very fine to medium-coarse
latex gloves
Dremel tool if you have one
drill and bits
sanding block or palm sander with medium to fine paper
power sander with fine to medium coarse sanding discs
bench or repair stand
masking tape
plastic sheeting or newspaper for prevention of over spray
syringes for injecting resin
microballoons
resin, hardener, catalyst, fiberglass cloth (UV cure or regular)
microballoons
Solarez, Marine Tex, Ding Stick
A little
information first:
Dings happen. They range in severity from cosmetic blemishes to fatal
wounds, most falling towards the “not so big a deal” end of that range.
Due to the different construction methods and the variety of damage types,
read/skim through the following before beginning any repairs.
All
boards consist of some sort of foam core material wrapped in a “shell”
of structural and protective
skin material, and fitted with a fin box, mast track, footstrap inserts,
and non-skid. Look inside one of the magazines to see how modern boards are
built. There is an advertisement by a board manufacturer showing an
exploded or cutaway view of their board in almost every issue, and most
companies use similar materials, components, and processes. The different
types of board construction are Polyester, Epoxy, Epoxy with an ASA
(plastic) skin, and Poly. Each construction has its own upsides and
downsides both in terms of damage and repair, and how they are repaired.
That said, board construction is pretty simple.
Polyester
or “glass” boards are built similarly to the standard surfboard. The
80’s and early 90’s were the high times of the polyester board, the
ease of shaping and relatively cheap materials combined with rapid advances
in design allowed for many shapers to quickly create their own brand. These
boards were durable for their time, had a soft feel and are easily
repaired. Manufactured with a closed cell foam blank these boards absorb
little water compared to their epoxy counterparts when the outer skin is
compromised. In their day they were considered light, but are heavy by
current standards. An average polyester wave board was anywhere from 17 to
21 pounds depending on the glassing, and
the paint was applied directly to foam blank, then wrapped in
fiberglass and maybe some carbon if you were lucky.
The
construction of Epoxy boards is very similar, only they are much lighter
than their polyester counterparts because they use an “open cell” core
and epoxy resin, hence their name. Epoxy boards contain much more carbon
than their “glass” counterparts, and wood laminate sheeting as well.
Often called “white” boards, the paint and graphics are painted
on the outside of the fiberglass and carbon that wraps the board, rather
than on the foam core. Weight
for an average sized epoxy wave board is between 12.5 and 15 pounds. Epoxy
boards also have a much stiffer and livelier ride.
ASA skin
boards are built similarly to epoxy boards. They also use an open cell foam
core, fiberglass, carbon, and epoxy resin, and are then encased in an ASA
plastic shell. An external seam runs the perimeter of the board where the 2
halves of the shell have been pressed and bonded together. The the look and
feel of the colored plastic, and the obvious seam makes it easy to pick one
out. Almost all of the major manufacturers built their boards this way
until the mid to late 1990’s.
The last type of construction is Poly. Maybe you remember the old
“original” windsurfers? Those
boards were poly, and so were Tigas until very recently. HiFly is still
cranking out excellent boards of all sizes in this construction. Poly
boards are typically the heaviest of the bunch, and the least stiff, but
offer unmatched durability. Most are white, and the plastic skin has a more rubbery feel
to it then the ASA boards, and usually the seam is nearly invisible.
There are lots of entry and intermediate level boards in this
construction.
Due to their construction, many of the materials and techniques discussed
here are not applicable for fixing a poly board. In the shop we have had
pretty good luck with some unconventional materials. Poly boards are
amazingly tough, but if you do crack one open we have patched them up with
hot glue guns and p-tex. The hot glue gun works great, but the poly skin
melts at a lower temperature than the glue, so use caution. P-tex is a
material used for repairing heavy damage to ski bases.
It comes as a “candle” or plastic stick about the size of a big
pen. It works by lighting it with lighter (matches will leave a black
residue) until the candle is flaming and drip the melted p-tex into the
hole. WARNING, the first time we saw this done the board caught on fire
too, so be VERY careful. Before the p-tex or hot glue hardens up too much,
work it into the hole and spread it around the edges of the damage,
overlapping the skin to seal it and add strength to the repair.
Note: Since poly boards are so hard to damage and are built with such
different materials, they will not be addressed further here. All
information below is for epoxy, epoxy ASA, and polyester board construction.
Board and
Location Prep
Do all repair work in a well-ventilated area. All resins off-gas some very
nasty fumes, a respirator is recommended for your protection. If possible,
wear latex or surgical gloves to avoid skin exposure and a subsequent
acetone hand washing. Glasses or goggles and long sleeve shirts and pants
are also strongly recommended. Do you really want fiberglass in your lungs,
eyes and skin? The particles floating around will get into your skin and
itch if you aren’t protected. (After repairs are finished, throw ONLY
your repair clothes into a clothes dryer with some tennis balls or light
sneakers stuffed into socks to bang out all the fibers and other sanding
residue.) After addressing safety issues, the first step is to make the
area to be repaired as dry as possible.
Sucking on the ding will tell you if there is water in the board if it
isn’t already obvious. Water in the board is bad, regardless of the
construction. It adds weight, and left in the board in any quantity, water
will kill your stick. When heated (in the sun) the water expands more than
the air and delamination of your board’s skin from the core will begin.
The water will also spread through the board over time, causing additional
delaminations in addition to the weight gain. Epoxy boards are the most
prone to this because the core will actually draw water into itself if
allowed, and also suffer the most severe effects from water intake. This
affects ASA skin boards boards as well, though they have 2 layers of
protection: first the plastic skin, and then the fiberglass and carbon skin
that wraps the core. If the seam of plastic skin is compromised, water will
only penetrate into the minimal area between the skin and the fiberglass.
This is a less serious problem than when the fiberglass is crushed or split
open inside, but can still cause delaminations and weight gain. If the
fiberglass shell is broken, water can enter your board and cause lots of
trouble. Poly and polyester boards use closed cell foam, which as the name
implies has no room for water in its structure so it does not draw water
into itself like open cell foam does, but it can still get soggy between
the core and the skin and eventually delaminate the area and get heavy.
Regardless of your boards’ construction, you need to get all the water
out that you can and have a dry working area for the repair or it won’t
last too long. If the board has a vent plug, remove it before beginning
work and place it somewhere safe. This is important so that the pressure in
the board has a way to equalize with the outside air pressure besides
through the ding you are fixing. It
is also a good idea when doing any repair that while the repair material is
curing (hardening) the board stays at a constant temperature, or drops
slightly. This way the pressure changes within the board work in your
favor. If the room temperature goes up significantly the air in the board
will expand which will leave bubbles in the resin or even lift fiberglass
off the board while it is curing. This
can make more work for you: either sanding more and handling more resin or
doing the repair twice. Just remember to put it back in before your next
session.
It is
also important to do a little prep on your board before fixing the damage.
Sand anything you are going to bond repair materials to, including areas of
non-skid. Resins won’t adhere very well to non-skid and water can
work its way through the small voids it ceates. It is necessary to sand a
“blend” area around the damaged area. This allows for a greater contact
patch for the repair to adhere to, and a greater area to blend the repair with the existing curves making it less obvious.
After sanding it, blow off the dust and wipe clean with acetone and a rag
to remove any oils (including those on your fingers) or debris that might
hinder bonding.
Repair Materials
There are several
ready-to-use products that work very well for fixing dings and doing small
repairs on your board. Marine Tex is great for cosmetic blems on epoxy
boards - getting the right amount of hardener can be tricky, but the result
is a workable putty that dries nearly white and sands easily. Ding Stick is
a stick of 2 part putty that when mixed together dries in about an hour,
even underwater. It is best used for filling holes, and sands a light gray
color that holds paint well. For structural repairs, you will need resin,
hardener, and/or catalyst and cloth, or just a
tube of Solarez.
Solarez is the favorite repair material here at Windance, for boards, cars,
and just about everything else, and is simply a tube filled with short
fiberglass strands, resin, and a hardener is activated by ultraviolet
light. You just squeeze it on, spread it out, and place the repair area in
diffused sunlight for 5-60 minutes and it’s cured.
It works on just about every type of damage, and construction
excluding poly boards. It cures the fastest, seals the best, and is the
easiest to use of all the over the counter repair materials. Putting some
clear tape or saran wrap on top of the wet Solarez before hardening it in
the sun might eliminate the need to sand the repair entirely. Because
Solarez is made of the same materials as epoxy and polyester boards, it has
a superior bond and gives a little if impacted, just like the rest of your
board. Ding Stick and Marine Tex tend to be stiffer and can crack or
“bang off”, but not Solarez. It comes in both polyester (yellow) and
epoxy (blue) tubes, so be sure to get the right one. Or just epoxy Solarez
since it works on everything but poly boards.
NEVER USE POLYESTER RESIN ON AN EPOXY, ASA SKIN, OR POLY BOARD. The
resulting chemical reaction will MELT the foam core. It is ok to use epoxy
resin on polyester boards, though it will turn yellowish over time if left
unpainted. UV curing resins make life incredibly easy, and nearly eliminate
waste. Sun Cure also make great repair kits that include all you need for
repairing your stick: cloth, resin, mixing cups and sticks and sandpaper.
There are similar kits available with traditional curing hardener as well.
WHENEVER it is necessary to do multiple layers of resin and/or fiberglass,
sand the entire area between each re-application.
Microballoons are a fine white powder that is mixed with
the resin as a filler to save some weight and the amount of resin in
your repair. It is not as strong as pure resin and hardener, but offers a
significant weight savings if the repair is large.
Microballoons should be used only when filling voids, not for final
layers of fiberglass and resin.
Nontraditional Repair Materials
This is the fun section. However I must state the unthinkable: duct
tape doesn’t work too well for board ding patching. A sad but true fact.
It sticks well but is also porous and therefore NOT waterproof. Remember
the bit about water in your board and delamination? Use it if it’s all
you have, but not for too long. Fear not though because probably the best
repair material that isn’t in any shop and you may have never heard of is
Metal Tape. Metal Tape or Aluminum Tape is most easily found at a plumbing
and heating supply or auto parts store.
It is incredibly sticky, and completely waterproof. It is basically
thick tin foil with adhesive on one side. Just make sure that your ding is
fairly smooth (i.e. sand non-skid and any sharp edges) before you apply the
tape to. Slap some on
carefully and smoothly (without pinches and creases) and get back out there
worry-free. Multiple layers can be a good idea depending on the damage.
Another
useful non-windsurfing related product is putty. Also found at the auto
parts store. Best used for filling chips in the paint, putty or bondo or
sanding compound whatever the name, this is the easiest way to smooth out
the texture of the fiberglass or irregularities in your sanding before you
paint your newly fixed up stick. It also absorbs paint really well, so
you’ll find yourself needing a few extra coats to cover it all.
FIXING YOUR
BOARD
Remember, NEVER USE POLYESTER RESIN ON AN EPOXY, EPOXY WITH ASA SKIN,
OR POLY BOARD. Any further mention of “Resin” means resin AND hardener
mixture of proper quantities.
For each
repair you will want to secure the board on a bench, stand or table while
you work. Use masking tape to tape off around the damaged area one half to
two inches away from the damage to allow for blending the repair into the
original shape of the board. This is a little tough to cover completely
since there are so many ways to ding a board, but read the scenarios below
and see what might apply to your predicament.
Preparing the Wound
So, you split open, heel dented, punctured, crushed, chipped or otherwise
bashed your board. Assuming the board is dry, the first thing to do is
clean the wound. With a knife
or small regular head screwdriver break off all the loose paint that comes
off easily. The area around the crack is probably soft and delaminated too,
so cut away any “dead” or delaminated layers of glass with an razor
knife. “Dead” fiberglass looks opaque and jagged, similar to a really
old monofilm sail.
If
the damage is severe, and you end up cutting away most or all of the glass
you will need to fill the void. See the “filling the void” section
below. Next, sand everything within at least a 1 inch radius of the damage,
the most at the edge of the damage, and least at the area that meets the
rest of your board creating a taper to blend with your boar. Sand all
non-skid off the area to be glassed, in general repair materials do not
stick well to non-skid. The bigger the repair, the bigger the area to sand
for the overlap/blend of your repair. This allows for more blending, and
the more blending you can do and the stronger and less noticeable
the repair will be.
So
the patient is prepped, cleaned and sanded, now it’s time for tape. Using
1inch or bigger masking tape, tape off the perimeter of the repair work to
be done along the edge of the area to be blended. Be sure to really work
the tape onto the board so no resin gets under the tape. If the repair
occurs on a curvy part (like the rail) of the board, you may want to build
a “dam” using extra tape to stop the flow of excess resin on to your
board, floor or shoes.
Glassing
Glassing is the heart most every repair, and needs to be treated
accordingly. Use the correct mixture of resin – hardener – catalyst for
best results. Mixing it a little “hotter” will make it cure faster, but
will be weaker and can produce enough heat to “boil” the resin and the
core, so follow the instructions. Cut out several different sized pieces of
fiberglass cloth for the repair. A small one that is about 4/5 the size of
the damaged area, one the size of the damaged area, and one that is 1-2
inches bigger. This is only a guide, depending on how much you sand off,
and how much you put on top for strength and blending. Check the pieces are the correct size and shape, and set to one side. Mix
the resin/hardener/catalyst with a popsicle stick or small tongue depressor
and coat the damaged area. Place the pieces of glass into the
hole/depression one at a time, working the resin into the glass with each
piece until the void is filled. The final piece or two should be as large
or larger than the entire repair area. Let it dry, and sand.
Sanding
It may
sound obvious, but don’t sand what you cant see. Follow this rule and
some common sense and your repair will come out smooth and even. Avoid
using coarse grits, they are just too rough for this application. Palm and
disc sanders are great for removing bulk and shaping the repair, but are
equally good at taking off more material that you wanted to.
Start by cutting away any soft cloth protruding from the repair, then
begin sanding. Once the new material has been ground down and rough-shaped,
change to a finer grit, and keep sanding. Once through the shaping portion
of your sanding, finish by sanding in opposing directions – first
laterally to the board, then in a linear fashion to get a smooth finish.
Finishing
Once the repair is sanded to your liking, decide if you want
to paint or not. If you do, there is a little more prep work to be done.
The repair may have an uneven texture or profile, or is “pitted”, even
after your best sanding efforts. Not to worry, there are easy ways to deal
with this.
For epoxy and epoxy ASA boards, this is where putty
comes in. Just spread it on the area to be painted, and let dry. The dried
putty sands very easily, and gives a great smooth and even surface for
painting, then tape off the area to be painted and spray away.
For Polyester boards, there are 1-2 more steps. If the pitting is really
bad, or the repair is very uneven, you might need a “hot coat”. A
hotfoot is simply one coat of resin on top of the work area, with no
additional fiberglass. This should take care of your problems. Then a
rubbing or buffing compound is applied laterally and linearly to make the
area shiny again.
Painting
Ahhh, painting. Some people don’t paint repairs until they sell
the board, if ever. Maybe because the paints available don’t match quite
and often alter the visual allure of your stick. If you decide to paint it,
here are our thoughts on how to go about it and with what. First off, poly
boards are not really paintable due to the skin material. Polyester (glass)
boards can be painted, but the original artwork was applied to the core
before glassing, it is very difficult to match that when you repair one.
For white epoxy boards Krylon Appliance White spray paint is pretty
standard. Glossy for shiny boards and flat for sanded finish. As for
colored epoxy boards, start trying out different color spray paints or
maybe try a retailer, manufacturer, or board repair specialist for advice
on color choice.
DING
TYPES
Basic Dings
These are pretty simple. Begin by removing the dead fiberglass and sanding
the area. Choose a repair material, clean, (tape if necessary), then apply
your repair. Remember: the less you use, the less you sand.
Nose / Rail cracks and splits
The board is probably a little soft after the crash, so it will be
necessary to address that issue as well. If the board is REALLY soft you
will need to drill small shallow holes into the soft areas and inject
resin, then glass and sand the area like any other repair. With the holes
drilled, and the area sanded, inject resin into the holes first, enough
that it spreads into the void between the skin and the foam core. Next,
fill the hole left by the removal of loose debris with strips of glass, or
foam. Finally, apply the last layers of glass covering the void AND the
holes you drilled. These types
of damages are usually recurring, so give yourself room for blending and
several layers of glass over the whole area so you don’t have to go
through all this again too soon.
Filling Voids
If you
have a void (hole) in your board either from damage or from cleaning the
wound, you probably will need to fill it before glassing. So your repair
now has an extra step. No big deal. Voids are filled in three basic ways;
foam, micro balloons, and layered fiberglass. Sometimes a combination of
all three.
If the hole is
small, maybe a quarter inch or so, it is probably easiest to fill with
Solarez or by layering strips of fiberglass in the hole, applying resin
before each new layer. This makes a strong and easy job of the repair.
High density
foam is the best choice for large repairs, especially on flat surfaces
(like heel dents). It bonds really well and is super strong. It is a little
expensive and can be hard to find, but it’s worth the trouble. After
preparing the hole for the flat pieces of foam, trim and pre-fit pieces to
make sure they fit nice and snug, and layer with resin and or microballoons
until the hole is full. It’s ok if the last piece is too big and juts out
above the profile of the board since you will be sanding this before
glassing anyway. So you have test fitted all the foam pieces and they fit
nicely, so its resin time.
Soft Spots and Heel Dents
These repairs depend on the severity of the damage. If the skin of the
board has split, it is probable that water has entered your board,
therefore you will need to cut out the soft area of the skin in order for
the board to dry out, and to fix it adequately.
A
soft spot occurs from repeated impacts on the board, by heels, knees, boom
and mast slams. Most often, the skin separates from the core, creating a
void. This void must be filled and the skin re-attached to the core to
prevent it from growing. If the area is soft, but no cracks, the easiest
way to deal with it is by drilling small, shallow holes through the skin
about 1 inch apart throughout the soft area. Inject resin into each of the
holes until it is forced out of the others, indicating that the void is
full. Whether or not to glass over the area afterwards is up to you, it
would make it stronger and a little heavier – if you go big, which is
probably why you have heel dents, glass the area.
If
there are cracks related to the soft spot, cut out the soft area of skin
with a razor knife. Set the knife blade for about a quarter inch depth, and
cut through the skin at a shallow angle so as not to further damage the
foam in the board. With the damaged skin removed, and a dry core, sand the
surrounding deck area for blending this repair. 4 to 7 or more inches may
be appropriate. Taper the sanding of the area into the hole, and fill with
pieces of high-density foam, microballoons and resin. UV curing resins are
not appropriate for this application, as the resin between the layers of
foam will not be exposed to the sunlight.
That should be enough information to get the job done.
If there are additional questions please contact us by the means listed
below for additional service.
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