Delam repair

[brown recluse]

Does anybody have a good web link that explains delam repair step by step? Something intended for compete rookie at ding repair. I have the areas opened up, but I don't know what to do next. I'll need to add some q-cell, but I don't know things like how much catalyst to add, how long in the sun, etc.

Thanks.

[Taroogi]

I read through this guy's journals before doing any repairs on my own (I had no previous experience) : http://www.cflsurf.com/boardrepair.html

I was very intimidated with the task of surfboard repair when I first started as well. Just work in the shade and let cure in the sun. Follow instructions, and remember... HASTE MAKES WASTE. Good luck, and I hope that link helps. Peace!

[Surferguy80]

if youre in town youre more than welcome to stop by and i can show you a brief ding repair 101 for delams some day this weekend...but in any case heres a basic rundown:

mix q-cell and resin until its about toothpaste consistancy; add 2% catalyst, which is about 10cc's per quart of resin...the more you use the faster itll go. you should have 15 mins. of working time at 2%.

once thats cured up (about 2 hrs to make sure) sand it all flush, you can use 50grit to get it all flat and not waste time...its better to sand the filled area into the negative side of things than to leave it proud.

youre going to need to glass over all this otherwise itll all crack apart and leak; sand the area around the fill also with 50 grit, sand about 5" around the outside of the fill to make sure you get enough room to work with.

Use laminating resin for this next bit, 2% catalyst again unless youve got UV resin; then you wont need any. use more than one layer of glass over the area so you have some to sand through while getting it flat; use concentric circles of glass instead of a few full layers. youll want to stack them with the biggest patch (about 3" wider than the delam area) is on bottom, with the smaller ones on top of it (you can lay these all up at the same time, just make sure there arent puddles of resin and they arent "floating" in it. use a squeegee to get it all tight and flat.

once THAT is cured, sand it all down with 50 again (this dust will be ridiculously itchy). try not to sand through the glass, especially at the edges of the fill (this is the area youre trying to keep covered more than any other).

once thats all sanded then do your hotcoat (just painting clear resin over the glass) with sanding resin, then when thats cured sand that and youll be solid and pretty!
any roughness and weave you see when you sand the glass down will go invisible when you do the hotcoat so dont worry if its ugly at that stage.

if some of that doesnt make sense let me know and ill do my best to clarify :)

[Surferguy80]

add-on:
any UV resin you use should cure int he sun fully in about 15 minutes; dont use the solarez type stuff with the glass strands in it...you want regular clean resin...the other stuff is junk!

catalysed resin will take about 15-20 minutes to gel, but won't be cured and sandable until about an hour and a half or two later depending on ohw hot it is outside.

and when you sand the glass down itll gum up your sand paper, so dont worry about that...
okay, that should help a little!

[brown recluse]

Ryan, thanks for the walk through and the offer to stop by this weekend. But I'm driving to Denver today and manana to deliver a car. Maybe another time soon. I'll be back sunday. It would be cool to watch somebody fix one so I can get the idea before I get all resinated. I'm not in a big hurry since this isn't a board I ride much. Besides the big delams, it's a solid Christensen.

[Surferguy80]

bring it by someday and ill do a demo on it with you, we could probably knock it out in about an hour and a half or maybe 2 hrs.

[brown recluse]

You bet!
I'll give you a ring.
I have all the supplies, too.
Where's Point Concept World Headquarters?

[Surferguy80]

top secret directions in your pm box!