Hey all, I've been a lurker for awhile, decided to finally join. Looking for a litttle help and clarification here. I started surfing a couple months ago and am about to attempt my first ding repair on a board I bought used. I've looked at a number of the old posts on this forum about it, and watched quite a few youtube videos, but I've got a few questions just to make sure I'm on the right track. I'm sure all of these things are pretty basic/standard repairs, but I'm being extra cautious since I'm a first timer. Here are a number of pictures of the dings I need to repair (or think I need to). Hopefully the pictures turned out, I figured it would help you to give me advice, and perhaps other people with similar problems can use this thread in the future. To give you an idea of the size of this, it runs close to 5 inches along the bottom of the board. Perhaps as wide as a fingernail. The guy I bought it from said it is from his roomate cinching the board down too tight on a roof rack. I believe it's watertight, but the glass is starting to discolor so I figured it was time to repair. How would you suggest I go about a repair so long? Should I take a razor blade and cut out the whole length of the discolored glass? Or just sand it very good? This is a standard spider crack, this one again is beginning to discolor some and definitely needs repairing. Again I guess my question is should I cut out all the glass around the crack, then fill? This is perhaps a little delamination? I'm not sure if I'm classifying that correctly. It's not really a ding, just a small area on the rail where you can see the fiberglass cloth. Same question again, do I want to cut out the problem area, or just sand it down? These next two pictures are of small issues that I'm not sure need repairing or not. Advice on whether or not to repair would be appreciated This is just a small hairline crack that runs 1 1/2 inches or so from the fin box. I've read about doing the fingernail test on small cracks like that. My nail does catch this crack, and therefore I'm wondering if I should repair it? I think the picture makes the crack look deeper than it is. If I do repair, anything I need to be aware of doing a repair by the fin box? This is a standard round pressure ding with a slight circular crack running around part of the edge. My nail does catch this circular crack, does this mean I should repair? Would I want to cut out around the whole pressure ding, or just try to sand out the crack, or something altogether different? Those are the 5 dings I am wondering about. I've got Suncure, and also got a Ding-All repair kit for Christmas, so I was thinking I would use the Ding-All since I've read that usually you will get a longer lasting repair job doing it that way? Hopefully you guys can help a noob out, thanks
I've used Solarez, from solarez.com and its worked great. I had a crack running down the length of one of my rails, about 4 inches long. I used a dremel rotary sander, looks like toothpick with a rough coated cylinder at the end. I used that to clear out the cracked fibergrall and make a channel where the crack was. the surface is scuffed but clean. I then put the solarez into the crack, pressed plastic over the area, to the shape of the rail, held out in the sun for a couple minutes. took the plastic off and used a very fine sand paper to smooth it out. I can even see where the crack was. I think I would do the same sort of thing for most of what you showed. Mike Fitz edit... the fin box looks like the only think that really needs attention... maybe bring it to a pro for that.
1, 2, and 3 need to be sanded down to the cloth, and a 2oz patch cut to fit needs to be laminated down tight and flat. Fair the edges, tape off, hotcoat, and sand. No need to cut anything away, because there's no loose material. 4 looks like just a cracked hotcoat, but I'd reinforce the box with a glass patch like the others. That's what happens when your fin hits a rock, and the end of the box gets popped. In any case, you have to fix it... looks like a leaker. 5 only needs to be sanded, taped off, hotcoated and sanded. My general rule is, if you can see "shattered" glass, you need to patch. If it's just the hotcoat that's cracked, and you can't see the weave, no patch is needed. Just a good sanding to get the crack down, and a hotcoat to seal everything up. Some might feel this is overkill, but I'm big on taking care of my gear, and I have plenty of materials and tools on hand.
Sorry for the potentially noobish questions, but what exactly is a hotcoat? On number 4, do you mean I should try to sand out the crack, and then reinforce with a patch? On number 5, I assume you mean sand the crack and surrounding pressure ding area, and then fill in and sand to ensure it is flush with the rest of the board? Thanks for the help
hotcoat means brushing on a light coat of resin without any fiberglass cloth. just like painting. any area that gets hotcoated needs to be sanded first. A cheap 1" chip brush will work, or even a folded up paper towel used like a brush, if like me you're too cheap to waste a brush on a 5 minute repair. IMO you should use LIQUID sun cure resin for this type of repair. NOT the stuff that squeezes out of a tube and wont flow or wet out cloth. This 8 oz. container costs $10 and would do everything you need to do here ten times over.
Sand off the resin (hotcoat) down to the weave. Patch over the sanded area, extending the cloth over the edge of the box. Wet out the cloth so it's tight and flat, not floating in resin. When cured, trim the excess cloth patch away from the box opening, then hotcoat over the cloth patch. Sand smooth and you're done. Pressure ding's are part of a surfboard's life. Don't bother filling in the dent with resin. Just make sure the crack is sealed and water tight.
All depends on how well you want your patches to hold up. If it's discolored its seeping. My ding guy would cut it out. If you just sand a crack and resin over it..... it will eventually come back through, not to mention look like crap. A Dremel type tool works best. A razor blade or exacto knife would take you forever. LBCrew prob has the best fix for your box without making it a major fix.
Ok, thanks for the replies guys. It's all brought up some more questions though... On picture 5 for example, would I fully sand the crack out, however far down it went? Or just sand it enough to seal it with resin and make it water tight? Waverider- Are you suggesting taking a dremel tool and cutting out the crack, then filling and patching? Would you suggest the dremel tool to cut around all the cracks pictured rather than sanding down as LB suggested? I'm not too picky on looks, more concerned about performance and the longevity of the board. LBCrew- When you say to sand down to the cloth, will I know when I am down to the cloth (i.e. would have to be blind to miss it)? That might be an obvious yes but I just want to make sure. I like to do things right. Last question, something I noticed when I was looking at the board today. 2 and 3 are right next to each other, 2 is on the bottom of the board, and 3 is on the rail. You can vaguely make that out looking at picture 2. There is definitely some discoloring, I wouldn't call it major, but it's there. I also noticed for the first time that the area looks like it has swollen slightly. You can only notice it when you look along the bottom of the board. Is this a sign that some water has seeped in? If so, should I go about the repair in that area differently?
You will see and feel (to the touch) a difference once you're at the cloth. It will be obvious if you're paying attention. If you're not, you'll sand right through the cloth and into the foam. Then you have a problemo grande. So pay attention, go slow, and don't over do it. You want to just start to hit the top of the glass. You don't always have to fully sand out the crack. But if you go all the way to the cloth, you will. That's never a bad thing. But if you do take off too much cloth, and compromise the structural integrity of the laminate, you'll have to reinforce with a patch. Discolored spots that are raised usually have something to do with leakage and/or temperature. I've seen boards literally blister... a brown bubble form... where something really hot has been held against the surface of the board.
Ok I think I got it. Last question to clarify before I go and do it. I would apply the patch (fully saturate it tight and flat, not too much resin or it will float) and then let that cure. After that I would apply another layer of resin, let that dry, then any needed sanding. Repair done? Thanks again guys
Done. Just make sure that after you get your patches down, prep the surrounding area by tapeing off where you don't want your hotcoat to extend to, and sanding any smooth surfaces around the patch. Fair the edges of your patches while you're at it. Your hotcoat won't bond to a smooth, unsanded surface. When the hotcoat resin has gelled, pull the tape. Finish sand when fully cured. Take pics and post them up as you go!
2 and 3 I would totally cut out and repatch with cloth and resin(my preference), doesnt mean you have to.. The others just sand and fill in with sanding resin. then the box needs cloth as well. Normally anytime you use cloth in a patch its best to use laminating resin with the cloth then sanding resin on top of it. The laminating resin stays sticky and the sanding resin adheres better.
Patch Wear blue surgical gloves and work in a well ventilated area. Find a broken board or piece of a board and practice first. 1. Cut out to the farthest edge of the ding.Box cutter dremmel tool whatever. 2. Fill with qcell resin mix. 3. When dry, sand with 80 grin to smooth out. 3. lightly coat with resin then immediately go to step 4. 4. lay 2 layers of fiberglass on top of area over lapping existing glass. 5. using just your finger, work resin into the cloth making sure it is saturated. 5. sand smooth. 6. use finger to coat with resin. 7. wet sand with 600 grit.
