Board paint

Edmc

Hi all,

this is in relation to a sailboard but I expect the application of repair materials to be in common with fibreglass surfboards.

I recently repaired a nose split in my board with araldite (needed a quick and cheap repair, I realise a full fibreglass repair will be better in the long run), and I need to protect it from UV light - I hear this can degrade araldite over time - is that true?

If it is the case, what's the best paint to use for boards, and where can I source it? I just need plain white.

spaceHopper

Most surf boards are PU foam and Polyester resin - but most sail boards are epoxy with a lot more that just fireber glass - the top coat is a gel coat of resin and a dye - you'll get all the material you need here

http://www.greenhobbymodel.com/

And lots of info on repairng then here

http://www.boardlady.com/

If it's an old board and you don't want to spend money get some epoxy putty in the hardware store - there at two main types one with a black finish and one with a off white one. You could make it look like a node guard....

The guy that does repairs for surf dock will be able to fix it for a price but he's very good and used to build wind surfers.

Edmc

Thanks Spacehopper,

Boardlady is a good site, I actually used that for the previous nose repair job I did, which I spent more time on. What's happened is that the repair has re-split during a recent high-wind catapult, and I plan on upgrading my board soon so all I really need to do is keep it afloat and keep the water out. Whenever I've opened the board up I've seen little evidence of a complex sandwich of different materials, seemed like mostly fiberglass with an upper gel coat as you say, but perhaps the different laminations were not visible to me at the time.

I've actually already done the repair, and going to paint over it now. Thanks for the hobby link, that should do just fine!

The guy who does repairs for Surfdock is indeed a legend, I've heard nothing but good things.

cornbb

I've been told that Blue Chip do decent paint: http://www.windsurfer.co.uk/paints.htm

They'll also mix it up to match the colour of your board (although white won't be a problem obviously) and they'll sell you an aerosol application kit to get the right finish.

(I haven't actually bought from them before, in the process of ordering paint + repair materials at the moment though).

bigsurf.ie

Hi Edmc,

Windsurf boards should ONLY be repaired using epoxy. Using Polyester can result in the internals of your board melting (literally) after a few minutes, as it contacts the inner foam.

The nose and shoulders of a windsurf board get the most damage...part of the learning process, and it does happen to pro's on new boards also...many stories of folks sailing out on new board for first time, then catapulting after hitting a submerged hidden rope...bang...nose opened!

The strongest repair to a windsurfing board is completed using layers of interwoven carbon, resin-ed into the board using a vacuum process. Our local repair wizard in Cork does this day in, day out...let me know and I can put you in contact with him.

Quick repairs at the beach should be completed with "Ding Stick", easy to mix, easy to apply, dries quick, back on the water very quick...see it here: http://www.bigsurf.ie/prod.php?id=644. Surfboard kits you can see at the bottom of this page: http://www.bigsurf.ie/showcat.php?catid=73. Very handy to have a small repair kit in the car/van when on trips.

Paint wise, your local "Halfords" have a very wide selection of car spray paints available off the shelf. I think (correct me when I'm wrong) they can also mix up a paint for you. Depending on finish, typically folks go for a matt spray paint.

If you need a clear repair, typically just fill with resin. Can also do other clever bits, like adding a graphic, or a simple sticker.

Hope this helps.
Regards,
Pearse
www.bigsurf.ie

Edmc

Great advice guys, thanks a lot! There's certainly a wealth of experience on this forum in terms of board repair.

I learned the melting of board innards the hard way a couple of years ago alright, I used a resin that devoured the foam in front of my eyes. I tested the araldite epoxy I used this time on foam prior to the repair and it looked good - time will tell if the repair will hold up I guess. I have an epoxy stick that I use for dings etc., I didn't realise that would be suitable for filling a full-on through-to-the-foam split? If so, I'll definitely use it next time!

When I get my next board, and inevitably smash it open, I'll certainly be contacing your man in Cork Pearse! Cheers for that.

Low Pockets

Who does them in cork?

Edmc

@Cornbb:

How are you getting on with your ordering of paints from that website? I've had a look and it does seem the way to go. The one problem I have is providing the piece of material that they need as an example of the board colour - I don't actually want to do further damage by removing a section of the board, however small, and the gel coat on this particular board doesn't flake off to provide a chip that I could send to them.

What do you think, should I just bite the bullet and cut off a piece of the hull?

cornbb

Awaiting delivery at the minute. I'll let you know how it goes.

I didn't want to cut out a chunk either so I checked with them - they said for Starboard just to let them know the year/model of board, as Starboard publish pantone colour references for every board on their website. Maybe they can do the same for whoever manufactures your board.