Got a board question for you all. The stringer appears to be expanding and raising up in one of my longboards. I bought the board used about 2 years ago, my first board. So much so that it is cracking the glass on the board. It's on the deck side of the board. Overall it's been well taken care of. I first noticed this happening last summer but didn't think too much about it. I hadn't really paid attention to it as of late because I rarely ride the board any more, but saw today that it seems to only be getting worse. What's going on? Is this the eventual death of the board?
Like Mad Dog says, the foam is compressing from your feet, knees, etc., contacting the deck. Watch for little spidery cracks along the stringer. They might let in water and cause the glass to delam. Lay a glass patch over the cracked sections when they appear. since it's on the deck and will be waxed over, cosmetics of the repair are not so important. Make sure the wax is completely removed when you do your patch or the resin won't adhere.
no probably about it, IMO. grant, you gotta stop using your kneed to pop up or it really will be the death of the board.
Keep an eye on the glass along the stringer. Eventually it'll crack and let water in - then totally delaminate. A little patch of 4 oz glass in that area is a good idea if you want to keep the board. ~Brian www.greenlightsurfsupply.com Shape Your Surfing Experience
Word, thanks guys, that makes sense. I don't use my knees to pop up, but I've been letting other people ride it for the last couple months so they very well might be which would probably compound the problem. The glass is already cracking in a few areas, there's one section with what seems a deeper crack along the stringer. At that point the foam is probably 1/8th inch lower than the stringer. I wouldn't be able to patch it flatly unless I sanded the stringer down, which I doubt is a wise thing. So I guess an uneven patch is good enough? As long as the repair is functional.
Don't worry about building it up along the stringer... just sand it down and run a long patch over the stringer to keep it water tight. Make it wide enough to spread the load out at least an inch on either side of the stringer... wider if you don't mind the added material. I recommend 6oz. cloth... maybe even two layers of different widths, with the narrowest under the widest.
