Ok, I finally got my first ding on my first epoxy board this past weekend. It is really just a a 2 inch hairline crack along the bottom of the rail. The board is made with the supposedly hydrophobic EPS foam and already has hundreds of micro-holes all over the board for pressure release that appears to never seep or absorb water. Do I even need to fix it? And if so, does the eopxy work like polyester does from yester year. I currently have the Suncure Epoxy fix Kit, but I am struggling whether or not to even bother. Anyone have any experience re: epoxy repair? ________ green crack
Uh yes fix it man. Epoxy boards take in water like a sinking boat when dinged. Unlike xtr. EDIT: you do the same exact thing as you would do to fix a poly board but instead you are using epoxy. And yes the Suncure Epoxy works specially if it is a small ding like you are describing.
if the crack is on the rail, put a small piece of cloth on for support. a lot of the board's structural strength is in the rails. all the surf shops have epoxy repair kits. after mixing the 2 parts per the directions, it's just like working with poly, except it takes a full 24 hours to cure. and it smells better, too.
That sounds like XTR to me. But I would still fix it. If the crack is showing foam I'd fix as Mikey described. If it looks more like a spider crack I would just seal with resin.
What do you mean "unlike XTR" because that is exactly what I have...a 5.2 XTR? So...fix it then is the concensus. ________ starcraft II replays
Yup, see my post above and Mikey's post. JMD probably missed the part about all the little holes. It may still resist water, but you want to maintain it's structural integrity. If you can see foam, patch with cloth. Sand the area with 150 grit. Cut a patch about an inch bigger than the crack all around. Mix up the epoxy. Apply the patch with the resin making sure to soak the whole patch completely with resin. Let cure. Sand excess resin off and smooth, but don't sand through the patch. Mix more epoxy. Re-apply resin over patch with a chip paint brush for a smooth coat. Sand smooth with 150, 220, 320, 400 grits. Good as new. If the crack is more like a spider crack then I would just sand the crack, apply some resin to seal it up. Then finish sand as described above. Done. With a spider crack the fibers are still intact for the most part and you still have some strength so just sealing with resin is really enough. Good luck.
rDJ explained epoxy ding repair perfectly. Maybe wetsand with the 320 and 400 grits. Your board will be good as new. ~Brian www.greenlightsurfsupply.com
