Help fiberglassing a boarrd

**matt3322** · 08-20-2007 09:39 PM

what kind of fiber glass should i use and where do i get it

**Jraice** · 08-20-2007 11:56 PM

Sounds like your first time...

While I have no experience with fiberglassing boards I have done a lot of composite work with glass, carbon fiber and other materials...

I'd say if you want cheap and easy, a 6oz plain weave glass would be nice... Not super heavy and hard to deal with but very strong stuff...

ACP composites has some great stuff, real cheap... The 6oz plain weave glass they sell in the tight variation is super nice to deal with...

For epoxy most anything will work but use epoxy based LAMINATING RESINS... Not like regular hobby shop epoxy but stuff made to wet out glass... A marine boating store will probably have the 6oz glass and a resin they will recommend but get epoxy based... You may also want some mylar (for a smooth finish) or peelply... PM me for more specific how to...

Oh and if you can find it/have a little extra cash, get S-glass (most glass is E-glass)... Its a bit more pricey and comes in a max of 30" widths usually, its for surf boards... Its 15 percent stiffer and 30 percent stronger then e-glass...

4-5oz S-glass would be a good choice thats the weights they usually have...

**matt3322** · 08-21-2007 09:22 AM

its not my first time making a booard but its gona be my first time fiberglassing i made this sick 38" board a couple months ago and it was really nice but a couple weeks ago it broke so i want to reinforce the next one with some kind of fiberglass to make it stronger

**hughman** · 08-21-2007 09:35 AM

If you're on the west coast, find a Tap Plastics near you
they stock 4 and 6oz glass, epoxy and hardener with different cure speeds

**Jraice** · 08-21-2007 09:59 AM

I meant first time glassing... TAP is pretty good... I dont use their epoxy's (I use an aerospace grade... anyways) but they have marine epoxy's that will work just fine... Just get epoxy based not polyester.

Yeah TAP's 4 or 6oz glass will be fine but some tap's stock the S-glass I told you about...

Also remember plain weave, crows foot, satin or harness satin weave (these are in order of most common to least) are weaves that you can use, dont use a matt or anything like that...

And again once you get some of your supplies PM me and Ill give you a few pointers... You can either glass, sand and fill etc... or there are some techniques to reduce the excess epoxy (and excess weight) while giving you a more uniform surface... Peelply leaves a uniform roughness which is easy to fix... Mylar will leave you with a glass smooth surface.

**his415** · 08-21-2007 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by Jraice

I meant first time glassing... TAP is pretty good... I dont use their epoxy's (I use an aerospace grade... anyways) but they have marine epoxy's that will work just fine... Just get epoxy based not polyester.

Yeah TAP's 4 or 6oz glass will be fine but some tap's stock the S-glass I told you about...

Also remember plain weave, crows foot, satin or harness satin weave (these are in order of most common to least) are weaves that you can use, dont use a matt or anything like that...

And again once you get some of your supplies PM me and Ill give you a few pointers... You can either glass, sand and fill etc... or there are some techniques to reduce the excess epoxy (and excess weight) while giving you a more uniform surface... Peelply leaves a uniform roughness which is easy to fix... Mylar will leave you with a glass smooth surface.

What about putting it in a Roararockit bag? Would this create the Smooth Finish like the mylar?

**matt3322** · 08-21-2007 04:09 PM

ok any more timp on where to put the fiberglass like inbetween 2 boards or on the top and bottom once the board is complete?

**~Nick~** · 08-21-2007 04:50 PM

If you put it in the center you can take care of it while you pressing , and it wont be able to be damaged like when its on the bottom.

Your could do it on the bottom though..you just lay the cloth down and pour the resin over top it and spread it with a sqeugie, because there is more tension on the bottom than the middle it is actually stiffer on the bottom, the glass can just get nicked up a bit.

No point in puting it ontop though, glass isnt strong under compression which is the force exerted ontop of the board.

I forgot who said this , but its a good example, think of putting duct tape ontop a cracker, then push down on it , it will snap, if the duct tape is on the bottom it will stiffen up under the tension.

**Jraice** · 08-21-2007 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by ~Nick~

If you put it in the center you can take care of it while you pressing , and it wont be able to be damaged like when its on the bottom.

Your could do it on the bottom though..you just lay the cloth down and pour the resin over top it and spread it with a sqeugie, because there is more tension on the bottom than the middle it is actually stiffer on the bottom, the glass can just get nicked up a bit.

No point in puting it ontop though, glass isnt strong under compression which is the force exerted ontop of the board.

I forgot who said this , but its a good example, think of putting duct tape ontop a cracker, then push down on it , it will snap, if the duct tape is on the bottom it will stiffen up under the tension.

Thats somewhat true but duct tape is flexible, glass is stiffer... So I still think its nice to have a bit on both sides, it also gives you an I-beam effect (I have made laminates MUCH lighter and stronger, and stiffer, then 1/4" plywood, that are just 1/4" end grain balsa with carbon fiber and glass on both sides....)...

but if you already made the deck just go on bottom or both sides...

Not sure what the bag you are refering to is but if you mean like a vacuum bag then you will still get the texture of whatever type of release layer you use... Mylar can be used but peelply (porous) with breather over it is most often used...

For the smoothest finish though (WOOD) putting the glass in the middle could be your best bet.

Mylar is easy to do with some shapes but on a non flat board peelply will be the easiest to apply, either use nylon peel ply or teflon coated glass (similar product, available from ACP)... You just add it like another layer of glass and remove it when the epoxy is just tacky to the touch, not wet... If you let it cure to much it can be tough to remove. Just working the peelply in so the excess epoxy is squeezed out will help a lot...

Also, before putting the cloth on, put a THIN layer of glass on the deck... If its thick the glass will float in it and not bond well, you just want a real thin layer so the glass tacks on and gets wet out... Then work a bit more on top, work it on hard with a 1-2" brush. Add the peelply, work it in with your hands (GLOVED) and a brush and your set...

It will leave you with a surface then can be sanded smooth, or your best bet is to fill it with bondo spot putty... Or some other form of filler...

Good luck!

**jspats40** · 08-21-2007 06:07 PM

try 1/8 inch bb then glass then 1/8 inch then glass then 1/8 inch

**Jraice** · 08-21-2007 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by jspats40

try 1/8 inch bb then glass then 1/8 inch then glass then 1/8 inch

That would be a pretty cool board!

**Blub** · 08-22-2007 01:52 PM

Do you HAVE to have a vacume bag when glassing? Cant i just put the glass on the bottom and soak it in epoxy and let it dry?

**~Nick~** · 08-22-2007 04:18 PM

No you dont need one, you can lay the cloth on the board and wet it out in resin.

**Jraice** · 08-22-2007 05:51 PM

Again its best to put a thin layer of epoxy on first for full wet out of the cloth and for good bond.. But as I said above THIN is critical. If its to thick the epoxy will float in it instead of bonding... You just want enough to help you tack the cloth in place... Then you can be a bit more aggressive as you work in a good bit more on top... You want to get it until it all turns transulsent...

And bagging is not necessary but a cheap addition to just applying it is to cover it with peelply... It goes on like a glass layer, just leave some overhang for easy removal (works best if removed when its tacky not totally dry)... That will remove some excess epoxy, and will leave a uniform rougness that can be filled or sanded away.

**Turfsurfer** · 08-23-2007 01:55 PM

i'm also looking to start glassing, so the peel ply goes against the glass, the breather (which from my understanding is kind of like flece? somekind of absorbant cloth?) goes against the peelply and this all goes in the vacbag?

**Jraice** · 08-23-2007 05:02 PM

Yep, I have never done a vacuum bag but you do peelply (its a porous releease) with a breather... Which absorbs the epoxy...

but if you dont add to much epoxy you can get the same result with just glass covered in peelply (no vac bag)....

I know a guy that does amazing work with carbon fiber and uses just peelply....

**Turfsurfer** · 08-25-2007 11:59 AM

any good places to get peeply and breather online? Anything you can use as like a diy breather, something you can pick up cheap at like a fabric store or crafts store? Thanks for all the help to everyone who's giving it.

**chicagolongboards** · 08-25-2007 12:55 PM

polyester batting will work for the breather material. It comes on a large roll, and is sold by the yard at fabric stores. 100% nylon taffeta can be used as peelply, but good luck finding it!

**Jraice** · 08-25-2007 03:51 PM

If you are vacumm bagging you should be able to get both from the same place as teh vacumm gear... And most composite sites (my favorite is ACP composites) also sell it, not to expensive...

But if you are not vacumm bagging just get some peelply or teflon coated glass (ACP sells both, its a personal preference but if you remove it when the laminate is nearly cured, still slightly tacky they both come off similarly) and thats all you will need shouldnt set you back a ton.