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1. Broken Nose
2. Repainting Board
3. Repairing a buckled or broken epoxy board
4. Water in Epoxy Board
5. Chipped Board
6. Fixing a cracked board
7. Repairing Damage to F2 Board
8. Repairing a Footstrap

Broken Nose

Question

I was wondering if you have come across any tips on repairing broken noses on sailboards.  I have built three Meritex boards, so I have a bit of epoxy experience. However, I just busted the nose off my Seatrend about ten inches back from the tip.  The top layer of glass is not broken, but all the foam layers are broken and separated from the top skin, and from each other. I am wondering if I need to try to put some stringers into distribute the load across the broken foam.

Answer

I have had some very good results replacing broken or smashed noses on epoxy boards. What I have found is that it is simpler to use ½" (12.5 mm) layers of solid divinycell to rebuild the nose. After cutting away the nose, I route just under a ½" deep key back into the boards bottom. This would look like a triangle from the cut nose back.  A ½" piece of divinycell can be fit to the routed key cut on the boards bottom and project out to form the replacement nose.  This piece would look like a diamond shape or square with a corner keyed to the bottom. Let plenty of the divinycell stick out past the old nose outline.  Now stack up other pieces of  ½" divinycell to build up the thickness.

Again letting the divinycell protrude. With all the pieces assembled, epoxy and cloth between each layer, cut a few notches cut across in the ½" divinycell. This will help bending the divinycell close to the nose rocker.  Lastly you will require some backing and weights to support the boards bottom nose rocker and add pressure while the epoxy sets. I  have the advantage of laying the boards bottom on my rocker table (used in vacuum board building), but you can lay it on an old piece of sponge foam covered with poly (sheet plastic polyethylene).

After epoxy sets you will be left with an oversized solid divinycell nose. Mark and cut your new nose outline. Shaping might be faster with power grinders, but a sharp Stanley Surform followed by 40 grit sandpaper works well too. Fiberglass with epoxy lapped back onto the existing glass laminate.

The extra weight of the nose is minimal and why not make the nose stronger. Additionally a single hard high density foam is simpler, faster and easier to shape than multi-density soft foams.

Repainting Board

Question

I have a Logosz OCR and I have the Deluxe Surf Padz on it. I want to remove it and just put the regular pair of Padz that only cover the area where your feet go. If I use acetone to remove all the glue will it mess up the graphics on my board as well as the re-dek? Also, I need to repaint the bottom of my board. It appears to be a glossy white color. What kind of paint would you recommend using the paint it with and how can I make it glossy like it was when I got it?

Answer

Perfect touch ups are hard and even harder with gloss paints. We should first point out that primer paint or smooth 400 wet sanded surface has a better performance. The average guy doing a small paint repair should stick to available spray can. Here in Canada I like Krylon flat white or gloss white for repairs. Use light coats and fog it in well over the repair area. When you are sure the paint has hardened wet sand it or buff up with a power buff and compound. As far as the footpad glue and bits of stuck foam it's really messy especially on a new board.  I'd put them back on or install new larger ones. Mess it up and you have got to repaint the whole deck and replace the nonskid. The work sanding, priming, wet sanding, painting, non-skid is what makes a quality board look good.

Repairing a buckled or broken epoxy board.

Question

I have a fairly new 8'8" epoxy board (warranty expired) that has been broken due to landing a jump flat. It has not broken clean through, but has split a centimeter from each bottom rail all across the deck of the board. This has happened above the front foot straps.  I am planning on using two wood stringers (2"x ¼"x 12") to repair the board.  I will seal these both in with epoxy resin and overlay the stringers and the cracked area with 6 ounce fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin as well. Any advice out there?  Has anyone done this before, and if so how did you do it  and how did the board work?  I cannot justify buying a new board just yet, so I would like to repair it.

Answer

A few things to be said before starting your repair. Why did this board break? A board has to have some built in flex and should give a bit. The loads from your jumps have to be absorbed into the structure. This is the main reason that a board should be built with a composite sandwich construction that will dissipate point loading.

If your board is broken into two pieces or hinged like a door. The board must be glued with epoxy resin. Take care to maintain the original rocker. A long string clamp or elastic can apply pressure to the ends while the epoxy sets. Remove any delaminated fiberglass skins. If your board has a Divinycell layer check for delamination under the layer by tapping for a hollow sound. Whether or not you repair the board using short wood stringers or Divinycell stringers you must avoid the point loading that will now be moved from the area of the current buckle to the ends of the new stringers. I suggest that if you install stringers that you use 3 stringers. The center stringer should longer than the other parallel stringers. The load can be stretched out to avoid point loading. Any delaminated fiberglass must be replaced and if the foam is also damaged, I like to route out and replace this with ½" thick hi-density Clark sheet foam. (this also should be tapered to avoid point loading) After installing all of this, prepping and roughing with sandpaper, the existing laminate the board can be relaminated with resin and glass layers. These also should be staggered to avoid point loading.

Now a whole lot of sanding, fairing, paint and nonskid.  You now have a heavier but sailable board. My suggestion is that you will gain some skills and knowledge from this repair. I also think that if you can do these repairs you could also build a vacuum bagged composite board that will stand up to your abuse from highest jumps.

Water in Epoxy Board

E-mail conversation

Hi _ read your advice and was wondering if you could elaborate a bit more on this subject _ I        have an F2 epoxy Styrofoam filled wave board with water inside resulting from a deck split. Am trying to devise a method of spinning...thinking of the ceiling fan technique! what worked for you??  In your case with the motor and pulleys, what did you rig your board onto? an old wheel mounted on an axle or something similar?? Chris

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 "Having both used and seen a http://www.maui.net/~mauiwind/MWR/rd/report1.html board spinner in action I would say that spinning is the best method to remove unwanted water. A securely mounted one horsepower motor and maybe a few pulleys will spin your board fast enough. It looks like a helicopter just make sure that your board does not fly away."

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We built a spinner from a second hand electric motor we purchased at a motor repair shop. The motor was about 3/4 to 1 horse with a moderate rpm that we able to connect directly without pulleys. We built a wood box as a base to house the motor and a 20"X20" piece of plywood mounted on the spindle. We attached the board with straps to the 20"X20" plywood. With the board spinning with 1/4" holes in the ends the water would actually spray out the ends. We used a dry piece of plywood as a guide to see when the board stopped spraying water.

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Thanks for the info Tom. I'm devising a spinner from a friend's pottery wheel _ variable speed. the plywood "mount" you devised sounds perfect for my setup as well. Couple additional questions if ya don't mind....1). most my water is concentrated from the center (or just back of center) to the rear of the board, do you think a front drill hole in the nose is necessary in my case? (would be tough, since flip_tip wave board...) 2). being of Styrofoam interior, can I expect to get 90% of the water out ?? (I'm assuming a 10 minute spin at around 120_150_ rpm's...) 3). my board is an 8'5". based on your experience, what speed should I let 'er fly?? ..thanks for your time!

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Hi Chris

1. Yes drill the nose and tail of the board. Plugging the holes afterwards is quite simple with Marine_Tex or thickened epoxy paste. The water will spray out both the ends.
2. I would suggest weighing the board before hand and then after spinning. You won't get all the water out but you should get most out. As I stated in the previous post we placed a vertical dry sheet of plywood near the spinner. The water in the board wet the sheet as it was cast out. I would spin the board at least until there is no indication of water spray on the test surface this may take more or less than 10 minutes.  I do not know what rpm speed we used but it was quite fast, it looked helicopter scary but everything worked well. Just make sure everything is really secure, it is not worth any further damage to the board.
3. Variable speed control is a bonus, If the water is visibly coming out then it is working. You can always speed it up to get out the last traces.

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Tom tried the spinning yesterday without luck.. I estimate the spinning speed was about 120 RPM, or two revolutions per second +/-. Based on your experience, do you think that was fast enough?

Here is a review of my problem:

My situation is this: 1996 F2 254 wave board, no vent plug, and a stress crack under a deck pad that caused a large amount of water to leak into the Styrofoam core _ didn't catch the leak until the board got quite heavy _ 25 lbs. the crack is under the jibing area of the deck _ in front of the rear footstraps, behind the front footstraps. My question is how to remove the water from the rear area of the board? I attempted to spin the board yesterday (potter's wheel) which worked swell, but NO water came out  the drilled hole in the foot of the board. I assume the foam core isn't porous enough to allow the water to move and drain out... What about using a 3" diameter hole saw to take a "core out" (near the fracture area) and allow the board to air dry for a few months??? With the Styrofoam core, is it even possible to get what I think is a saturated core dry?? Would vacuum bagging work?? Any advice will be greatly appreciated, ....Chris

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Hi Chris

Firstly I would try to make sure that the holes you drilled are definitely into the Styrofoam core. There may be some extra hi_density foam especially around the fin box area. Use an extra long drill bit and a long stiff piece of wire to ensure that both the board ends are open into the Styrofoam, also check that there may be a center stringer. Secondly next try increasing the boards spinning speed, with the extra speed and at 25 lbs. the water should be flying out. As for vacuum bagging the moisture out, water will boil at room temperature while under vacuum. A vacuum pump will remove both air and moisture. Extra care must be taken not to crush the board with vacuum pressure or the moisture fouling up the pump. I have experienced both of these two problems, make sure that there is a tiny flow of warm dry air into the vacuum bag to avoid the crushing pressures, also make sure that the pump is protected by the use of an inline sump to catch the water before the intake of the vacuum pump. If there is much salt water in the board it may later corrode and seize up the pump, which happened to me. A cheap disposable vacuum pump can be made from an old discarded household fridge or freezer compressor unit.

If you are actually going to take your repairs as far as vacuum bagging, I would suggest that you consider building a new board copied from your existing shape.

Here are a few links
http://www.viser.net/~anthwind/water.htm
http://www.pacificcoast.net/~gwilliams/Toms.html
http://www.viser.net/~anthwind/
Tom

Chipped Board

Question

Have a very light Roberts Custom Board that has some places on the bottom of the rail where the carbon is exposed. This came about from sitting the board on the beach sideways, with rig attached, the paint wore away where the board and beach joined, some areas are rough. Was told better not sand it smooth as it just may be so thin that you could sand right threw the epoxy.  Does not appear to be leaking due to the lip_suction test.  Could you spare a few minutes and advice a novice how to fix such an item.

Answer

It is a good idea to keep the watertight skin in good condition. I might suggest that all you may need for the damage is some 2 part hi-build urethane primer paint. This primer paint can be purchased at auto or marine paint suppliers. It is best to apply it with a spray gun but it can be applied by hand with a small roller. The area must first be lightly scratch sanded for the paint to adhere. The hi build primer can be built up and is very easy to sand down smooth thus protecting your boards carbon skin. Finish this up with a touch up of gloss white from a gloss white spray bomb(Krylon my favorite). If the skin is quite chipped and very rough you may require some fine polyester putty before applying the hi-build primer.

Fixing a cracked board.

Question

A week ago, I bought a used epoxy windsurfing board, '98 Mistral Screamer 278. It looked to be in a good condition. After sailing it for about an hour I discovered a void under the rear rubber pad and a crack between the pad and the rail. The void is about 5 inches in diameter and about 0.5 inch deep.  I can simply push the pad with my finger and this void produced the crack at the side, where it soaked water. The crack is about 3-4 inches long.

What would be the best solution: a/ injecting water proof PU foam? What kind, brand - something like 8 lb. Density Pour Foam Kit from   http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Product_Catalog/Pour_Foam/pour_foam.html

Is there a PU foam as a spray (smaller amount) on the market I could use?
b/ using epoxy resin with filling
c/ combine these two methods - inject small amount of epoxy resin, creating top and bottom layers inside the void, let it harden and then fill it with the foam.
d/ How many holes to drill? I think, for the resin, one would be enough, I am not sure with the PU foam.

Answer

If the board is in really good condition and warrants a good repair that will extend the life of the board. I personally like to cut away the delaminated skin because you have no guarantee that the expanding foams will adhere to the skin or deform the board. Epoxy injections are spotty, heavy and may not offer a complete cure. There will always be some pros and cons about how far to take a repair but they are based on value of the board to you. So most important is to take the time to assess your options before starting any repair. The following epoxy repair can be done on any delamination of a Styrofoam core board.

My steps after removing the pad are as follows.

1. Probe the soft areas, tap the skin listen for hollows then mark out the area that is void of adhered foam.
2. Use a router to remove the area to a depth of ½" or with a carbide tip Arborite knife (hand tool) score thru and remove the fiberglass skin. The Styrofoam  below can easily be routed out with simple nail set in a stick just under ½" deep. Check that the fiberglass skin around the area is dry and bonded to the foam.
3. With a piece of paper laid over the routed area and the edges stroked with a crayon will give you a template for even the oddest shape of hole. A sharp utility knife and 40 grit sandpaper fit a small scrap of sheet  ½" Divinycell or hi-density Clark ½" sheet foam into the routed area. Cut a few layers of 4 oz. fiberglass cloth to fit under the Divinycell.
4. With epoxy resin lightened with powdered microspheres wet out the cavity, fiberglass cloth and bottom of the Divinycell.
5. Fit the wet thickened epoxy, glass and hi-density foam back into the cavity. Cover with a thin sheet of poly and use pads, weights and or straps to snug down the repair materials. There should be a slight excess of epoxy to fill any small voids. Allow this to set up and dry for as much as 24 hrs.
6. The foam when cured should be slightly higher than the deck area. Use tools such as a Stanley Sureform and or 40 grit sandpaper to sand the deck contours back into the hi-density foam.
7. Cut a number of fiberglass patches and laminate with epoxy completely over the entire repair area.
8. With the area cured sand and fair the area with thickened epoxy.
9. Repeat sanding and fairing.
10. Paint to match with a spray bomb(Krylon).

Repairing Damage to F2 Board

I would appreciate any advice on how to repair these damaged areas..i.e. epoxy and paint type?

It is tough to really actually see the all the damage in the pictures, but here are the instructions.
1.) Check the amount of damage to the whole structural(stuff like delaminations, buckles, stress cracks etc.)
2.)Check and mark all the secondary damage(this from the pictures is what you seem to have, localized damage by rough handling of the board.)
3.) Rough sand all the areas to be repaired, this will allow the epoxy to mechanically bond to your boards rougher surface.
4.) Sand some of the obvious bumps down to the original surface levels. If you have to sand through the boards cloth layers at these spots you will have to use fiberglass cloth for repair. This will repair the integrity of the area and the waterproof skin of the board.
5.) Any obvious low areas, holes in the board or dents should be filled with an easy sanding mixture of powdered fairing compounds(micro balloons or microspheres) and epoxy. Allow this to cure and sand surface close to
the correct levels.
6.)If these areas require fiberglass cloth patches, cut cloth and wet out with epoxy resin. Use the epoxy sparingly. A trick to keep the cloth down is to cover with plastic film(poly) stretched over the area and secure with weights or tape. Allow this to cure.
7.)Sand the area true again. Mix up and apply another easy sanding fairing coat of epoxy. This feathers the edges of the fiberglass and fills pinholes in the cloth. Allow to cure.
8.)Sand the area true again. The surfaces should be quite true but another sanding coat will help with any imperfections, pinholes and remaining scratches. Thickened epoxy or fine polyester auto body filler putty
like(Bondo)or glaze may be used. Allow to cure.
9.)Sand with progressively finer sandpaper until satisfied.
10.)Paint with a colored fast dry enamel or epoxy based paint usually in a spray can.(Krylon my choice by brand)

Repairing a Footstrap

Question

I have a 1998 Bailey that one of the front footstrap plugs pulled out of the deck.  How do I repair this including re -anchoring the plug and restoring the outside layers?

Answer

The answer to your question also will cover adding additional footstrap plugs to the board.

1. Purchase your replacement or new footstrap inserts. Since these plug can be of various shapes it may be necessary to make a template for the use of a plunge router. If you can purchase round 1" deep plugs (Chinook) or simple UHMW or Delron 3/4" diameter plastic rod cut in 1" lengths. Holes for these round plugs can be cut with a small inexpensive hole saw bit in an electric drill.
2. Cut the hole in the boards skin. (as above)
3. Fit the plug and check the depth of the hole as compared to plug. The plug should be just below flush with the boards skin.
4. Masking tape around the hole so that the epoxy resin will not spoil the deck area around the insert.
5. Mix in proper amounts epoxy resin and hardener. Avoid using large amounts of resin that will create heat enough to melt the Styrofoam. An insert that fits well will help. Also add powdered fillers such as microspheres or microballoons to thicken the resin.
6. Put the thickened resin in cavity and coat the surface of the rough sanded insert. A small square of fiberglass cloth can be put into the cavity just before you push in the epoxy coated insert. Excess epoxy should escape from the cavity onto the masking tape protected deck. This is messy.   Rubber gloves will help.
7. Ensure that the insert will stay flush with the deck by using a piece of plastic film such as a bread bag or poly sheeting along with a weight. The epoxy will not stick to the plastic film. Allow the epoxy to set at least 8 hours.
8. With a sharp utility knife cut the epoxy around the insert hole and remove the protective masking tape. With a rasp or heavy 40 grit sandpaper score the insert and surrounding epoxy deck around the new insert.
9. Again tape the deck around the insert this time leaving an small area for new fiberglass cloth to adhere to the roughened deck skin just around the new insert.
10. Cut several 4 oz fiberglass cloth squares to cover this area.
11. Mix a small amount of resin to wet out this fiberglass cloth. Excess resin can be squeezed out by again using plastic film and a squeegee. A piece of soft foam with a weight will hold this film in place until the resin and cloth have cured.
12. Again cut away the tape and any fiberglass cloth stuck to the masking tape.
13. Drill the proper hole for your footstrap screws. A countersink bit will bevel back any cloth that can be delaminated by the screws threads.
14. White paint can be sprayed over the epoxy or just the footstrap can be screwed into the board.