I was flipping through my instagram the other day when I saw an interesting post by Martin Shapes (Terry Martin’s son I believe). I learn a lot of little tricks and tips by following professional shapers/craftsmen. He usually seems to glass his boards using epoxy. I’ve only ever used epoxy (even on PU blanks) and will probably continue to just because I’m a hobbiest - not really concerned with the added cost. Seems a little less toxic (I can do it inside my house). Anyhow - one of the difficulties (for me) with epoxy is flip time. It’s especially challenging when it comes to getting decent cutlaps - I have to babysit the board for 1-4 hours depending on temperature to make sure I cut it at the perfect time. In Martin’s video, it looks like he allows the lap to fully cure, then grinds it down along the tape until just before he hits the tape line. He then bends up at the tape, and cuts through the thin full cure lap with a razor. I imagine this also eliminates the need for him to grind the laps down after cutlapping as well since they’re already very thin at the tape line. Does anyone have any experience with this method? I like the idea of laminating one side after work, coming back the next day and sanding/cutlapping in the morning, and then continueing on. Grinding down laps is always challenging (usually hit foam) and this method might eliminate that. I’d love to hear feedback if anyone else has tried this method. Video below:
Bonus question - anyone ever use the resin research accelerator (x55) for laminating in colder weather? I’ve used it for resin panels, but I’d be nervous to use it with quick kick when laminating ~60 degrees. Curious if anyone’s tried. Thanks!
I use epoxy resin and I do cut laps the same way. I do it mostly when I lap around the rail and don’t want to flip the board over when the resin is still soft enough to mess up. This method is great for dark laminations that cover up a tape line.
I have doubled up my tape along the cutline and laminated as many as three layers at once using this method. A contrasting tape becomes visible before you actually sand through the laminate. I’ve also found that the epoxy softens up a bit when the sanding process creates heat - this makes it easier to fold the lap up along the cutline.
You also don’t have to feather your lap edges like you might if doing razor cuts.
I’ve used the accelerator in cold weather. I have not used it with Quick Kick. It does speed things up. Make sure you understand the formula. Greg Loehr has recommended up to 3% of additive to the total amount of mixed epoxy. He has plenty of experience.
I discovered that method (by accident) on my last board. I wanted a cut lap (due to a veneer inlay on the top deck) but i also vacuum bag my laminations so like John Mellor mentions above, i used two layers of tape under the cutlap. How mine was different was that on the top layer of tape i used a vinyl(?) or plastic tape that the stucco industry in construction uses. the epoxy doesn’t stick to it & because it is red in color it starts to show through quicker as your sanding.
i build epoxy surfboards en parts since 1990 with this grind cut laps methode. i learn it at my airplane model club at that time from an old air plane builder that learn it when he work at building comp composits boat for race. So you can go it’s way to go… Double or triple layer of masking tape with different color of tape, and use the best quality for layer against part, i use indasa (yellow) or 3m (kind of green/yellow) for first then generic bleu over, double it for carbon. For speed resin i use an oven up to 45/50 °C.
From the boards that ive done both poly and epoxy.
Epoxy will never look as good as polyester. So always keep that in mind with your expectations. Different issues like silvering, bleed out under tape lines, doesnt polish up as nice etc, hard to do dark colours. Basically things you have no control over even if you do a perfect job.
When I have to do an epoxy tint, I will paint on a clear layer of resin to seal the tape lines, this prevents the resin bleeding out. Also make the resin a touch opaque as this will cover the clear resin. I just use one piece of tape and grind completely down to it, need abit of practice but it leaves less of an edge than when you double up the tape lines. Oh and yeah let the resin dry over night.
Whoa - that looks great! I’ll give this method a try - really appreciate the feedback. Do you baste the laps at all post cure prior to sanding/cutting? I only ask because it looks like there’s some extra resin in Martin’s video right at the lap line.
I have read previously of this method. This thread though really has me thinking that I may in the near future try this method. I like the idea of using Red Plaster’s tape as the second tape on a double tape.
That’s a zipper cut. You wait until the lap is nearly cured…like 80-90% then you bend it up at tape line and get a 90 degree angle, then slide the blade right at the bend. I am not sure that Josh’s lap is fully cured. It seems a tad pliable. But maybe not. Anyway…yeah, much easier to do wiht poly since it cures much fast but with the quick kixk epoxies, they can come close to poly cure times if you get the epoxy really warm prior to mixing in the hardener.
The zipper cut is tricky at first. Cut too soon and it;s mess and you never get a clean trim. Wait to long and then you will ahve truble bending it up…but I guess that is where the grinding of it can come in handy.
