Looking to venture into tints/painting and can’t seem to find answers as I don’t know enough to begin.
Looking to to do a color job on just my rails. I want it to turn out opaque and glossy so I don’t think that tinting resin is it? I really want it to resemble the beautiful gel coats on boat hulls, but am not sure how to achieve.
So, can I lay the fiberglass cloth and use a gelcoat as the laminating epoxy?
Or do you paint the gel coat on after the first lamination and then hot coat and gloss after that?
Or is there a way to achieve a glossy opaque epoxy and laminate with that?
Just not sure the sequence or compatibility and don’t want to foul up the board. Thanks for any input.
I don’t know boats, but when you say gel coat it makes me think of resin in a mold - where the gel coat is the first coat, but its also the finish coat that shows. Surfboards are a completely different process. Tints are transparent, pigments are opaque. Just starting off, I would suggest you mask off and paint or use pigmented resin to get your color on the rails before glassing, then clear resin and glass over everything. Tell a little more about your background and show us some pics would help. Lotsa people here more knowledgable than me, so take what I say with a grain of salt.
“As I don’t know enough to begin”. Is your problema. It is hard to find any scenario wherein Gel-Cote would be used on a surfboard. I recommend you search the archives to find something more practical. Surfboards are not boats. Stick your head in the archives and don’t come up for air.
Pigments is what I’m looking for then Huck. Problem is all the opaque glass jobs I’ve seen seem to be flat/dull which I’m trying to avoid.
Here is a picture from inspiration I found on Tilly’s surfboards. See how glossy the rails look - gel coat like? That’s what I’m going for. Would painting then fiberglass achieve that y’all think? If so that would be super simply.
Ive never dealt with colors as I have only made wooden boards and typically don’t want to cover it. This is the board I’m making for my wife. Purple Heart with rainbow poplar and paulownia.
The board is beautiful! Yours, and the pic you chose (is that a wake board?). To me that looks like acrylic paint with clear glass over. I might tell better if I could see it in person. But if you don’t have experience working with colored resin, then I would stick with paint, and just glass with clear. Probably have to primer first with white, then color. Spray or brush, but don’t go heavy.
I agree with McDing, scour the archives. A lot of ground to cover if you’re just starting from ground zero.
I’m just a backyarder, not a pro like McDing and some others here. I’ll dig thru and try to find some painted wood boards I have done, with clear epoxy resin / glass over, to demonstrate. Sorry if the pics are low quality it seems thats all I have anymore. The finish on my boards is nowhere near the showroom gloss shown in your Tillys pic.
Also I should add: seems a shame to cover any of that beautiful wood up! Plus, you’re adding another factor that theoretically can go wrong, if you get my drift. I would really suggest against it. Maybe just go for some colored resin pin lines at the most. How much actual glassing expeience do you have? Or do you have someone who is glassing this for you?
Thanks again huck. Did you paint those boards? Look really nice man - wish I could paint. Really liked the curl.
I think thats a surfboard with the glass leash loop and all. I’m starting to see more guys experimenting with those tails. Freeing up the back end more maybe like those finless boards…?
i think I’ll try experimenting with your idea of paint then glass and see how it turns out. Your right about tinting and I’ve never done it. I’m not a pro by any stretch - just enjoy making boards for my wife and I. This one is hers to a matching set. Attached is my board that hers mirrors. I have glassed 3 boards and although comfortable with it do still frequent errors, but only one way to learn
As Huck said, paint and gloss with a polish. You can polish with #2 Fiberglass Polish or a similar Maguire Auto Polish. You can tape off everything except the area you want to paint. Scuff it with a 3M pad. Prime and paint with a spray can and the pull tape and paper. Use some sort of clear coat that is comparable with the paint. Polish if necessary. Some form of what I have described should work. Beautiful board. Nice work.
Appreciate all the input/help and board compliments. Much appreciated
Going to head to the marina and pick up some petit ezpoxy paint. Instructions mention painting on fiberglass so I might glass and then paint afterwards. I’ll run a few test on scrap wood.
