I’m doing a Iongboad with color and I want the deck and the bottom to be the same color,l a deck and tail patch, and have the darker rails from the cutlap. What’s the process for this?
On previous boards, I’ve done color on the bottom with a tail patch, so I know how to do cutlaps, and I know that doubling up on the cloth will trap more color. What I could use advise on is the following:
How do you glass the deck and acheive the same color as the bottom, given that the deck has two layers of cloth?
When in the process do you do the deck patch?
Can you use pigment for something like this or does it have to be tint?
I mix base pigment extra saturated with pigment. Add that to the amount I use to glass the bottom to get it where I want it. Be sure to strain and keep track of how much base you add…when I do the deck I half the amount of base pigment overall. It comes out damn close and you can never see the top and bottom at the same time anyway…
Example:
bottom lam = 25 oz total
add 3 oz of mixed pigment and resin
3/25=.12 (percentage of pigment to base resin)
deck = 35 oz
35oz x .06 (half the percentage of bottom resin)=2.1 oz of pigmented resin
This approach was taught to me by a pro glasser and said it was taught to him by the guys before…
Two layers on the deck, but only one layer is tinted. Pour off enough resin in a pot to laminate top, bottom and all the tail patches, deck patches etc. Do not pour off resin for the second layer on the deck. With the number of patches you are looking at doing, probably 3–4 quarts depending on length and width of the board. Tint that resin and test patch it to be sure you are satisfied with the color. I use Duratech Colorants and can do anything from a light tint to an opaque with the same colorants. It all depends on how much colorant I add to my resin. Start by adding a little and then a little more. The old trick is to put a little on news print to see how much of the print is obscured. From your tinted pot, pour off enough to lam the bottom. You can do the tail patch at the same time or later after the lam has set. Do the deck likewise and then do the final clear layer on the deck after the deck has set. Stir your resin each time you are ready to pour and lam a side. Amount of MEK is up to you, but on light tints I shoot 10–15cc per quart or 1 1/2 qt… Dark tints more. PS with the complicated cuts of the deck patches you plan on doing I would definitely do them one at a time after each lam on the deck and bottom. Clear goes on last.
If you decided to lam in multiple stages you should at least lam the patch and one layer of glass at the same time with color. You can then just free lap the clear glass if it’s not volan. Colorkast will go opaque if you use a ton of it but be transparent if you use a smaller amount.
If this is your first color lam and you are kicking it slower I would Think about a pigmented fill/cheater coat. Color can drain from the resin especially on the rails and not look the way you want it to. A cheater/filler coat would be put on after the lam is starting to gel up. Use about half what it took to lam and a little less pigment. Kick it hot like 2.5% and squeegee it on, make sure to get it all cleaned up nice and don’t leave drips on the underside of the lap
That is basically it. If it is your first time for something like this; It’s just easier to do one piece at a time. The lam resin under the patches will be sticky, so don’t get the idea that you can slide dry cloth around. You might do two at once if you are careful.
Thanks for the responses everyone. I’ve only ever done color on the bottom with a cutlap, and then clear lams on the deck. Wanted to try to start mixing things up. One final complicating question:
My wife hates the smell from polyester resin jobs. Any thoughts on how much more complicated this would be if I tried it with epoxy?
Glassing with epoxy is a subject in itself, and there are countless threads on the subject in the archives, just use the search function.
Its not necessarily difficult, but it has its own learning curve. If you’re willing to be patient and recognize it takes several boards to really get a handle on it, do your research, ask questions with pics along the way, you’ll do fine. Or you can just jump into it, screw it up, then ask “How do I fix this??”, lol. Up to you.
Haha, that was our conversation at home last Thursday - Saturday (once the smell had finally subsided).
Let us know if you have success with tinting the epoxy as well as poly. Where I live (West Aus), very few Epoxy longboards, so I’m very interested to see how you go with colour work if you head down the epoxy line.
I estamate The amount of resin (epoxy or PE) I need for top and bottom. I mix enough for both top and bottom, divide into two batches, store the batch for the deck in a covered container… Glass the bottom and when that is done, glass the deck with the resin I stored. The color will match for both top and bottom since it came from the same mix. Sometimes I do this for an entire quiver to make each board the same color espcially for a custom color request.
