I’m curious how many glass shops and manufacturers (real ones) are using acrylics coats to seal their sand only finishes versus leaving them sanded. My experience has been that sand only finishes that are handled a lot in shop from walk in customers, are prone to get hand marks that result in the boards looking grimy as time goes on.
This doesn’t seem to happen with the boards that are sealed with an acrylic, than scotch brited with green or white scour pads.
I’d really appreciate industry guys chiming in and giving me your feedback.
Ace, thanks for the clarification. I didn’t read you write.
I’ve used up to 3 light coats of ‘super sealer’ or Smart & Final floor acrylic which both looked smelled and acted the same… did lots of boards this way and afte wards they felt slippery smooth and not prone to grime. Just wondering what others have experienced and what the norm is…
I was not saying to gloss and polish boards. I have my boards finished with a acrylic finish that works really well. When I was involved with the retail end of it more, shaping room in retail store, instant feedback, those boards required way less maintenance to stay “fresh”=SALES
Well, what I’m talking about doesn’t really have anything to do with mirror finish, gloss & polished boards versus sand only finished high performance boards.
I’m just trying to get a gauge from established manufacturers whether they apply arcylic sealers of any type then super soft pad them using some type of ScotchB brite, or some other type of scrubber like Kokua has mentioned in the past as well as other guys.
I’m asking because I thought this had become a pretty standard practice. Hawk does C.I.'s, mine, and other labels and they are sanded out to 320 and that’s it. I’ve got one account saying they get dirty from being handled. I know that when we first started doing sand only finished boards this was also a problem. Clean hands, no problem, but lots of people picking up and checking out sanded boards after hitting the Italian Restaurant or local greasy spoon down the street might pose a problem?
Yeah, there’s this miracle stuff called Windex or 409, but whether the boards every get that kind of attention is a crap shoot. Maybe sanded to 320 then Lemon Pledge is enough? I kind of doubt it.
I’m hoping a few of the industry guys will weigh in… Atomizer, Speedneedle, Kokua, Surfding, Jimmie the Genius, Thrailkill, Putnam, and lots of others. That’s why it’s a poll. Do Rusty and Lost, Becker, T&C, Liddle, Haut, Andreini, Patterson get dirty after a few days in shops?
Shiny Sells. I have worked the retail and manufacturing ends. Most shops that I have seen hire people that have no idea about surfboard care. If you want your boards to have a good shop showing put some type of finish that repels the smudges. If not your boards will look like used boards in a few days. I have used “Magic eraser” with some success. Good old lemon fresh Pledge gets em clean and puts a little shine in the retail stores. DO NOT LEAVE IT UP TO THE STORE. None of this applies to the 6’ and under “High performance” crowd. To them shiny sucks.
So let me put it this way… have you noticed sanded finish boards show that they have been handled by oily or dirty hands, and if so, are shops cleaning them with Windex or something else to try to keep them looking attractive?
Anyone with retail shop experience is welcome to comment on this as well… I remember when I was working retail years back that guys started wrapping boards wide points with cling wrap because of the ‘soiling problem’.
You’re right. sand only boards do get dirty really fast. Especially in the retail shop. I use a really basic floor acrylic wiped on , then take soft-pad with either a grey or red scotchbrite and give the board a quik go-over. Makes them super soft. Sometimes I’ll put multiple coats and then use some Meguiers and a buff pad to look semi-polished.
Unfortunately once the board is out of your hands what can you do?? 2 of the glass shops that I have worked at in the past used acrylic floor sealer that could be bought at the Home Depot. Spray it on let it dry and gently sand with white scotch brite. I have also hand sanded with the scotch brite up and down the board as opposed to machine sanding to get away from swirl marks. Looks nice but a pain in the ass. One of the shops had a high volume of Lost boards coming through and they all got the acrylic treatment. Wheather or not this keeps dirty fingers from showing up on the fresh sticks probably depends on if joes transmission shop is next door with a bunch of fanatic surf punk mechanics!
Yeah, I know they don’t seal them, Hawk glasses them next to mine. Maybe my east coast rep is just obsessing. I told him that having my high performance sanded finishes sitting next to full blown colored mirror finish Christenson & McCallums kinda makes for an unlevel playing field… that is unless you are looking for what my boards offer versus the others’ look & ride. I suggested letting us do some tints, resin pins, full gloss & polishes, etc… we can make 'red Ferrari’s too… but I guess that’s not gonna happen. Nuthin like being sterotypded.
This is only one account and everyone else has never had an issue. I guess there’s always a whiner in the group.
Screw it… "CAPTAIN CHAMBERS… FULL STEAM AHEAD, MAN THE TORPEDOS, LET’S SINK THAT BITCH!’ ;0
Bruce; My boards (hpsb) come out of the same shop that surfding works out of. They all are sanded/scotchbrited but not acrylic sprayed by the shop. I do that myself as they are competing with CI, Lost, etc. in the shops I have them in HB. I am doing all the specialty boards, fish, eggs, etc., with a gloss because the competition does and that is where the shops put them in the display racks, not with my hpsb's. I think that might be the issue back east with your vendor. Hawks glosses are nice & light so I would suggest that you have them done on all east coast orders. Try a couple & see if they sell quick! Your newest stuff stands out anyway, which is why they are being handled so much, so I would look at that as a positive! Just my 2c,
Aloha Glass wipes on acrylic. Gott Glass on Maui and most of the glass shops in the Islands wipe on acrylic then Scotchbrite with an orbital sander or by hand. The problem with any kind of matte or satin finish on a sanded board is the quality of the sanding, Poor sanding will cause swirl marks to jump out at you with a wipe on finish. Any kind of shiny finish highlights poor sanding. Sanded unfinished boards grime up quickly. If Hawk won't do it for you I would consider doing them myself if I were you. At least for your East Coast guy. I'm glassing my own now and they will all get wiped or gloss as may be required.
the glass shop i worked at had two sanded finishes - a matte spray finish and a true sanded finish
for the true sanded finish, the boards got some extra prep done with the hotcoating and the final step was to hit the board with a scotch brite and polish. the polish in combo with the scotch brite gives a slick satin finish and keeps the grime off. wont cover up exposed weave like an acrylic sealer will so it has to be prepped and sanded with care.
for most of my personal boards i usually just sand it to 320 and hit with a red scotch brite. gives nice matte finish. board doesnt have to be sanded perfectly but still looks good. a wet/dry 320/400 finish will keep dirt on it, the scotch brite finish can get dirty but not as easily and cleans up easier too.
I apply speed finish with an air gun due to weight save; I mean, if the board will have that finish, I only hot coat and then sand the hot coat, no more resin coats added, so the board is unsealed until the s finish is applied; so very light board, sealed and with another coat (this time the finish) with UV protection. UV protection on the foam, the resin and in the finish.
-the speed finish that I use have a better elongation (it s made for plastics) and do not peel off or go off the board as most.
Also, few years later when I compare one of these and other with sanded glosses, etc, the boards are whiter.