GUIDE: QUICK BOARD REPAIR ON THE RUN
No one likes board dings and this time of the year, holiday season, is the worst for it. And they can happen in a number of ways whether they’re your fault or not. Like letting your niece hold your new board and she walks it through the doorway horizontally. Or that guy that suddenly ditched his board out in front of you on a 2-foot day. Or airlines. Airlines!
Let’s just preface this by saying that this ‘Quick Guide’ is a bandaid solution to get you through a trip, it’s not a comphrensive fix. So unless you have arms reach access to a ding repairer at all times, we suggest you have this kit of essential items on hand to get you through in the meantime.
HAYDEN RECOMMENDS THE BELOW ITEMS:
- Solarez Epoxy Resin kit with (coarse) grit sanding pad .
- Victorinox Swiss Army Knife. (The original and the best).
- Fine 180 grit sand paper sample (from a hardware store)
- A small patch of FiberGlass cloth. (from a shapers supply biz)
- Allow around 1-2 hours for the process.
WHAT TO DO…
Dry Your Board Out: To be patched correctly and discourage foam yellowing, dry out that ding – ASAP. Sure, some (myself-included) go as far as to suck out moisture or saltwater in a ding, but you could also just expose the ding to sunlight for a little while and that will evaporate it. Or, leave it in a shady, dry place and any moisture in the ding will dry out.
Clean it Up: As in, remove all dirt, wax, and grime from the surface of the ding and around it. To be safe, clean an extra few inches farther than you think you’ll need to be working with to accommodate for any unforeseen changes. To clean your board, first get a wax comb and scrape away all wax or sticker residue.
Prepare/Cut Repair Area: You’ll need to clean up the edges surrounding the ding, so best method, is to cut away the damaged epoxy glass bending into the foam. Do this using the Swiss Army Knife tool to bend it back and or remove glass shard entirely.
Apply Solarez Epoxy: First, do this out of direct sunlight in a shaded, not too bright place. Whether it’s a rail, deck, bottom or tail chip/ding, etc. squeeze a small amount of the Solarez directly onto the ding. Prop the board up so that the ding is somewhat level (to discourage any dripping), and you’ll see the Solarez settling within the ding. Always use a tad more than not enough bc you can just sand the rest away. Use a clear piece of plastic tape (that comes with the kit) to place over the ding (to keep the Solarez nice and level). Then bring that baby out into direct sunlight. Yes, even partial sunlight actually works. But probably not on a rainy day.
Prepare Fiberglass Cloth: Depending on the size of the ding, cut out a piece rectangular in size that will sufficiantly cover the full area of the repair.
Cure & Sand: Once further application of resin has been applied to the fiber glass cloth, leave it out to dry/cure for around 5-8 minutes outside until hardened. Sand and smooth surface with course sand paper pad.
Clean it up… You’re temporary repair is complete: Wipe off the mess with a rag or paper towel. Run your hand over the area and check for any bumps your might have missed. All good? Then you’re done.
Remember… This ‘on the run’ bandaid repair isn’t designed to be everlasting, but it will get you through a trip and keep you in the water through the holidays. It is recommended that for FutureFlex repairs, a process adding a carbon strip to the damaged area is applied for further strength and durability. We’ll leave that for the next repair post…
Got any questions? Drop us a line… info@haydenshapes.com.
