You might wonder why one would want to learn how to mend a dent. Even while repair professionals will always perform a better job of maintaining your surfboard, you don’t really need their assistance when it comes to fixing a little ding. By performing the repair yourself, you can save a significant amount of money and spare yourself the inconvenience of having to wait for the repair for several weeks.
Another technique to save cash is available. You can save money by purchasing a used surfboard from a surfboard shop with a few small dings and repairing it yourself rather than investing in a brand-new one.
How Can a Ding Be Fixed?
Here is a brief primer on repairing small dings for beginners:
- Compile the required materials.
You can purchase a whole ding repair kit or the following items separately:
- Safety goggles and a mask The sandpaper (80 or 100 grit, plus 220 grit) Masking tape, fiberglass cloth, a wax comb, a knife, and Q-Cell (if there are significant gaps or holes to fill) are all needed. Acetone, catalyst, sanding resin, and a paintbrush
- Remove the damaged and decaying region.
Wait for the board to dry if the dent is relatively new so you don’t have to remove much. Whether the ding occurred in the past, though, see if there are any decaying spots you also need to remove.
- Organize the space.
Here is where you will use the wax comb to get rid of any leftover wax. Other particles will also be eliminated using the acetone.
Use the sandpaper to smooth out the area once you’re certain it’s clean. Surfboard repair will be more successful now that the area has been cleaned and sanded since the resin mixture will adhere more readily.
- Apply masking tape to the surrounding surfaces to protect them.
This will assist keep the repair contained and reduce the amount of sanding required, in addition to safeguarding the surrounding regions.
- Use Q-Cell to fill in the holes or spaces.
Only if there are significant cavities or holes in the board is this step necessary. Q-Cell should be progressively incorporated into an ounce of sanding resin in a mixing cup. Ten catalyst drops should be added once the paste is thick. Apply after stirring one more to the damaged region. This will take the place of the foam.
The mixture should be poured slowly. If not, air bubbles will develop. To ensure that the mixture is in every crevice, use the stick you used to stir the mixture.
The liquid should be poured such that it slightly overhangs the area you are working on. Watch for it to set.
- Sand the surface.
Sand it until the hardened Q-Cell mixture is flat against the board. You’ll start sanding more lightly to make room for the resin layer as soon as you feel more comfortable fixing surfboards.
- Glass over the fix.
Cut two fiberglass pieces into circles. Make sure both are a little bit larger than the repair area and that one is a little bit bigger than the other. Combine 10 drops of catalyst and an ounce of sanding resin. Up until it starts to warm up/kick, stir thoroughly.
- Use the blend from step 7.
For this step, use the paintbrush. Add a small amount of the resin mixture after placing the smaller fiberglass sheet directly on the region. As the resin spreads, let it absorb into the fiberglass. For the larger fiberglass patch, follow the same procedures.
Make sure the resin is applied evenly and that the fiberglass sheets are firmly pressed throughout this phase.
- Re-sand the area.
Sand again with sandpaper after the resin has dried and solidified. Make sure the edges are smoothed down and that there are no bulges. However, it’s crucial to avoid oversanding or you run the risk of melting through the fiberglass.
- Include a warm coat.
Add a second coating of resin with an additional few drops of catalyst.
- Polish and sand the fix.
Sanding with water is the last step. Use high grit sandpaper (between 320 and 600 grit, for example) to wet sand the repaired area until the finish matches the rest of the board. Consider using a polisher and some diamond cut compound to achieve the desired shine for a gloss finish.
- Let it stand for between 24 and 48 hours.
You simply have to wait for it to heal at this point. After that, congratulate yourself on a job well done! You just saved weeks of waiting and some money!
Final thoughts
The most frequent issue that results in fish eyes and pinholes in epoxy seal coatings is substrate contamination. Epoxy resins won’t lay flat or cure with a completely smooth surface if they come into contact with dust, dirt, wax, silicones, or even the oil from your fingertips when you touch the part before sealing with epoxy.
