Cloth Inlay

Video

Summary

This is another great video for coating a surfboard with fiberglass. However, this one includes a cloth inlay which gives an artistic print that can be seen through the epoxy.

To define the edges of the inlay, the board is taped with a narrow tape that can be easily bent to follow the desired outline. The creator places this tape with a long section pulled off the tape real. This allows him to easily guide the tape as he pushes it down along the desired contour.

With the inlay outline marked, the outer edges are then covered with tape. Rows of tape are applied to extend off the edge of the board so that the epoxy will drip off the tape and not flow onto the bottom surface, which is the top of the surfboard.

As a note, when taping, it's not impossible for epoxy to get under the tape. It needs to be pressed tightly. If you have several rows of tape, its best to apply the layers so that the lowest layers are taped first. This way the upper layers are on top of the lower layers. When this is done, the epoxy could only get under by seeping up under the upper layer of tape. This is generally not going to happen, even if the tape is less firmly pressed. In this case, I would suggest taping the outer edge with the overhanging edge of tape, then work your way toward the inlay edge. This makes it very unlikely that the epoxy will get anywhere it shouldn't.

The creator holds the inlay in place prior to applying epoxy by poking straight pins through the cloth and into the surfboard's foam core. This is an excellent technique. It's so easy to tug and twist the fabric unintentionally.

The cloth for the inlay is folded back so resin can be placed below the fabric. This is necessary because the resin will not flow through the fabric. If you only squeegee the resin across the top of the fabric, it might tack in a few places, but it will not be fully adhered to the board.

When applying the resin on top of the cloth, the creator is pushing the resin down the length and working outwards with subsequent passes. This allows the air to escape from under the cloth as he is doing this. Once the cloth is covered, the remaining resin is then poured onto the board and squeegeed across the board.

At the end of applying the resin, the creator is very careful to make sure make sure the fabric is smooth and aligned. Minor adjustments can be made, but one really needs to be careful to avoid wrinkles as they will leave a glaring imperfection.

At the end, the edge of the inlay is trimmed. Doing this before the resin is fully set allows this cut to be done with ease. If you wait too long, it will require significantly more force to cut through the cured resin. The color of the tape is important so that you can see the edge to cut. If it's hard to see the tape below the fabric, one can use a marker to mark the edge. The creator poked a few pins through the nose to help him see that edge as he cut.

When cutting, if you cut the tape, it's very hard to get that tape out. If you cut in from the tape, you will be peeling the glued cloth from the foam, which can mar that smooth surface.

Once the edge is cut, the tape can be peeled. This should be done slow so you don't pull any uncut threads. If any threads did not get cut, they can be cut as you are pulling the tape. There will be fiberglass and a hot coat above the inlay, so the edge of the fabric will be secured. You just don't want to pull a thread that would cause a run in the pattern. If this occurs, it will leave an imperfection that can only be cured by starting with a new surfboard blank. Careful work will produce a much better result!