| Here's what its like when things go really bad... |
I had about a quart of resin that was slightly past its posted expiration date. Only a
few months. I'm was sure it was still good. Yeah, right. The stuff never went off. It
stayed gooey for days. I tried sitting it in the sun - no good. I tried painting some
more catalyst on top - not impressed. I even tried painting some catalyzed resin
over it - now it was a gumdrop with a hard shell. Plus the wood planks started to curl
when the board sat in the sun. It was obvious that the resin was never going to cure.
I actually had the Sawzall in my hand a couple times ready to cut the board into
pieces. I couldn't do it. So the deck had to come off. Well, this board was one that I
was experimenting with a domed deck so the deck boards were actually glued to the
frame and the interior glass installed to the deck instead of the bottom. If you have
any questions about the strength of this system look at what it took to remove the
deck! And after all the demolition the frame was still strong enough that I just
cleaned it up, sanded it level and put on new planks. Its not my best board but it is
a rider and people still stare. If you are in the San Clemente California area and
would like to see and/or ride this board it lives at our beach house near Poche
beach. I am usually there two weeks a month (gotta share it with the other owner)
so drop me an email and I'll let you know when it will be in the water there.
Oh, one other thing. In keeping with my tradition of naming all my boards corny
names, I call this one "The Phoenix" because it really rose from a wreck.
few months. I'm was sure it was still good. Yeah, right. The stuff never went off. It
stayed gooey for days. I tried sitting it in the sun - no good. I tried painting some
more catalyst on top - not impressed. I even tried painting some catalyzed resin
over it - now it was a gumdrop with a hard shell. Plus the wood planks started to curl
when the board sat in the sun. It was obvious that the resin was never going to cure.
I actually had the Sawzall in my hand a couple times ready to cut the board into
pieces. I couldn't do it. So the deck had to come off. Well, this board was one that I
was experimenting with a domed deck so the deck boards were actually glued to the
frame and the interior glass installed to the deck instead of the bottom. If you have
any questions about the strength of this system look at what it took to remove the
deck! And after all the demolition the frame was still strong enough that I just
cleaned it up, sanded it level and put on new planks. Its not my best board but it is
a rider and people still stare. If you are in the San Clemente California area and
would like to see and/or ride this board it lives at our beach house near Poche
beach. I am usually there two weeks a month (gotta share it with the other owner)
so drop me an email and I'll let you know when it will be in the water there.
Oh, one other thing. In keeping with my tradition of naming all my boards corny
names, I call this one "The Phoenix" because it really rose from a wreck.
This is the board as it was originally being built. Note the dome added to each rib. The top was glued on with epoxy
and once it cured it was glassed to the frame. The entire inside of each rib cavity was glassed making it a little on the
heavy side but able to hold my 220 lbs without a problem. What was a problem is that part of the resin I used to
glass the deck to the frame wouldn't cure. The result was a spongy feeling deck that I didn't trust to hold me.
and once it cured it was glassed to the frame. The entire inside of each rib cavity was glassed making it a little on the
heavy side but able to hold my 220 lbs without a problem. What was a problem is that part of the resin I used to
glass the deck to the frame wouldn't cure. The result was a spongy feeling deck that I didn't trust to hold me.
It killed me to tear the deck off because I really
liked the redwood and pine pattern. I had to
use a huge pair of channel lock pliers and a
Dremmel cut off tool to get the wood off. About
three quarters of the glass was good and
strong but the back section didn't cure. You
can see the size of the pieces I had to break
the deck into. Anybody that doubts the
strength of these boards should check these
pics carefully.
The hardest part was working against the rails.
I had to get a nice even edge so I could
re-plank the deck and have as small a gap as
possible.
Note the extra wood in the tail for the fin box.
liked the redwood and pine pattern. I had to
use a huge pair of channel lock pliers and a
Dremmel cut off tool to get the wood off. About
three quarters of the glass was good and
strong but the back section didn't cure. You
can see the size of the pieces I had to break
the deck into. Anybody that doubts the
strength of these boards should check these
pics carefully.
The hardest part was working against the rails.
I had to get a nice even edge so I could
re-plank the deck and have as small a gap as
possible.
Note the extra wood in the tail for the fin box.
This is how I used to glass the interior of the
boards before I learned it really was overkill.
Note that the glass cloth goes up both sides of
each rib and the spar and it completely covers
the bottom of each cavity. This holds a lot of
resin and resin is heavy.
This picture was taken just before I applied the
bad batch of resin. The resin was actually
mixed in two batches. I used up the old resin in
the first batch and it covered roughly the back
quarter of the board. It's what never set up.
The front part of the board got the nice fresh
resin that set up perfectly. No amount of sun,
heat, extra catalyst, begging, whatever would
make that resin in the rear set up.
boards before I learned it really was overkill.
Note that the glass cloth goes up both sides of
each rib and the spar and it completely covers
the bottom of each cavity. This holds a lot of
resin and resin is heavy.
This picture was taken just before I applied the
bad batch of resin. The resin was actually
mixed in two batches. I used up the old resin in
the first batch and it covered roughly the back
quarter of the board. It's what never set up.
The front part of the board got the nice fresh
resin that set up perfectly. No amount of sun,
heat, extra catalyst, begging, whatever would
make that resin in the rear set up.
Here is the Phoenix with the new deck. I really did like the first one better but this one
turned out OK. The reason for the chevron design is more than just for looks. This
board was made from 6 foot dog-eared redwood and cedar fence boards. Less then
two bucks each. Total cost for the top and bottom wood was about 30 bucks. Would
have been a really economical build if I hadn't had to redo so much.
Lessons learned:
1. Use nice fresh resin that isn't past the expiration date.
2. If it hasn't hardened in a couple days, its not going to.
3. Never give up. I almost cut this board up and it turned out to be a good rider.
I guess the bottom line is, if something goes wrong, don't get discouraged. Go ahead
and get mad and then get over it and fix the problem. No matter what bad thing you do
remember that somebody else has probably already done it (or something worse) too.
turned out OK. The reason for the chevron design is more than just for looks. This
board was made from 6 foot dog-eared redwood and cedar fence boards. Less then
two bucks each. Total cost for the top and bottom wood was about 30 bucks. Would
have been a really economical build if I hadn't had to redo so much.
Lessons learned:
1. Use nice fresh resin that isn't past the expiration date.
2. If it hasn't hardened in a couple days, its not going to.
3. Never give up. I almost cut this board up and it turned out to be a good rider.
I guess the bottom line is, if something goes wrong, don't get discouraged. Go ahead
and get mad and then get over it and fix the problem. No matter what bad thing you do
remember that somebody else has probably already done it (or something worse) too.
Here is a shot of the deck going back on one plank at
a time. The ribs no longer have a dome to them but
that's OK. This is the hardest way to plank a deck and
once you have done it this way you will know why we
build the entire deck sheet and put it on before the
rails. Getting a nice joint against the rail is very
difficult and time consuming. The only other
alternative in this case would have been to re do the
rails and that just wasn't going to happen.
Note the inside is clean so there are no "rattlers" once
its closed up. Also you can see the holes in each rib
that allow pressure equalization between all the
cavities.
a time. The ribs no longer have a dome to them but
that's OK. This is the hardest way to plank a deck and
once you have done it this way you will know why we
build the entire deck sheet and put it on before the
rails. Getting a nice joint against the rail is very
difficult and time consuming. The only other
alternative in this case would have been to re do the
rails and that just wasn't going to happen.
Note the inside is clean so there are no "rattlers" once
its closed up. Also you can see the holes in each rib
that allow pressure equalization between all the
cavities.
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