Surfing School - Glassing - Outer Cloth

There should only be one layer of outer cloth necessary on the top and bottom of the board. If a super light blank or a long board is being glassed, a layer of 4 once cloth on the deck may be necessary. If so, the cloth must be cut to fit after the bottom is glassed, and then resined on by carefully squeeging the resin into the top cloth and flat when placed over this bottom cloth.

Turn the blank over (bottom up) and place a fiberglass cloth over the surface extending about 3 inches from the length of the board at each end. Carefully cut the cloth along both sides until the free cloth hangs about 3" to 4" below the bottom of the board all the way around. Also cut a small notch in the cloth at the nose and tail section so the cloth can be overlapped at these points. The cloth should only reach to the middle of the tape area on the deck of the board when lapped.

When ready, tip the cloth edges up to the top of the board as shown in Figure 01, then mix the non-hardening resin in a slow curing batch (20 min.) and pour just less than half along the lapped cloth and one side on the blank. Quickly work the resin into the edge cloth until saturated, then flip it back over the edge and repeat the process on the other side. Pour the remaining resin down the middle stringer and begin squeeging the loose resin from the middle to one outer edge of the blank. Don't push down too hard on the squeegee, just light pressure.

01

Once the loose resin is worked over the edge, start at the middle of the board on the edge, and begin working each rail to the nose or tail while squeeging and removing loose resin. The cloth edge will attach over the deck tape. Work the cloth around one side of the nose and tail sections first, then overlapping when the other rail is squeegied. Make sure no resin buildups appear on the cloth.

When the resin has begin to set but is still not fully hard, turn the board over and carefully (very shallow) cut completely along the tape line with a razor. Make sure all cloth strands are cut before removing the tape as these can pull the cloth loose from the blank. Pull the tape and excess cloth off the blank and then turn it back over to the compete curing.