How to laminate a surfboard

The laminations of a surfboard consist in applying a layer of fiberglass cloth on the foam, and by impregnating the fiberglass with resin. This operation will give strength and rigidity to your surfboard. Use nitrile gloves to protect your hands.

The first step is to place on the foam the fiberglass cloth, and cut it to fit the surfboard outline, leaving the fiberglass a 5cm wider than the board. It´s important to use quality scissors to make a clean cut. Start with the bottom of the board, with one layer, and finish with the deck, with two layers.

We are now going to prepare the resin. If using Silmar resin, prepare in a pot a mixture of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide catalyst (MEKP). Use between 1% and 3% of catalyst, 3% if you work at 18 degrees, 1% if you work at 25 degrees. Try to measure with precision the amount of catalyst, you can use for this a graduated dispenser.

If you use a polyester UV resin, you will have to work in a place totally isolated from sun light, and expose your surfboard to the sun once the job is finished.

Extend the resin among your surfboard using a rubber squeegee, until you see that the fiberglass get clear, but without any excess of resin. Let the resin impregnate the rails, and when the whole fiberglass cloth is fully impregnated, use your squeegee to stick the fiberglass around the rail.

If you use Silmar resin, the time required for the resin to harden is between 10 and 30 minutes, depending of the outside temperature and % of catalyst used to make the mixture. If you use UV resin, the harden time is between 1 and 5 minutes, depending if the weather is cloudy or sunny.

Since it´s a very sensible operation, we have made for you a video to show the whole process, step by step. Hit “Like” on YouTube, and shares this tutorial on social networks with the share buttons below, to share on Facebook, twitter and google +, it would be of great help!