Disaster!

[scuba steve]

Just shaped my first surfboard and prepared a glaaing area in my shed for the next step, laminating the bottom of my board.
The glassing itself went OK with a few bubbles left on the board.
But then, the disaster struck, I forgot to hoover and clean out all the bugs in the shed son the fumes kiled them and they were all attracted to the new big white thing where they got stuck and died!
Now I literally have 100 spiders, woodlice and weird paracite things on the board as it is still drying off.
I tried to pick them off but they just keep coming!
Maybe I should let it dry and try and sand them off?

I dont know what Im gonna do!

Its like a huge bug killer trap thing. Looks kinda funny.

[jethrodog]

Maybe you can market it as a new trendy pest control.
i would imagine that you could sand it down after it has dried with a light weight paper and then re-finish it.
I'm sure Tomcat360 or Kitesurfer could tell you.

Did you get pictures?

[scuba steve]

I figured as I was flyin along that I'd wate to the end to get photos but now Ive done this Im regretting it
I could take some comedy pics with it full of bugs

[essex sucks]

go for it

[miamisurfer]

Do an extra four ounce layer so they get stuck in there. So when you get air or do a re entry everyone will see the spiders. That would be cool. Or just sell it to a surfer who loves bugs.

[jethrodog]

Do an extra four ounce layer so they get stuck in there. So when you get air or do a re entry everyone will see the spiders. That would be cool. Or just sell it to a surfer who loves bugs.

that would be cool. Wonder if it would work.

[tomcat360]

That'd be cool, but what happens when the bugs start to decompose?

At least you don't have to worry about a bug problem in your shed now!

[jethrodog]

Would they create little airpockets or would they be sealed forever like in amber?
I would guess like amber. that would be sweet!

[scuba steve]

That'd be cool, but what happens when the bugs start to decompose?

At least you don't have to worry about a bug problem in your shed now!

See thats the thing, Im wondering if I can glass the deck today or will it get covered in bugs as well?
I might do a clear out and hoover everything and then hope for the best.

And as or the idea about glassing over them, I was seriously thinking about it because they are really evenly spread over the board, I think they woul just decompose though.

[kitesurfer]

I tried not to laugh when i read this post steve, but i just couldn't stop myself. I've had my share of disastours to but this one is particulary funny.
However here's some bug tips for you.
1.Definatley get the hoover and out and chase the critters around. It'll make you feel better if nothing else.
2.We've installed one of those uv bug catching lights that attacts them all plus the shaping shack gets throughly cleaned after i've shaped each board before glassing so that no dust or stuff falls on the board. Put up a tarapaulin over the glassing/shaping area so that it's easy to clean.
3. I think your best bet for getting riid of the bugs on your board is either to pick them out one by one very carefully or very carefully try to hoover them off making sure the end of your hoover is spotless before you start.
4. Don't try to sand them off cause they'll just get pushed into and get stuck in the weave of the glass and there they will be stuck forever.

Regards

KS

[xswind]

I feel for you fella.

As KS has said, seen this many times before and it is not funny after spending so many careful hours hand crafting a thing of beauty.

Why not mix up some orange pigment into the hot coat, then hot coat the critters in permanently and sand and polish to look like amber.

Opps almost forgot the most impartant part, do not forget the Jurasic Park logo just to finish it off.

At least there are no Pubes in the laminate. LoL

[scuba steve]

Fair enough, its pretty damn funny.
Im really tempted to leave them or do something with them but Ive already picked the largest and coolest looking ones out, it really shows a wide span of the insect life of my shed.
Its a bit of a bitch though when I put so much effort into shaping the damn thing for it to get covered in bugs.

Oh yeah, and does it take longer for resin to dry in low temperature or in moist air because the board's taking ages to dry out.

Oh, and Ill take some pics by the end of today and you can see what Ive done, whether good or bad.

[xswind]

does it take longer for resin to dry in low temperature or in moist air because the board's taking ages to dry out.

What resin are you using Poly or Epoxy? i am going to assume that you are using Poly.

Go-Off time is defo temp related, in the summer you are looking at 10 -15 mins tops and in the winter it can take a lot longer.

Are you sure the resin has not gone off?, remember without additives the resin will always be sticky as polyester resin does not fully cure in air.

I think that your expierences clearly show one thing though, if the fumes can kill every bit of insect life in your shed, think what it does to your lungs?

I hope you used a decent fume mask?

[xswind]

Sh1t, KS how many posts(882), do you ever do any work?

[libby]

Couldnt you glass over them and make a feature of them??

[scuba steve]

Yeah Libby, thats what people have been saying, I might do it. But Im worried they would decompose and look crap.

And XSWind, what do you mean gone off? and its Poly. Are you saying it doesnt dry fully in air. This is my first time so Im learning everythingas I'm going along.
This is the first real problem I've met.

[kitesurfer]

Steve if it's any consolation my worst forpar in a simillar but not surfboard related scenario was with this van!



After getting some resto work done on it being the cheap skate that i am and of course from adesire to do it myself i decided to paint the van my self.
Decided to do it by hand with a paint roller. Fine great idea. First coat went on really well no probs. Let it go off a bit and decided to put the second coat on.
Unfortunatley due to the extra stickyness of the first coat and maybe an inferior roller all the hairs in the roller decided to part company with the roller and ended up all over the nice shiney blue exterior of my van! And i mean all over. The paint was even shiney but my van needed a shave.

Needless to say i have never lived it down as i'm sure xs will point out once he reads this post, but to this day the van is owned by someone else but it's still hairy!!!!

Hope this makes you feel better.

[sal]

I doubt they will decompose, as once they're glassed in there won't be any air around them.


Though I could be wrong!

[xswind]

Yeah Libby, thats what people have been saying, I might do it. But Im worried they would decompose and look crap.

And XSWind, what do you mean gone off? and its Poly. Are you saying it doesnt dry fully in air. This is my first time so Im learning everythingas I'm going along.
This is the first real problem I've met.

Steve

Poly does not fully cure in air and will remain sticky to the touch. This is not a problem and is exactly what it expected.

I am guessing your next step is to apply a sanding coat to each side, this is the same resin/hardner mixture but with an addative called "wax in styrene" added to the resin mixture.

when applied over the sticky laminate the wax in the solution rises to the surface and seals the resin from the air allowing it to cure to a dry finish and thus becomes sandable.

Oh and KS's van, hand paint job, oh what fond memories of many hours of taking the p155 with that little gaff.

[scuba steve]

Oh right, cheers XSWind, I really didnt know that, there was me waitin for it to go hard.
I have to do the other side of my board first with laminate before hot coating.
Oh and cool van story KS, made me feel not quite as stupid!