Sealing a ding with a silicone gun?

[Marty]

So I didn´t attatch me leash properly. Rookie error. I didn´t double over the cord and it bit the two corners off the tail. The holes are both about the volume of a grain of rice or two. I ordered a solarez kit as my ding repair man fund is running low this month. So I was thinking I´d fill the holes with a silicone gun while I am waiting so I can get a few sessions in while the waves are here for once in the med! If it seals the bathroom it can seal the board? I´m not majorly worried about about the look or the performance as I´m only learning and I intend to beast this board until the fins fall off.
Or is this a stupid idea resulting in my stick disolving. Such tiny holes.... Sorry I don´t have any pics as I left my phone in my bag with a wetsuit on the way home on the same day.

[jaffa1949]

If you have the solar rez already use that, if your board is epoxy based the silicon may be a risk if a standard PU not so much. Either way you are going to have to make the holes bigger when you dig out the silicon. Grain of rice size perfect for solar rez!

[Marty]

Cheers Jaffa. So when the solarez get´s here I need to dig out the holes a bit bigger so that it´s pure resin on resin when I fill it with solarez is that right

[oldmansurfer]

I think if it doesn't melt the foam you are doing well but you do need to remove the silicone as I am sure it will create a defect in the patch if any remains. I would shove wax into it then dig/cut out that part (wax is probably just as bad) but you know they shoud make a board repair substance that can be used like a silicone sealant gun thing resulting in an instant durable repair. It's possible. Don't think silicone would be the thing to use since it is fairly unreactive and not likely to bond well with the resin. Oh wait they do have it Solarez is just like that but tube of glue type of thing instead. Oh well. I guess it's good to have some on hand so you don't need to resort to other things.

[jaffa1949]

No Was talking about if you put silicon in as you will have to remove every trace of it to ensure a good bond with the solar rez . Usually a little sanding and cleaning of a small hole is all that is necessary , overfill [i]slightly/i] sand back with wet and dry paper, fine 800 or finer as a finish, do it wet
Do not pit wax in doesn't really seal and if any is left it makes the bond fail

[Marty]

Yeah the solarez would be my first choice but I´m in Spain and the post is a pain in the ass. You normally need to turn up at the post office with ID to collect anything bigger than a letter and they send t back if you´re not there pronto. I´m heading to the states for 3 weeks in 13 days so the chances of me aquiring it before I go are slim and they won´t keep it till I get back. I should have said originally that I ordering rather than I ordered. So that´s only a few sessions the silicone has to last for. I lashed a bit in and it looks and feels water tight. I smoothed it over a bit around as best as I could and it seems watertight enough. Am I right in thinking that the area turns yellow if it´s letting water in and then I´m screwed?

[oldmansurfer]

My board had a little ding and it had water in it before I found it. I let it sit for a long time with the damaged portion at the lowest point on the board. The EPS foam did not discolor so I guess it was relatively recent. If the foam had discolored other than letting the water drain out I would also remove that foam and the fiberglass over it. I removed a layer of foam and fiberglass because I was at the beach and the surf was up when I noticed it so I plugged it with wax. If you have styrofoam or polyurethane foam then it doesn't absorb as much water so it's less critical to find and repair dings but still they will waterlog. I think most dings and related problems can be dealt with in some manner but it may make the board heavier and weaker so not necessarily screwed. I knew a guy who broke his board in two and he liked it better after repairing it. So you have what you have and unless you want a board that looks new it won't matter too much as long as you fix it properly.

[waikikikichan]

There must be some boat supply or home center where you can by a small can of UV resin. If it's a small chip, you can just fill with resin. Another way is to buy 2-part plumbers putty. ( buy the type that is one stick but one color inside and another color outside ) That is basically the same as a Ding stick or Quik-fix. That will work better than silicone sealant.

[Marty]

Cheers lads I´ll head up the hardware store tommorrow and see what they have for me. Happy new beer!

[waikikikichan]

How deep is the crack ? Can you see the foam blank ?
If you find UV resin , trying doing the repair outside in the sun but have a friend hold some card board to block the light. He can quickly move it away rather than you try to move the board into the light. Remember to rough up the area a tiny bit

[Marty]

Yeah you can see the foam. It´s deep but small area. I filled both holes with the silicone gun. It kept the hole sealed for 2 or 3 sessions and then one of the plugs fell out today. Time to get the resin in and fill her holes

[waikikikichan]

Like the others said, check to make sure what the blank is made of. EPS or PU. Don't make the mistake like this customer did.

[Marty]

Oh crap!!!!

[jaffa1949]

Did you dissolve your board Marty?

[Marty]

haha no Jaffa it's alright There´s not gonna be any waves here this week now so I´ll be able to wait for the solarez. In the end I put in silicone to the holes and covered with a brush of superglue to try and seal it better. No melted foam or discolouration as of yet so think it got me through the last of the swell. If anyone is reading this and thinking to do this you probably should not. My dings were more like tunnels than gashes so the silicone stayed in for a few days. I think the foam in my board is the type that the bubbles don´t connect so it doesn´t take on water if that´s possible. The solarez travel kit seems good to me. Is there another one you guys would recommend to have around the house?

[oldmansurfer]

Is that closed cell eps or styrofoam? Closed cell eps is really nice but more expensive. I think a 2 part resin patch kit would be good to have on hand

[jaffa1949]

Did you you order the right solar Rez?
Put the the standard Rez on the EPS and dissolving will happen immediately.
You do need to know your foam!
2 Part resin if it is not epoxy will do the same.
If your board is a Popout or Asian based generic and has various layers of mat and stuff over a base core it is most likely EPS.