04
Feb
If you have damage and the foam is exposed take some good clear photos and post them here. Use only tints or epoxy pigments.
PU as a construction refers to a surfboard built from a Polyurethane blank with Polyester resin whilst PE refers to a Polyurethane Blank with Epoxy resin.
How to tell epoxy from polyester surfboard. How do you tell epoxy from regular boards Well to start with look at the manufacturers logos the stickers under the glass work most reputable board builders will put the word epoxy on. As a general rule if your board has a stringer the wooden bit down the middle of the board then its PU ie a normal fibreglass board and if it hasnt then its an epoxy board. There are exceptions to this rule but probably not for the board that a beginner would be riding.
As a general rule if your board has a stringer the wooden bit down the middle of the board then its PU ie a normal fibreglass board and if it hasnt then its an epoxy board. There are exceptions to this rule but probably not for the board that a beginner would be riding. Now over to epoxy.
The disadvantage is that epoxy resin will yellow out a bit quicker than polyester resin. Although polyester resin also gets really yellow. Epoxy is just like a little off-white or not as clear as polyester resin when the board is new.
Polyester and epoxy are the types of resin used. Polyester resin will eat polystyrene foam. Converesely epoxy resin wont damage polyurethane foam.
If you have damage and the foam is exposed take some good clear photos and post them here. Most here can tell the type of foam by seeing a photo. Epoxy can be used on either foam however if the construction is from polyester resin and you patch with epoxy it wont hold as well as the polyester resin but epoxy resin wont melt the polyurethane foam.
Polyurethane boards might have epoxy resin however its unlikely since polystyrene is much lighter so unless there is something about a heavier polyurethane foam blank that you want. Even today there are very few epoxy boats. Polyester is about the same some say easier others harder to work with then epoxy.
I find they both are about the same requiring similar rules precautions and procedures for good results. Yes epoxy is stronger then both types of poly. In you boats situation it doesnt matter how much stronger epoxy is.
Epoxy surfboards came into the picture a bit later and it wasnt until the 90s that they really caught on. Typically epoxy boards are made from EPS foam and are coated in epoxy resin. EPS foam is produced by feeding tiny polystyrene spears into a machine and then adding steam with small amounts of pentane gas to expand the beads and then mold them together.
There is a way to tell but I cant remember it off the top of my head. Just remember that poly only sticks to poly and epoxy sticks to everything. Rough up what youve got making sure youre back past the gel coat and go for gold.
Epoxy boards are a combination of expanded polystyrene foam also referred to as EPS fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin typically resulting in a lighter and more durable surfboard. Unlike the wooden stringer that is always used in a poly board epoxys may or may not use a wooden stringer. Epoxy surfboards made from EPS foam are some of the most innovative surfboards out there.
They are glassed with epoxy resin making them extremely tough and durable. The hallmark of epoxy surfboards is that they are incredibly light and tough. They dont flex as much as fiberglass boards but an epoxy surfboard will be much more durable.
Add the pigment to the Resin part A at the recommended rate usually 2-10. Do not use Polyester Pigments in Epoxy. Use only tints or epoxy pigments.
Now its time to measure. Blend precisely two parts Resin including the pigment or tint but excluding Additive F to one part hardener part B by volume. These new blanks are laminated with epoxy resins.
Epoxy emits 50-75 fewer VOCs volatile organic compounds than polyester resin. Also epoxy is lighter than polyester. Under most circumstances resin makes up a large part of a completed boards overall weight.
Not only is epoxy resin lighter than polyester but less is needed per coat. Epoxy resin stands up to impact force much better than polyester. Epoxy boards sustain less pressure dings and other issues like tail rotation.
Epoxy surfboards have polystyrene foams and coated with an epoxy resin. It became popular in 2005 since there was a massive shortage of fiberglass for board making. Beginners prefer to use epoxy surfboards since these boards are lighter and easier to handle.
Additionally these boards also float better compared to fiberglass boards. Epoxy surfboards have a polystyrene foam core and are then coated with an epoxy resin. It is the epoxy resin which gives this type of surfboard its name.
Epoxy surfboards kicked off in the 1990s but really gained in popularity after the closure of the Clark Foam factory in 2005 which was a huge supplier of the polyurethane blanks for the fiberglass board. Epoxy surfboards pros and cons when compared to a fiberglass surfboard. Just like with poly boards epoxy has its own set of drawbacks.
The open-cell beads can present a problem if the board is cracked because it has extra space between beads allowing water to get in. To prevent this from happening if you damage your surfboard simply get out of the water and apply a little Solarez ding kit to seal the problem. PU as a construction refers to a surfboard built from a Polyurethane blank with Polyester resin whilst PE refers to a Polyurethane Blank with Epoxy resin.
These have long been the standard for most brands and is the most widely and affordable options still out there. The next strongest is Isophthalic a Polyester brand name ISO 10x which is more than 30 tougher and flexes more than Orthophthalic another type of polyester brand names Silmar Xtreme Surfboard Resin Dion etc resin the weakest of the three. To make cheap surfboards many manufacturers still use Orthophthalic resins.
Failing that if you can see the foam through the glass and it looks like beer cooler foam you will need to use epoxy to repair it. If the ding is open or you need to open it up more to properly repair it you could always take out a small sliver of foam and put a drop of mixed polyester resin onto it. If it melts use epoxy.
Watch more How to Choose a Surfboard videos. The strength of epoxy surfboards is admirable. These things are true water-warriors the EPS construction matched with fiberglass and epoxy resin creating a far more durable surfboard than traditional poly boards.
The durability makes it so that your epoxy surfboard. Is resistant to dings and waterlog. Watch more How to Choose a Surfboard videos.
They can either use. The Surfset Epoxy kit is a 21 part ratio 2 part resin part A to 1 part hardener part b. First step is to make sure you have everything ready as you will have only 15min before the resin will start its chemical reaction to make the resin hard using the measuring tubes work out how much resin you need and remember that you only half the amount of hardener to resin.