Top sheet replacement

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Gumbo
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Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:16 am

Top sheet replacement

Post by Gumbo »

The top sheet of my snowboard started peeling off. From the way it was peeling it didnt seem to have a good adesion, so since I didn't much care for it, I tried to remove it and it came off completely with VERY little effort.
It doesnt appear to have been epoxied to the fiberglass top layer at all, it must have had some kind of hot glue layer or something which did not stick properly to the fiberglass.

The fiberglass top layer is perfectly fine and intact and upon close inspection i can see some fine "hair" which seems to confirm no epoxy was used to stick the topsheet on.
I attach some pictures of the current status (the debris that can be seen on the third picture are from the rag it was layed on and which I didn't blow off before taking those pics, they are not imperfections of the layer).

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I don't care replacing the top sheet, actually I'd prefer the wood core to show through.
I have been thinking to just spread some epoxy on top of the board, to both impregnate the fiberglass and add some protection.
As a wood worker I have done this many many times when building counter tops out of wood slabs, but have never worked on a snowboard before.
Since the epoxy is "self levelling" I am aware it will not be possible to build an even, thick layer, due to the scoop of the board tail and tip, so I am wondering if just spreading some epoxy with a roller on the top will be enough to impregnate the surface, and maybe I can finish it later with some transparent polyurthane two part paint or maybe a second coat of epoxy to even out the visible surface a little better.

As an alternative I might purchase a transparent top sheet to epoxy onto the board, but I am not sure what the result would be without some kind of mold/press/vacuum system, as I don't want to build any of this just for the topsheet.

Comments on the proposed solutions or possible alternatives would be greatly appreciated !!
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chrismp
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Location: Vienna, Austria

Re: Top sheet replacement

Post by chrismp »

May I ask what brand and model that board is?

I would suggest doing a thin skim coat of epoxy as a sort of transparent filler and then finishing with some 2k polyurethane.
Gumbo
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Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:16 am

Re: Top sheet replacement

Post by Gumbo »

Yes, that's what I was planning. Actually I already did the epoxy part of the job.
The hairy stuff has made small lumps as I was spreading the epoxy, so I will have to sand the top nice and smooth before applying the polyurethane finish.

It's basically a non descript brand (Crans) which the owner of a rental gave me when I was cooperating with him since I'm an instructor.
Although basically unbranded I love the board shape and lightness and the fact that it is a wide board as my boots are 28.5.
It's a full wood core including tip and tail, which I prefer over rubber.
May I ask why you're asking :) ?
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chrismp
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Location: Vienna, Austria

Re: Top sheet replacement

Post by chrismp »

Capita builds snowboards by applying the topsheet after the board is fully pressed and cured...I was wondering if this was one of their boards. Still might be, as they produce OEM boards too.

If this has been built the traditional way, then the culprit is probably that they used too little epoxy.
TimW
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2020 11:56 am

Re: Top sheet replacement

Post by TimW »

Considering how hairy it is, too little epoxy seems plausible. If the topsheet came off without force, you'd expect a smooth surface if enough epoxy was used.

I recently had a titanal sheet come off (should have respected storage time and condition). That left a perfectly smooth finish 👌.
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chrismp
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Location: Vienna, Austria

Re: Top sheet replacement

Post by chrismp »

I think the hairs are probably remains of a fleece-backed topsheet - however the fleece should have only improved bonding if enough epoxy had been used.
24Dave
Posts: 124
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 2:14 pm

Re: Top sheet replacement

Post by 24Dave »

weird. I'd carefully hand sand the top until the fleece is gone. Floating an epoxy layer over that fuzz will not come out well. however, if you have the time floating one layer of epoxy over the fuzz will give you a safe layer to sand smooth to prep for a second layer of epoxy. You don't want to sand through the existing fiberglass.

When doing a finish coat of epoxy you wan the board to be warmer than the room, like 90-95 degrees, and the resin and the room to be a little cooler than the board. The idea is when the board cools, even with the resin heating up, this will reduce the amount of tiny little air bubbles that will come up from the board form it's not perfectly smooth surface.

I'd use SB-112 surfboard epoxy bc it is super clear, UV stabilized and wont go brown.
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