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How to Repair Color Tint on a Fiberglass Surfboard

Fiberglass surfboards are ideal for surfing because of their buoyancy. They are a hot commodity among surfers who hold their boards as serious tools of the craft. Par for the course are the many dings, bruises and scrapes surfboards endure. Professional board repairs are similar to those of fiberglass boat hulls -- both requiring technicians with fiberglass knowledge. Costs can be prohibitive, and technicians do not always consider inconsistencies of a board's color tint in sunlight when working indoors. With keen attention to detail, you can perform minor repairs to your surfboard, blending the colors to a professional look.

Things You'll Need

  • Craft knife, such as an X-Acto
  • Lint-free cloth
  • Plastic spreader
  • Gel-coat paste
  • Tint
  • Fiberglass epoxy hardener liquid
  • Styrene
  • Mixing sticks
  • 150 grit wet sandpaper
  • 220 grit wet sandpaper
  • 400 grit wet sandpaper
  • 600 grit wet sandpaper
  • Plastic film
  • Painter's tape
  • Water supply
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find the spot of the scratch or scratches. Use a sharp knife to both sides of the scratch, cutting it open to a 45-degree angle. This will widen the scratch, providing clean-cut edges in the interior, allowing for a better bond with the filler paste.

    • 2

      Apply styrene -- a type of resin -- to a cloth. Wipe the scratch with your cloth, slightly wetting the surface around the scratch. The gel-coat surface around the scratch will become tacky -- sticky to the touch. This indicates the reactivation of the old gel-coat, necessary in blending the color tint.

    • 3

      Open the gel-coat paste. Add the color tint to the gel-coat according to specifications of the tint-to-gel-coat ratio. Pay close attention to use the correct ratio proportions; this affects your color tint outcome.

    • 4

      Mix approximately four drops of the fiberglass epoxy hardening liquid into the gel-coat paste. Stir the mixture to a paste with the thickness of pancake batter. The paste will not begin to harden for about 30 minutes. It hardens in just under two hours.

    • 5

      Apply the paste to the scratch with the plastic spreader. Fill the scratch to capacity, scraping away the excess.

    • 6

      Seal the repaired surface area with plastic film. Tape a piece of film over the gel-coat and let it cure for 24 hours.

    • 7

      Remove the film, exposing the hardened gel-coat. Wrap 150 grit sandpaper on a wooden block measuring 5.5 inches by 1 inch by 2 inches. Sand the patched area only, flush to the surface area of the board, using small strokes.

    • 8

      Replace the sandpaper around the wrapping block with 220 grit wet sandpaper. Apply a steady trickle of water to the repaired surface. Using the flat surface of the block, sand the gel-coat with a circular motion.

    • 9

      Repeat Steps 7 and 8 with 400 grit and 600 grit sandpaper consecutively.

    • 10

      Wipe down the surface area. Apply a dab of rubbing compound to the repaired surface area. Rub the compound in with a dry cloth. Give the area a glassy shine by rubbing the compound in a circular motion. Apply a fresh coat of wax to your board, and prepare to surf.


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