How do surfboard shapers get that fast glossy finish to their fibreglass?

Question

Do they add a final coat of something i dont know about or do they buff it? No matter how fine a sandpaper i use my repairs never come out as smooth as the original glass

Answer 1

Some shapers leave their boards with a matt finish, this comes from leaving the final sanding and not polishing. However, polishing helps protect your board from the sun, and gives it a tougher 'shell'. Don't believe people who tell you a matt finish is 'faster' than gloss - they're just too lazy to polish their boards :)

To get the glossy finish just follow these steps:

1 - Ensure it's sanded (wet or dry) using the finest grade abrasive you have (tip - a fine grade on a sponge block prevents getting grooves sanded into the board).

2 - Next, use cutting compound and a buffing wheel (or soft cloth if you're doing this manually, but I'd advise using a drill pad attachment) and polish it up. You need to generate a fair amount of friction here so that the heat melts the top few microns of the surface - but not so much that the board de-laminates. You need a fine layer of compound, too much and it will be too wet, too little and it won't polish. Make sure there are no gritty bits on your cloth/buffer as these can scratch the surface.

3 - Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe away any compound and check the finish. If there are still matt areas, keep polishing.

4 - Finally, you can apply a finishing compound. This often contains a UV protector which helps delay yellowing from the sun. Apply this lightly, leave it for a few minutes then polish smooth.

Answer 2

You can't polish things with sand paper. You need buffing compound. I think that the "hot coat" also helps set up the shine. I would actually recommend against a high gloss board as it will make any future ding repairs stand out more.

Answer 3

Hey I found a page that might help you out .... they even have great pictures to show you how they do it. YAY for surfers!! Go get *the eddie* woooo hooooooo