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Need Board Repair Suggestion
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techno900



Joined: 28 Mar 2001
Posts: 4161

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:24 am    Post subject: Need Board Repair Suggestion Reply with quote

During a break yesterday after sailing my Starboard iSonic 111, 2008 model, I noticed a small line of water running across the bottom width of my board (board was on its side in direct sunlight).

What I found was a 3/4" long, hairline crack in the finish, almost imperceptible. Water was slowing seeping out of the crack and running down the board (a dozen drops or so?). I also found a second smaller crack about a foot away, but only a couple of drops on the surface.

There is NO damage to the bottom of the board. No dings, scraped, dents, etc. The cracks must be stress related. Also, no bubbling of the skin, of appearance of any delamination. I had to put tape next to the cracks for fear that I could not find them again because they are so fine.

My issue is, what do I have? Just a little water under the skin? a crack that goes through to the foam (hard to believe), and what type of repair is needed?

A thin coat of epoxy over the cracks?
Try to cut and peel off the skin around the crack and fill in with epoxy?
Cut out the damaged part down to the foam and fill in?

Suggestions would be appreciated.
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Boardhead1



Joined: 01 Mar 2011
Posts: 58
Location: St Petersburg Fl

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 10:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Techno900
What is the location of cracks? I would close the vent plug lay the board out in the sun to get it warm then take some windex or any soapy water a put a little bit on the crack and see if the crack creates bubbles. This will tell you if the board is venting thru the two crack. If the board is cracked thru the layers of fiberglass/wood/core material it should make some bubbles. I would also shine a light across the bottom of the board or get a different angle of light across the bottom and check to see if it's buckled. IF it's indeed venting thru the crack then it's time for a repair.
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techno900



Joined: 28 Mar 2001
Posts: 4161

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Boardhead 1,

Thanks, I should have thought of that. The cracks are about 1/3 of the way back from the nose. Neither are perpendicular or parallel with the line of the board (nose to tail)

When the board was seeping water in the heat, there were no bubbles. However, after giving it a chance to dry, I will do the bubble test. I have done this before when an uphaul rope knot got pinched between the mast and the deck of my formula board. The hole went through and bubbled.
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spennie



Joined: 13 Oct 1995
Posts: 975
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 11:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If water was coming out of the crack, you already know it's through to the core. Get it fixed!
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bred2shred



Joined: 02 May 2000
Posts: 989
Location: Jersey Shore

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 11:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have an older Starboard wave board (over 10 years old now). The whole bottom of the board developed hairline cracks in the paint. I don't recall ever seeing any water dripping out of the cracks though.

Anyway, if you definitely have water coming out of the cracks, then you have a problem. I would grind out the crack and verify the integrity of the laminate below. You won't know anything for sure until you remove some of the paint and confirm that the glass isn't cracked.

Smearing a little epoxy in the crack is never a good long-term solution as un-reinforced epoxy will eventually fail. Grind it out, and if it's just an issue with the paint, then re-paint it. If there's an underlying structural issue, then glass it and re-paint.

sm
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 12:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was looking at a board at a swap meet, and gave the lightly damaged nose a big sucky kiss. The wide-eyed owner asked what the hell I was doing. "Checking for a leak". I got foul-tasting water and air, and walked away; the board was toast.
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techno900



Joined: 28 Mar 2001
Posts: 4161

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I put the board in the sun, let it heat and put soapy water on the cracks. NO bubbles or a hint of a leak, even when sitting on the board for added pressure.

The crack just appears to be in the skin.
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

techno900,

What you need to do is remove the vent plug and attach a small low pressure pump. Then you need to test the cracks with a bubble producing solution, like the kind that children use to blow bubbles. If you find bubbles being created, then you'll know for sure that the cracks penetrate into foam core. I agree with sm regarding a proper repair strategy. You always need to reveal what is going on and how deep is goes.
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thombiz



Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 799
Location: Corpus Christi

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry SW, but hooking up a pump of any kind is a bad idea. It will surely cause weak areas to do a full delam. It is very difficult to control pressure to keep it from happening.
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Suction is OK, but not adding air into the board. Suction does little to locate or verify hairline cracks, so just don't.
Sun is best.
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