BayAreaKiteboarding.com

So, every now and then, I make my own custom surfboard just for the fun of it. I've gotten pretty decent in hand shaping and hand glassing my boards either from fiberglass type boards or the new epoxy blanks that are out there.

The final glossing of the board is the last skill that I need to learn. The boards come out okay, but a bit dull. I tried using a wet sander, and then a buffer using rubbing compound and car wax, but still can't get it to shine like glass.

Any tips from experienced glassers out there? I'm thinking about creating a surfboard to be used for kiting.

I found sanded finishes are fast and light!! They are not as durable nor water tight as glossed boards but I think they "feel" better...
Using EPS core, water intrusion through pin holes does not seem to be an issue..
Have fun, Greg

The hardest part of making your own boards is the final finish unfortunately! The only thing I found to work was you have to work up to using very fine sandpaper on the board to bring out the gloss. Wet sanding helps too. I tried water based top coats with marginal success.

Good luck,

Mayhem