How to Fiberglass a Longboard

When looking to add serious durability to longboards and paradoxically, some added flexibility, many deck builders and amateurs alike have taken to adding fiberglass, or simply "glassing," their deck projects. A glassed deck will have been built either using alternating layers of plywood and fiberglass or otherwise modified after its construction by applying layers of fiberglass cloth to the deck's exterior. If you own a standard, non-glassed longboard deck and wish to glass it, taking it to a skate shop isn't necessarily the only way to get the job done.

Things You'll Need

  • Scissors (high-quality or else newly sharpened)
  • Box-cutter (with new, break-away blades)
  • Fresh rags or paper towels
  • Standard rubber gloves
  • Small automotive squeegees, at least 2
  • Clear 2 mil Polyethylene sheeting, 200-by-8-foot
  • 2 yards of 4 oz. Fiberglass cloth
  • Epoxy resin and hardener
  • Vinegar
  • Paint stirrers
  • 12 oz. paper cups
  • Old cardboard
  • Fine grit sandpaper
  • Compressed air (optional)
  • Butcher paper
  • Marker
  • Respirator
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Instructions

    • 1

      Spread plastic sheeting over your workspace and cut it to fit, or set old cardboard over the ground or garage floor and place the plastic over it. Tape the corners of the plastic so it doesn't move or bunch. Cut a 2-foot piece along the length of the plastic sheeting and set it aside.

    • 2

      Set your board on the butcher paper and trace its edges until you have a full template. Cut out the template with the scissors and put it aside.

    • 3

      Unroll the fiberglass cloth carefully. Pull it gently back into shape if you happen to knock it out of alignment. Position the fiberglass cloth on top of the template and trace another, larger template about 1 inch out from your original template edges. Cut the fiberglass cloth along your tracing line with the scissors. Set the fiberglass cutout on the plastic.

    • 4

      Clean the side of the longboard's deck that you intend to glass. Wash it with water, sand it lightly if you like, or blast it with compressed air to remove specks of dust and grime. Tape off the rail to protect it from the epoxy.

    • 5

      Put on your safety gear and mix 2 ounces of epoxy in a plastic cup per the manufacturer's instructions. Pour the epoxy onto the side of the deck you want to laminate. Squeegee the epoxy to the edges and scrape excess into the cup. Wipe spills with your rag or towel.

    • 6

      Mix between 6 and 8 ounces more epoxy in the plastic cup. Spread it evenly over the fiberglass cutout with a clean squeegee, since moving quickly will create bubbles in the resin. Wipe the squeegee on a rag and set it aside, once the fiberglass cloth is fully saturated.

    • 7

      Position the longboard deck onto the saturated fiberglass, being careful to center it. Remove your gloves but keep the respirator on, since the epoxy resin isn't healthy to inhale. Cut the plastic sheeting away from where it's taped to the table with either scissors or a box cutter.

    • 8

      Gather the plastic's edges above the longboard and lift with one hand, supporting the bottom of the deck and fiberglass with the other. Run your free hand gently over the fiberglass and deck to help the bonding process. Grab the board by its ends and turn it over onto the table once more.

    • 9

      Smooth the plastic sheeting out from under the board and fold one side of it over the board and fiberglass. Scrape up and down gently through the plastic to bond the fiberglass to the deck. Scrape from the center out to the edges in order to remove air bubbles from beneath the fiberglass.

    • 10

      Cure the board in open air until the epoxy has hardened and the fiberglass is fully bonded to the board. Cut the excess fiberglass from around the edge with a box cutter and gently scrape any excess resin from the sides. Sand the edges smooth. Repeat this process for the other side.