How to Fix a Skimboard With Epoxy

Skimming over shallow tides with an undamaged skimboard might be enjoyable, but it can lead to run-ins with a few rocky shores. This can result in cracks and crevices to the skin of the board. Since smooth boards skim best, damage to a board ---- no matter how slight ---- needs to be repaired as soon as possible. Fortunately, repairing a skimboard is fairly simple. Resin serves as a filler material to solidly pack the small holes and cracks, then you sand the board smooth, making it ready for more action the next day.

Things You'll Need

  • Newspapers
  • Nylon brush
  • Utility knife
  • 140-grit sandpaper
  • Sanding block
  • Tack cloth
  • Masking tape
  • Resin
  • Small putty knife
  • 100-grit sandpaper
  • 400-grit wet/dry sandpaper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set the skim board onto a pile of newspapers to dry it out for 24 hours. Check the papers for dryness to ensure that the board has dried out entirely.

    • 2

      Clear the damaged area of any sand or debris with a nylon brush. Cut away any loosely hanging bits of skim board in the damaged area with a utility knife.

    • 3

      Sand down any jagged surfaces in the damaged with a piece of 140-grit sandpaper. Get the area as smooth as possible so that the epoxy can fill in the damage completely. Wipe the surface clean of sanding residue with a piece of tack cloth.

    • 4

      Mask off the damaged area with strips of masking tape along its perimeter. The masking tape will prevent the spread of resin over undamaged skim board areas. Place the tape about an inch from the edges of the damage to allow room for feathering the resin to the undamaged surface.

    • 5

      Mix the two components of resin using the manufacturer's mixing ratios and a mixing stick in a cup or bucket large enough to contain enough resin to fill the damage area. Use a resin type that matches the material making up the board either polyester or epoxy. Check with the skim board manufacturer for board material if you don't know what they used to create your particular board. Stir the resin thoroughly to start the catalyst process. Add paste pigment to the mix to color the resin to match your board.

    • 6

      Fill the damaged area with the resin using a small putty knife. Tightly pack in the resin, filling to a slight overflow to give you room to work with the material after drying. Allow the resin to cure for the number of hours recommended by the resin creator.

    • 7

      Sand the resin on the board to follow the shape of the board with a sanding block containing a sheet of 100-grit sandpaper. Switch to 140-grit after shaping to smooth the patch. Switch a final time to a water-saturated piece of 400-grit wet/dry sandpaper to smooth the patch level with the board itself and to polish the patch to a soft sheen.