Epoxy?

[ToddL]

1) What's the most frequently recommended type/brand of epoxy for filling screw holes?

2) What's the most frequently recommended type/brand of epoxy for fixing old ski delamination issues?

3) What's the most frequently recommended type/brand of epoxy for fixing ski edge dings?

4) What's the most frequently recommended type/brand of epoxy for cutting off the end of a large ski to make a Jr ski?

[Chuck_Dickey]

JB Weld

[Wish]

JB weld

[jackski]

JB weld is great, I use it to change the porting in motors and it stays there for years.

 

For areas that need to flex more, I use MAS Epoxies. They make several different epoxies that are more flexible than JB.

[skibug]

Marine Tex

[ForrestGump]

MarineTex. They make several flavors. While I say flavors, I do not recommend tasting. I feel that I had to type that last sentence with this group.

 

They make a version that's similar to JB Weld, except it's a nuetral/white base instead of dark. They make a quick dry, they make one that will set under water, and they make one that is thin that will run in between carbon and glass matt strands. if the ski has been opened down through it's top cap, I'll drill out the edges and fill with the thin marinetex to just below the top cap and then finish it with the regular marinetex.

[Ham_Wallace]

I have used Marine-Tex for 45 years. It's great. But JB Weld is good too. For filling holes, take some steel wool and cut it up with scissors into small pieces. Mix these pieces in with the JB Weld. Poke into holes with tooth pics. It is like mini rebar in the filler. Make sure the holes are dry before filling.

[Wish]

Ham, THAT is a cool idea!! Will definatly try the steel wool nxt time I fill holes.

[Horton]

@ToddL

 

Epoxy is great for filling holes and such. If you really have a delam issue, you cannot fix it with epoxy.

 

You can glue a top sheet back down on the tip of a recreational ski.

 

For a high end ski, if it is coming apart, stop skiing on it immediately.

 

You cannot fix structural damage.

 

Cosmetic, yes. Structural, NO.

 

[eleeski]

JB weld is an excellent product that you can get everywhere. Ham's trick with JB weld will save an extremely damaged binding hole. While JB weld is good it does have drawbacks. It is quite heavy. It is also quite viscous - a heat gun is needed to get it to flow. I warm up almost all of my JB weld repairs.

 

For ding repairs, Superfil is great (get it at Aircraft Spruce if you can't find it locally). It is epoxy based so it sticks well and it won't eat foam parts. It is very light and easy to work with. The main drawback (asset?) is its long cure time. You must be patient to use Superfil because it takes overnight to kick off. It files and sands easily to a reasonably smooth finish (it is possible to do better than a wallboard texture - although I don't know why. Life is too short for fine sandpaper). It ends up being a superior repair to stick or putty epoxies (personally I hate Marine tex or JB stick but I use them when time is critical) - but it takes more effort. Repairing dings, building thickness to a ski, finishing an end of a cutoff ski or resculpting an edge (that may have been filed a bit too much) is a perfect application for Superfil.

 

For major laminations I use Applied Poleramic resin (they are in Benicia, CA - Google the address). When I switched to Applied Poleramic from SafetyPoxy (from Aircraft Spruce) my skis quit breaking. It was flat out better for me. I use a room temperture cure (overnight) resin that wets out cloth very well. It also penetrates deep into a crack to repair major damage (add some heat and the crack will drink resin!).

 

If you have a delaminated ski, Horton has a point - beware of the ski. But if you make a jig and can apply pressure and use a high quality laminating resin (like Applied Poleramic's) you can fix some major failures of the ski. I built a ski with a plywood rocker jig and sandbags to pressure the laminate. It worked reasonably well. I've cut the core down the middle of my ski and remolded the ski to change the rocker and had good service from the repaired ski. I normally slit the cores of my skis all the way through and let the resin fill in when I build a new ski. If you work hard enough, you can do magic with epoxy.

 

Maybe I'll agree with Horton. Send me your delaminated skis!

 

Ereic