[quote=Edchris177]One last item, make sure you have a fairly heavy gauge plastic sheet. Epoxy on its own does not stick very well to plastic, & it's easy to peel off.
When you add the thickening agent, it also acts as an adhesive. If you let the repair fully cure it can be a PITA to remove the plastic sheet. If it is thin, it will tear & you will be pulling it off bit by bit. A thicker sheet will allow you to peel. the trick is not to early,(you may lift the layers of cloth) but not so late that it is cured.
The West with slow hardener will give you an hour working time in the thin layers, maybe less if it is really hot outside.
Pieces cut form a juice jug, or large water bottle will not adhere, but they won't be big enough, or flexible enough to wrap around the leading edge.
Also don't be tempted to lay plastic sheet on the large part of that repair, then "smooth" it out with your hand.
It will look/feel good, but once you peel he sheet you will realize the extent of the ridges & valleys you created, resulting in a lot of sanding.
For this job I recommend the microfibres, they make for darn good adhesion, strength, yet sandable. Do not use colloidal silica for this, it is a bear to sand fair. The other end of the spectrum are the fillers used for fairing. They do not have as much adhesion/strength, you need that for a board.
Have a look at this site, lots of good info;
http://www.westsystem.com/ss/the-105-system/
If you want to save some money don't get the pumps,(they are handy if you do lots of rep[airs) as long as you have a way to accurately measure. Generally, depending on which hardener you use, the mix will be 3:1 or 5:1. I use veterinary syringes, with the hole drilled out slightly, they only cost 1$ each & last for ages. You could use small (30ml, 1 oz) cups for dispensing cough medicine or herbicides.
Check closely to see if the other side of the board delaminated in the crash. If it did, drill some holes & inject with syringe. If it's loose at the leading/trailing edge, pry it open a bit, then pour a few ounces of fairly runny mixture in, let gravity work it into the far recesses, then lay a sheet of Styrofoam on top & add enough weight to compress the outer skin back into shape. Leave it for a full day to cure, then trim & sand. It will be as good as new.[/quote]
