if you can line it up perfectly and use an epoxy you may be able to just re-press it and get it to laminate properly this time.
Luckily its not completely cut out so i can get it super close and try again. Going to check out the rest and leave an extra inch on each side when I cut it out so i can redo it.
Since its the layer with fiberglass, I need to use the epoxy and not wood glue right?
that’s what i would do.
It looks like the one side is secure but the other half looks like it is delaming. I would use epoxy resin it is what should be used with fiberglass. I would also lightly sand each piece of wood so that it creates a nice surface for the glue to bond to and for the epoxy to get into and adhere the wood to the epoxy. Did you squeegee the resin on the fiberglass?
Yep! I used a combo of a roller and a plastic squeegee to spread the epoxy equally.
My question is that is if the resin/epoxy is already hardened and dried, will adding another layer and pressing it again actually adhere to whats there already?
Here’s the scrap piece that I pulled apart, wood on one side and fiberglass on the other.
I’m assuming the whole deck is like this
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I would say sand it with 220 grit just to rough up both sides then wipe off the dust and that will give it the best chance of holding together. I would actually pour on the epoxy resin down the center of the board and go the entire length of the board and then use the plastic squeegee to make sure every part is covered. Make sure you wear a mask when sanding the fiberglass or you can wet sand it to keep the dust down
So I cut the entire deck out and the entire fiberglass layer delamed!!!
I found 2 more pieces of 1/16th maple, one cross grain and one vertical grain.
I sanded all the left over epoxy and glued up those last 2 layers. The whole thing is in the vacuum bag now…i got my fingers crossed!!
I’ll post the results tomorrow!
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Fingers crossed for you, I hope you get something useable.
It might be easier to press the wood and laminate the fiberglass afterwards. The fiberglass will contribute to stiffness the most if you put it on an outer layer anyway. If you are hesitant to do that because of anesthetics, it’s really not so visible esp if you apply a thicker clear coat, or you can put it on the top and grip tape it. Im not sure, but I think the glass is as strong in compression as it is in tension
Alrighty, I got the fiberglass off and 2 more pieces pressed up. The very last piece had this weird ripple in it that I’m going to have to sand down. With that being the case, I’m going to do a thin layer of fiberglass around the outside of the board to add just a little bit more strength.
So far, this thing feels pretty good, its not going to be my final attempt, and i am going to actually build a press similar to @longhairedboy. I got some oak sourced and I’m working on my CAD skills to design a mold!
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