Another beginner/repair thread. I have a Mistral Classic 295 (130l). The nose area has a few dings and two small chips in the outer coating approximately 7x5mm. Underneath is a yellowish brown foam and a few glass fibres. I think I'll add a soft foam nose pad to prevent more damage, but I'd like to seal the area properly before I do so. Can I just dab plain epoxy resin in the chips then fill and sand the dings before some paint? or should I sand the whole area then fill-sand-glass-sand-paint? I'm pretty sure water can get in as it is now.

I don't know how old this board is, but can anyone tell me what its construction/materials is likely to be? Is this PVC sandwich foam I can see or old fashioned foam like in surfboards?

Thanks,

Leon.

Hi aero,
I have performed some rhinoplasty (nose jobs) on 3 boards very similar to yours recently.
A Mistral Classic, Flow and Screamer. Like yours, they are all from the era when the noses of the boards were unecessarily long and pointed. (The last 20cm serves no purpose other than to create fear for swimmers and monofilm)

There is enough nose lift that you can lop of your damaged area, and still have as much nose lift as a more recent board. (I'll try and post some pics on this thread)

My 276 mistral classic is now a 255. It rides beautifully and doesn't look out of place among the more modern shorter boards.
My favourite board, a 266 Flow is now a 248

Anyway, you need to get some epoxy laminating resin, so that it doesn't react with the styrene foam. Once it is sealed, you can work with polyester resin (surfboard resin) to finish off with, as it is easier to work with.

Last of all, use car bog (easy to sand and shape) then spray with auto spray paint. yours is white so easy to match.
Good luck

Bondalucci said...

Hi aero,Anyway, you need to get some epoxy laminating resin, so that it doesn't react with the styrene foam. Once it is sealed, you can work with polyester resin (surfboard resin) to finish off with, as it is easier to work with.

Last of all, use car bog (easy to sand and shape) then spray with auto spray paint. yours is white so easy to match.
Good luck

polyester resin doesn't like epoxy and doesnt stick to epoxy very well, and car bog is polyester, it will stick but in time will let go,and car bog is full of fillers, and porus so salt water will break it down, after saying that epoxy will stick too polyester,the best thing to do is give fgi a call

Aero,
In your email you said you might chop the nose off your board!!!!
(if you thought it looked worth it)
Well, here are the pics you requested:

the first is the Classic in the early stages of operation.
- Epoxy laminated through glass (fed under top sheet of original to ensure overlap for strength and watertightness)


Here's the finished Classic sitting with the 266 Flow and the 260 Screamer.


Here are the same 3 boards after the Flow (now 248) and Screamer (now 250) have been done.
The big board is a 272 Vision (no need to change that one)


On the water, if you drop the sail onto the nose, or have to rotate the sail over the nose to get into waterstart position, you don't feel like it'll puncture the mono film.

Still heaps of nose lift as you can see. (I took less off the 83ltr Screamer as it goes out on the harshest days in the most chop)


They look heaps better on the water than they used to.

Good luck if you decide to become a "Bored Surgeon" too.

That looks like pretty clean work, you even got a good colour match. In the first picture, is that blue/grey material the outer sandwich foam? If so, does it extend all the way to the nose and rails?

Thanks for the photos.

The damage I have to deal with isn't really serious enough to warrant a nose chop, and I haven't sailed the board enough for the pointy bit to concern me yet. I'll definately keep this idea in mind for the future though.

aerohydro said...

The damage I have to deal with isn't really serious enough to warrant a nose chop, and I haven't sailed the board enough for the pointy bit to concern me yet. I'll definately keep this idea in mind for the future though.

just bored hey aerohydro, no wind may aswell waste everyone eleses time seeing your bored

Yes the green flows are ASA. I haven't had problems getting it to adhere, but lots of people at the beached have asked the same question as you. I think its because I overlap the new glass with the existing material. I section it underneath so it adheres to what is under the ASA.

Love to see some pics of your flow if you wanna post them. Or anyone elses for that matter. (I reckon you get good ideas from seeing other peoples modifications)

Bondalucci said...

Love to see some pics of your flow if you wanna post them. Or anyone elses for that matter. (I reckon you get good ideas from seeing other peoples modifications)

My beloved blue flow:

As for the pointy noses, if you're worried about them, why not just stick a tennis ball on there?

Here's what I'm up to:



This is the worst of two small damaged area after I sanded off the top coating. The visible glass seems to be matting rather than woven cloth. Is this normal? Anyway I'll fill the divot and add some light glass, one layer the size of the exposed foam and one a bit larger.

Is there anything else I need to be careful of?

Thanks.