quadfish delam

after my board surviving for several years with only minor damage i was cleaning the wax off it and noticed a large delaminated area(15cm by 20cm) just in front of the tailpad initially could not see any damage to let water in. on closer inspection notices a hair line crack around the fcs fin plug that had been taking on water as when squeezed water came out. I have driled this out and set it to dry (people have said that normal fcs plugs carn't handle epoxy heat build up in curing is this true)
So to the delam, i have done many board repairs but never a delamination so would like your advice on what is the best thing to do. dry out repair fin and cary on surfing (would it last long) or cut out damaged area (i believe by feeling it that it is just the glass that has come away) dry out and glass and repair. i'm hesitant on injecting resin and letting this conecting skin back on as don't think it would get full coverage.
many thanks for your input Tom

Hi Tom, sorry it's taken a while to respond,
I'll shoot Cooker an email and ask him if he can pop in here to give you the proper procedure.

1."on closer inspection notices a hair line crack around the fcs fin plug that had been taking on water as when squeezed water came out. I have driled this out and set it to dry (people have said that normal fcs plugs carn't handle epoxy heat build up in curing is this true)"
2."So to the delam, i have done many board repairs but never a delamination so would like your advice on what is the best thing to do. dry out repair fin and cary on surfing (would it last long) or cut out damaged area (i believe by feeling it that it is just the glass that has come away) dry out and glass and repair. i'm hesitant on injecting resin and letting this conecting skin back on as don't think it would get full coverage."

Hey Tom,

These should both be easy repairs if you have a little experience. First, you've taken the right approach by drying the board out as best as possible. From the sound of it, you can probably reapir both spots with just fiberglass and epoxy (fixing both spots will give the board a longer life than if you do nothing):
1. Yes, if there is too much heat during the cure process then the EPS will melt for sure, it doesn't matter what fin you're installing or what the repair is, that is why we never recommend using Polyester resin while repairing Firewires. So, make sure the ratios are correct and don't let the resin sit too long before use because it cause a much bigger problem than just a crack in the fiberglass. If the fin plug is still solid in place, don't replace it, what most likely happened is the EPS got compressed underneath it sprung back into place while the glass cracked at the surface. Try sanding the damaged area away and look for cracks in the high-density foam and/or plug, if there's no movement or visible damage, simply perform a normal repair with resin and fiberglass.
2. Delam: If it's just the glass and not a seperation between foams, then you're correct in thinking you can replace the glass like a traditional repair. I used to cut away the area with a blade and sand the edges with a heavy grit sandpaper, then the glass and resin, etc...

Hopefully this helps, but if not, don't be afraid to email me at [email protected] and I can give you more detailed steps.
-Matt

Thanks a lot Cooker!

thank you so much for your response will get on it this week and get it all fixed up
cheers tom