Took some photos while doing a deck grip this week. Thought someone might appreciate seeing the process.

Step One: mask up the area and sand off the old grip. Doesn't have to be perfect just pretty flat. No need to go so far as sanding through the graphics - so be careful.




Step Two: brush or vac off the dust and give it a wipe down with a clean cloth and some acetone. Go easy on this. The orange graphic on mine started to come off on the cloth. We just need to get is squeaky clean for the epoxy.





... to be continued.

Step Three: Measure and mix your epoxy. This is special uv stabilised non-yellowing stuff. Got it from Boat Craft Pacific for about 40 dollars. I mixed 30ml for this job and had a little left over. You have to be dead accurate in mixing. Use syringes (60 cents from the chemist) or graduated measuring cups (also from the chemist - I think).





Step Four; Roll on the epoxy. You HAVE to roll it on. Boatcraft have mini rollers or you can get slightly bigger ones at Bunnings and cut them in half. Painting it on won't do - you have to get an even consistent coat.

Step Five: Sprinkle on some caster sugar. It looks too fine but it makes for a great grip. It's really important to get this on as evenly as possible. If you let it pile up anywhere it will wick the epoxy up and create a big frosty mound on your deck. It will grip but will look crap. I had good success using the spoon and blowing on any lumpy areas to redistribute the sugar.





It should look like this when you're done.

EDIT: Make sure you pull off the tape before the resin cures other wise you're screwed. You can do right after you finished sprinkling the sugar. It won't run.

Nice job!

Only things I'd add: resin needs to be rolled on as thin as you can - barely wet - to the point you can touch it and hardly get your finger wet. I wet the roller then roll it on a few sheets of newspaper so it is almost dry, then do the board. Every time you wet the roller again, do same on newspper to dry it out.

Leave tape on until the resin is tacky enough that it won't run, but not fully cured then remove the tape. Leaving it on overnight will reult in some bits of tape epoxied to the board - fixable but not ideal

Step Six: Wait at least 36 hours then hose off the excess sugar. If you hose it down three or four times in the space of an hour you will get most of it off, but it won't go completely until you have sailed the board.

Epoxy needs a week to go properly hard but I sailed this board with three days. It works great. Was out in 25kts and big seas today and was stoked with how grippy it is.

There is one caveat. This method does not look factory when it's done. There will always be a very slightly frosty look. Most people can't pick it on first glance but you notice after a while. If you have lots of dark graphics and you care about such stuff it might be best to get a pro job done on it.

So now you have no excuse not to re-grip that old board!

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Mark _australia said...

Nice job!

Leave tape on until the resin is tacky enough that it won't run, but not fully cured then remove the tape. Leaving it on overnight will reult in some bits of tape epoxied to the board - fixable but not ideal

Yeah, fixed that.

I did put the resin on a bit thicker than you say - just like a nice even coat of paint. We'll see how it goes.

I've never used a roller, (from surfboard making days, I can get a reasonable finish with a brush),
But I have thinned it out too much!).
Sugar didn't stick.

These days, I spray on the same 2 pack urethane, I paint the board with.

I'm surprised Mark's method works? Seems to me the resin would be too thin.
The resin needs to be deep enough to come half way up a grain.
With the surface covered in sugar grains this isn't very deep, I admit.

My boards do vary in grip though, I think if the resin fully covers the grains (you get a second layer sticking on, but that dissolves away, leaving very small indents) it's not as grippy.
Getting an accurate depth with a spray gun isn't easy.

Maybe I'll try Mark's idea on the next board.

Not my idea - came from a pro

Last couple of time I regripped I used that method and it was much better than thicker resin

Remember that if the resin is say 1/4 the thickness of the tiny cube-shaped crystal of sugar, that it comes up the side a bit due to surface tension, same as the meniscus (spelling?) on the top of the water in glass, so even though 1/4 crystal deep it will come up about halfway in the end
And that is your grip - all those little peaks - after the sugar is gone. So doesn't really matter how thin the resin is as long as there is enough to "climb" up the sides of each crystal.


I guess I am applying under 1/4mm thick (?)

When I first did this I did s few test pieces on ice cream bucket lids, trying out the different sugars. Next time I'll do some test pieces with the super thin resin idea.

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ikw777 said...

. Next time I'll do some test pieces with the super thin resin idea.

also do a test with 10% acetone, the last board i laminated i used bote cote +10% acstone works well

Probably a good idea to use a seev to distribute sugar more evenly, otherwise you can get clumps like I did.

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Waiting4wind said...

Probably a good idea to use a seev to distribute sugar more evenly, otherwise you can get clumps like I did.

I've used the misses tupperware salt shaker which works well...until she finds out.

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Waiting4wind said...

Probably a good idea to use a seev to distribute sugar more evenly, otherwise you can get clumps like I did.

Whe I was reading the method I was thinking "You don't do much cake and pastry cooking do you?".
For an even coverage put the sugar in a sieve (not holding it over your resined surface) then move the sieve over your resined area lightly tapping the side of the sieve with your other hand as you go to gradually release the sugar. Do not do this in a draughty spot or have the airconditioner on as the sugar will be blown to one side.
Do not hold the sieve too close to the board.
Practice over a piece of paper first until you get an even result.

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Windxtasy said...
Whe I was reading the method I was thinking "You don't do much cake and pastry cooking do you?".

Yeah, well, um... the fact that my favourite food is a sausage sandwich should tell you all you need to know about my kitchen skills.

I looked at sifters te woolies but realised that the mesh was too open and the sugar would fall through. Then I looked at a little seive but thought the holes were a bit big also. Maybe I should've bought it to try at least?

Next time.

IKW if you put a cupful in the sieve some will fall thru and then due to it packing down it will not fall thru even though the holes are big-ish (almost as big as flywire)
Then a gentle tap will case it to fall thru

Be careful, not good for domestic harmony, I am in the sh!t for mixing resin in tupperware, using sieve for regripping and now it has resin on the handle... as do the kitchen scales ........ and using butter knives for releasing items from moulds (they're perfect!)

Oh yeah and dressmaking scissors blunted in 20sec flat cutting Kevlar

good job Ian, you can try and experiment on my old bic if u like next time, its like trying to sail with banana skins stuck on the deck
you gota bring the board and bag of sugar(for energy suppliment) to beachmere next big se we get, it was good only about 40mins from reddy

pop in to your local op shop and you should be able to pick up a sieve or two for a dollar or less.

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Mark _australia said...


Be careful, not good for domestic harmony, I am in the sh!t for mixing resin in tupperware, using sieve for regripping and now it has resin on the handle... as do the kitchen scales ........ and using butter knives for releasing items from moulds (they're perfect!)

Oh yeah and dressmaking scissors blunted in 20sec flat cutting Kevlar

Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should know better than that...

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ikw777 said...
the fact that my favourite food is a sausage sandwich.

nice job ian.....

i'm not saying anything else.....

I once got a mate to regrip my old wright designs 8'6, he used a paint brush, first

mistake, then poured on brown sugar! The board weighed 11 kgs now instead of 10,

not to mention the 50 grit sand paper beneath my feet, I still have the scars!

Don't use the brown.

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Gestalt said...

ikw777 said...
the fact that my favourite food is a sausage sandwich.

nice job ian.....

i'm not saying anything else.....

That's what I love about Seabreeze; only one step removed from the schoolyard.