Below is a 6'0" single fly swallow tail Bennett twin fin shaped by Russell Head at Bennett in Brookvale. Despite the dodgy repair on the tail done by me the board has maintained an almost mirror finish glass job over its great spray. A technique I am yet to master and have had a lot of trouble finding out how to achieve. I would appreciate any advice on how to get a high gloss finish on my restorations. Do I thin down the gloss coat with acetone or styrene and do I apply it with a brush? Do I polish it with boat polish?
Russell shaped some of the first twin fins in Australia after the design was introduced to Bennett by visiting US shaper Tom Hoye in 1970 according to Surfsearch
(Appropriately this board now belongs to my good friend Huw Bennett.)
aah the dreaded gloss coat..everyone has a different technique and style..no two the same and its an industry secret...you can thin gloss resin with styrene but no acetone..now that would be a disaster though the old guys back in the early 60,s thinned lam resin with acetone..pity about that...nice soft brush, 400 wetndry, 600 wetndry,1000 wetndry,1200 wetndry and 1500 wetndry.I machine the 400/600 and 1000 then by hand with soft block the 1200 and 1500..i then mavhine cut with soft cutting pad with aouto cutting paste...jeez that sounds like a lot of work...yes but it gives you a nice shiny finish and no scratches...some guys then use a sheepskin pad to buff up...but aah that sounds unfair to the sheep..and oh yeah make sure the gloss resin is well mixed as the wax tends to coagalate to the top...and oh yeah preferred temp is around 20 degrees or so ...have fun and show us some pics of your next project..Rasta
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