For a downloadable pdf click here:  Seabase - Perfect Glosses 
 
 
Perfect Glosses with Taupo Gloss
 
Warning:  Beware of imitators – there is only one Taupo Gloss, and only we know the formulation. Taupo Gloss is blended in house from six different and complex ingredients and is not imitable. It is not made from Silmar Resin or Iso7X.
As elusive as the perfect wave, the perfect gloss is the Holy Grail of most surf shops. For the past twenty years we have been refining and perfecting the gloss resin that makes our gloss and polished boards the standard throughout Europe. Taupo Gloss is a secret; a resin unique to Seabase. We take a proprietary base resin and add five separate chemicals and ingredients in a precise process that gives a resin with the perfect combination of viscosity and tension to create that elusive flat, easily sanded and polished gloss coat.

Here is exactly what we do to get our glosses perfect:

 

Dress properly: you need safety goggles, gloves, a quality mask with chemical and dust filters, a coverall and decent shoes or boots. Read the safety Sheets of all chemicals before beginning. These are available from www.seabase.eu.

  • Keep Taupo Gloss warm (20°C or more) at all times. If it cools, it all goes wrong as the wax content settles out (see below). If it has been delivered by carrier you must warm the resin slowly to room temperature or more (24°C+) over two days.
  • Work in a warm (25°C+) and dry room. Use a dehumidifier to take out moisture from the room. A low humidity is essential.
  • Keep the can sealed at all times. The concentration of all the ingredients can diminish quickly as the solvents evaporate.
  • Shake the can thoroughly (1 minute) before use. The various ingredients layer out if left for more than two hours without shaking. Concentrations will change if it not shaken.
  • Leave the can stand for 5-10 minutes or more for air to release before using.
  • We use a fast catalyst but not a hot mix. The fast catalyst ensures the gel time is quick to avoid draining and help keep the structure of the resin intact.
  • Clean the board thoroughly with a solvent tak rag. Do not touch the board – grease from the hands causes rejection.
  • Tape to the mid-point of the rail around the whole board, ensuring you have a drip rail for the excess resin to drain over the tape.
  • Dispense only the amount of resin needed for each side. Accurate measurements are important. Here is our suggested quantities and mixes at temperatures of 25°C: 

 

    1. Shortboards:                   1 lb (0.45 kg) with 3-4 ml of our fast (AM-50) catalyst.
    1. Funboards, minimals:  1 ¼ lbs (0.56 kg) with 5-6 ml of AM-50 catalyst.
    1. Mals up to 9’04”:            1 ½ lbs (0.7 kg) with 7-8 ml of AM-50 catalyst.

 Care! Measure Catalyst (Hardener or MEKP) accurately. This is a powerful oxidising agent and is dangerous to use. Too much or misuse can cause fire and/or explosion. Do not get into your eyes! Use with extreme care. Clean up spills and do not leave the bottle or dispenser uncovered at any time. If fitted, screw the child-proof lid on tight after use.  

 

Use more catalyst at lower temperatures, less if it is dry or warmer.

  • Mix the catalyst into the resin using a flat stick and stirring well for at least one minute. A round stick causes poor mixing (try pigment into resin with a round stick to see the effect).
  • Let the resin stand for 30 seconds then poor evenly down and over the board.
  • Spread quickly and evenly with a very clean 4” brush (we recommend the white bristle brushes) taking care to cover all the board down to the tape on the sides.
  • Leave in a warm room until tacky, remove the tape and leave for a further 6 hours before turning to coat the other side.
 Remember:
 

Keep the resin at room temperature or higher at all times. If the resin cools, the wax will settle out and it is hard to re-dissolve into the resin. The core temperature of resin will drop dramatically if it’s shipped and spends the night in a storage shed somewhere. If this happens, leave the can at 20° C or more for three days. Shake well twice every day. Add 3ml - 5ml of wax in styrene per kg of resin into the mix before using. Shake the can well at all times! If you can see wax on the top of resin in the can (there should not be any) means you must continue to slowly warm the resin. The different densities of the additives, together with the evaporation of the solvents, means concentrations and layering can occur at any time. Treat the resin carefully and you’ll be rewarded with flat, perfect glosses.

Shake the can each time before use. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes before decanting for use to allow air to release from the resin.

We now go through four grades of paper to prepare the board for polishing. See Perfect Polishes for the secrets of getting the best out of Taupo Gloss resin.

 

Seabase has more information at www.seabase.eu.