Fix A Cracked And Dented Edge
And Keep Your Board From Rotting
Stump slappin’ and rail smackin’ are damn fun. But after a while your board will eventually crumble from the jib beat down. You can crack your edge from a harsh impact with metal (i.e., rails, boxes) or dent the edge’s contact point when your board simply falls over and smashes onto the ground. Once the edge cracks and splits, your board’s days are numbered. Water seeps in, sogginess sets, then it freezes and the core crumbles. You can prolong your board’s life by sealing up that cracked or dented edge, though, and here’s how.

Pound It
If your edge is bent out of shape, it’s best to pound it back in line before gluing it. One way to remedy this is with a hammer and strong pointy object like an awl, cold chisel, or flathead screwdriver. Set the board flat and dig the chisel into where the base meets the edge. It might take some heavy hits, just be patient. Any base damage you might inflict can be filled in with a little P-tex later.

Spread It
To make sure your board is free of moisture, keep it at room temp for a couple days before you begin repairs. (You don’t want to trap in any moisture or the core will rot.) With the board in a vise, perpendicular to the ground, spread open the sidewall and base around the broken edge with small finishing nails. Leave the nails in and make sure there’s enough room to get some glue in there.

Glue It
Now mix up some epoxy. Any kind will do, but the good flexible stuff from your local shop is the crème de la crème. Slowly spread a good dollop of epoxy in the wound. Then grab a hairdryer and start heating the epoxy so it liquefies and seeps into the core. Keep heating the board’s base, sidewall, topside and the epoxy until the epoxy stops bubbling from the escaping air. Be careful not to melt your base or topsheet.

Clamp It
Pull the finishing nails out and grab two scrapers and some C-clamps. Sandwich the sidewall with the scrapers and clamp it down. Don’t over tighten or you’ll dimple the board. Let the epoxy cure overnight, then sand off the excess, and if necessary, fix base scratches with P-tex.