Safe fabric for cloth inlay

>>> Can any cotton fabric with a floral or Hawaiian print be used for an inlay > on surfboards? What are the do's and don'ts when it comes to purchasing > ones own cloth from a craft or fabric shop? Hold your fabric up to the light. The rule of thumb is that if you can't see any light through any or all of the colors then you better test it!

At a "longboard demo" day in Cayucos a few years ago, a BIG name brand board was seen on the beach with one huge bubble where a fabric inlay had delammed. I never tried an inlay after seeing that.

>>> Could also be opperator error! I find it's best to wash the material with some vinegar( no detergent ),dry, then iron out the wrinkles. I thin out resin with styrene,apply the resin to the area, laydown the cloth,apply more resin and squeege.

Hi Greg, From my experience, which is very limited, thin cotton fabric works the best. synthetics stretch all over the place, are too thick and a big hassel. A mild vinger/cool water rinse to set the colors and laying the stuff flat to dry is all that's needed. I've used bran-new fabric and it's worked fine. As far as function is concerned. Dark colors delam in the sun much quicker than light ones as the heat up so quickly. But leave a board in the sun or any where that it will heat up excessively is never a good idea. If you can't cover the board up when you're at the beach for a long stay stand it straight up with a rail toward the sun. As far as I concerneed having a moderate amount of color on the front 1/3 of deck is way better than white. The glare off a white long board nose get wicked after a while. A good inlay can give a board a crisp signature at least as I see it. Good Surfin', Rich

Try WWW.ISLANDCAT.COM for inlays. Their prices are great too. -Grant->>> THANKS! Any online inlays sold?