Volan cloth

shikaka

OTF status
Mar 10, 2003
180
20
18
My personal experience... Easier to dent, harder to shatter. More durable in the long run.
 

Fredtool

Nep status
Jan 31, 2014
613
0
16
Florida
Volan is hard to find in light weight 4oz cloth. It also soaks up more resin. Some claim that Volan gives a Longboard a silky ride due to it’s flex.
 

twinzerfan

Michael Peterson status
Oct 26, 2006
2,886
1,683
113
Floriduh
Volan is not a cloth but rather a chemical bonding agent. regular fiberglass cloth is "washed" or treated with volan and thus cloth treated in this manner is now known, correctly or otherise as Volan cloth

It's usually 6, 8, or 10oz cloth, which is why you see it on logs. As far as any strength gains, it is relative to the weight of the cloth itself. It does soak up more resin, which is what makes those long board tints so juicy. But that also add weight.

Volan also requires thicker hotcoats for the sanding process. Usually done with a cheater coat to fill all the weave/laps, patches, and a second hotcoat to make it smooth enough to sand. Again, more weight.

Contrary to popular belief, more resin does not equal stronger boards, just heavier boards. Increasing the fiber content is what gives you more strength. 3 4oz layers is stronger than 2 6oz layers for example.

But, if you want the classic look, or really deep tints, you can't beat 8 oz volan lay ups.
 

YakAk

Legend (inyourownmind)
Feb 22, 2010
398
88
28
Thanks to everyone for the info. I actually learned something :cheers:
 

000

Duke status
Feb 20, 2003
26,018
7,171
113
used a layer on a deck once instead of 2x4oz

its not nearly as water tight