harsh, but can’t wait for pictures.
saw Slashzilla’s board up close this weekend…the thing is phenomenal.
I’m still trying to get my head around the veneer wrapping. I kind of see the veneer hanging over the edge of the board like cloth (thanks to veneer softener). You make some relief cuts. Now, is the veneer still hanging down when you put it it the bag? Or do you have to wrap all of it before putting it in the bag? If it’s not wrapped, I could imagine the bag pulling creases, folds or bubbles into the veneer. Also what happens at the nose and tail where cloth would normally overlap? How about a swallow tail?
tape doesn’t work because the softener is too greasy or soapy.
what i use is a hand roll of that stretch wrap you find in the packing area of your office supply or hardware store to hold everything in tight till you can bag it.
they also have this shrink wrap tape on a roll like the stretch wrap use to make gift baskets you can wrap over the veneer and fasten smoothand tight with some strapping tape then apply a heat source but bagging is easier. That’s how i used to lam on skins before i got a vacuum bag setup.
what tom sullivan demonstrated in his video was to lay a thin 2mil or .75mil plastic sheet over the top then using two guys on each side of the board, starting from the middle, pull it tight on the opposite side and lock it with a roll of that brown packaging tape on one of those packaging hand dispenser you use for boxing things. he did that with his laminate before popping holes with an fine exacto knife over areas that had air bubbles to get the air out before bagging the glass on. seemed to work just fine.
My first build is about finished,gotta gloss the deck in the next day or 2.I’ve been thinking about the next build,I want to try a 1# eps foam core,balsa rails, 5# divinycell top and bottom with no glass between the foams,and an undecided 1/40"veneer or 1/16" balsa skin top and bottom, all vacuum bagged.Then a 4oz lam top and bottom.Have any of you reading this tried a build like this?If so was it overbuit,underbuilt or just right?
no one respond until jesus posts pictars…
The only ones I have right now were taken from my cell phone(cant remember to bring my digital cam to the shop to save my life) but I will deffinately post pics of the finished board when done.
yes
it creates a different structure though.
we originally started bagging balsa over standard center stringered PU blanks. All machine then hand finished some even with triple stringers all covered in 3/16 balsa. wrapped over the rails. no glass under.
if you go with .75-1lb stringerless then the additional glass is needed either under or doubled up over.
but the struture changes…
in one case you end up with a single sandwich around the foam core.in the other case each skin becomes its own sandwich with the sandwich also aorund the core so the dynamics may be a little different…
personally i think a double sandwich joined only lond the HD rails makes the most sense to take advantage of the new tech. otherwise you’re just making a stronger skin layer.
it’s a good question though…
where does it makes sense to beef up your fiber
on the outer layers you’ll be sanding or to spread it out.
…this was for your rocker table picture…
you deserve kudos for that
That’s an interesting analysis and a good one thanks.The glass inside seems important to me also.I think that’s what I’ll do.The sandwich I think I will use starting from the bottom will consist of 1/16 balsa,2oz cloth,1# eps, 2oz cloth,5#divinycell foam,1/16 balsa,1/2" balsa rails,and the entire board glassed with 4 oz s-cloth.I will run the 4" balsa strips at a 45 degree angle from the center (stringer)line of the board in 1 direction on the deck,then on the bottom I’ll 45 them in the opposite direction. The board will be a 6’ thruster and a little on the wide side,prolly 2 3/8" thick finished.Is there anything you would add or subtract for a build like this?Thanks.
I think the corecell/divinycell layer isn’t needed. That’s just an added expense. Go with 1/8" balsa with a layer of 2 oz glass under that for the top and a double 4 oz on top glass job. It will be very strong, and cost much less than adding the corecell layer.
You could even do 2 layers of 1/16" balsa. The inner layer grain can run head to tail, and the outer layer running at 45 degrees with the boards meeting in the center. You can have them meet in a single line running from nose to tail or staggered. It ends up looking really nice and with the boards running at angles, it hides the shortness of the boards and the skin will be stronger.
The balsa will probably suck resin when you glass it, but keep it dryer and then push the fill coat into the weave with a squeegee. That should fill any pin holes, and will keep the board lighter.
A glass/balsa/glass sandwich is a very strong inexpensive composite skin that boat builders have been using for a long time. End grain is even stronger.
If you prebuild the skins in a vacuum with glass on both sides keeping it on the dry side, it will be at maximum strength. Then if your blank has a built in rocker, you can attach about 1/8" of the rails with tape. Then vacuum the top and bottom skins overlapping the rails. Finally add the rest of the rail bands. That will be very solid. If you want more flex, don’t overlap the bottom skin and the rails. I like solid boards.
Here’s a few pics of the first build I described before gloss,and another shot of the adjustable rocker table in case anyone missed it.Please excuse the cell phone quality pics,I’ll get a few good digital shots when the boards is done done.
when all else and logic fails…
KISS
you’re creating more joints ie more points of failure for water penetration
balsa hates water
i would vary parallel one side(deck) angled the other(bottom) or go open face bottom angled deck…
also try poplar/cedar/cypress/birch/paulownia (need a thickness planer though)
Nice work,
I like the skulls, did you spray black through a stencil ?
Thanks,actually the rails were painted solid black first,then the stencils I got from TCP global were laid on and sprayed with solid white.Once that dried every thing got sprayed with green,the white skulls turned green and the green on black is very suttle.I’ll get some better shots of it when it’s done.
Thanks for all these great advices 
Here in Thailand it’s not easy to find all the materials but I’ve found what i was looking for (or more or less). #1.2 EPS foam, 3-1 Epoxy, 6oz E-glass (some 3oz should come) and Balsa (boo is hard to find as veneer here… frustration causeboo is ALL around…).
So the plan is to build fishs (5’ to 6’10") following Oneula’s advices (Who’s CMP?) but what to do about the rails? If I’ve 3oz then 1/16 balsa then 6oz would it be strong enough? The all blank been #1.2 (20kg/m3). Two layers of 1/16 balsa on the rails would be over building? Or an extra 6oz layer along the rail?
Thanks a lot
mousse