interesting perception. I’ve only shaped stringerless 0.75-1.0 lb. foam. Yup, floppy. I like the stands being level bit, but my pvc poles stuck in buckets in sand wouldn’t stand for it. Pretty board.
Ok, this is where I’d like some input from experienced shapers, I don’t have any pictures of my method, so I’ll try to explain how I shape the bottom.
It seems that most shapers start with their power plane on the rails, and work toward the center, with the planer’s tail resting on their last pass, and the nose angled in toward the stringer. Concave is then added after the surface is flat, almost like an afterthought. The main rocker is set, then the stringer is straightened out with the addition of the concave.
My method is for the first pass to run right down the center, or in the case of standard construction, right over the stringer. Since I’m measuring the rocker with a rocker stick at the stringer, I get that point exactly to what I want. Then I’ll begin lowering the rail areas with passes of the planer intil the bottom is finished. The planer is nose toward the rail, with the tail resting on the last pass, which in the case of the first pass, the tail glides over the stringer area.
[img_assist|nid=1063788|title=Bottom planed|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=359|height=640]
Planing done, I’m about to start sanding. You can see the planer marks shaping in the vee of the tail.
[img_assist|nid=1063789|title=Bottom sanded|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=359|height=640][img_assist|nid=1063790|title=Bottom sanded|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=359|height=640]
Maybe just because of my age and size, but the super light boards weren’t my favorite choice. I like a little more weight, they just feel a little more stable. Also, with PU foam getting so light, it doesn’t make sense to risk water problems, spackle melting etc, that come with EPS. I guess if I was a little flyweight, that one pound lighter in the final construction. But at 210 pounds, and 6’ -6" tall, what’s that extra little weight going to do? For me, it didn’t make sense.
No worries, you mentioned trying to avoid excess weight, so I thought you wanted it light. I encase mine in a wood skin and it adds some weight. How’d you make the curve in that log? It looks pretty beefy. And how does divynlcell fair? blades or sander? You’ve got 5 inches on me, but I’ve got 5 lbs. on you. If you surf in Florida, lightweight is good.
Hi Pompano,
The rocker stick was a 2 x 8 that I ripped with a skill saw. That is the sketchyest part of the build. Ripping a curve on a skill saw is dangerous. I had one of my foremen take a thumb off. Decades of experience, and I’ll go for it, but unless you are a pro, pay a cabinet shop with a band saw $20 and have them do it.
I fair out the edge of the d-cell with a sanding block. Really only takes about 15 minutes total. I stay away from power tools at this point, because of how close it is to the P-U rail.
Yea, I want the board to be light, but the trade off of weight vs. the EPS problems wasn’t worth it overall. If you are surfing in perfect, small glassy waves, then ultra light is the call. Or if you are into ultra high performance manouvers, then weight is the key. Sadly, my high performance surfing was about 25 years ago.
And I really don’t like having to get out of the water right away because of a ding. I had one EPS board that sucked water about a foot up the board in the five minutes it took me to get out of the water when I knocked a fin plug loose.
[img_assist|nid=1063796|title=Bottom Glassed|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=359|height=640]Bottom glassed, Fiberglass Hawaii Epoxy. Not much to say here that hasn’t been said before. Personally, I like epoxy for the way it cures, rather than gels. As it thickens, I keep pulling off extra, until it is really tight. Make sure that the cloth doesn’t drag as you work it, but if you take the time to get the lam tight, it will save trouble later with the hot coats. A wrinkle in the lam means thicker hot coat to bury the mistake. Thicker hot coat means added weight, and wasted material.
[img_assist|nid=1063800|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=359|height=640]
Even though I’m just a Garage builder, I like to pretend. Here’s my logo. But stringerless, how do you line it up on the center? A little masking tape, and a couple of centering dots. Put a little epoxy down to hold the logo in place, then pull the tape.
It is under clear two oz cloth. Tint at this point would soak into the rice pape and darken it.
I still haven’t done the fiberglass footballs for the fin plugs. They will be done after this layer in 2 oz again. So the 2 oz lam cover and the 2 oz footballs add up to the 4 oz needed
[img_assist|nid=1063801|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=359|height=640]
After it is done. See the extra cloth at the edge. I don’t try to wrap the 2 oz. but instead leave it out. Trim it after with a razor, and it makes the hard edge cleaner.
[img_assist|nid=1063802|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=491|height=276]
[img_assist|nid=1063811|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=359]
So here’s the deck. D-cell looks like crap if you try to paint it. Just big open craters. I make a slurry of epoxy and microbaloons to fill it in. That’s also a weight-savings way to keep the resin from soaking in. After the slurry cures, a light sanding then paint.
[img_assist|nid=1063812|title=blue|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=359|height=640]
Liquitex Acrilic - Ultra Marine color. Thinned with Future, and spray applied
[img_assist|nid=1063813|title=Deck lamination|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=359]
Deck Lamination. Tinted Red. I wsa trying to create a deeper look to the colors. A painted foam under tinted epoxy made the color look richer. Hard to see by my cell phone camera, but you’ll just have to trust me on this.
Did you weigh the finished shaped blank before glassing?
Yes,
Just over four pounds. Maybe four pounds one ounce. At Epoxy hot coat, sanded, it was right around seven pounds six ounces. Fin plugs and resin gloss coat, brought it to just over eight pounds. The cosmetics added a little weight, with the epoxy slurry on the d-cell, and the double gloss coat.
To put it in perspective, width dimensions are as follows: Tail - 16 5/16", 19 13/16" @24" from tail. Widepoint is 21". 12 1/4" @12" from nose.
Thickness with d-cell added are as follows: Tail - 1", 12" up - 2". 24" up 2 1/2", midpoint - 2 3/4", tip of nose 1/2", 12" from nose - 1 7/8", 24" from nose - 2 5/8".
It is a big guy short board.
The d-cell is 5 pounds per cubic foot.
Here’s a picture of my fin jig.
[img_assist|nid=1063849|title=Fin Jig|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=359]
The plywood base runs rail to rail. That way the angle of the fins isn’t affected by the vee or concave, but instead is true to the board.
Hey everysurfer, great looking ride.
If you don’t mind me asking, what are cant and toe-in measurements on your front and rear fins?
[img_assist|nid=1063851|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=359]
Fiberglass Hawaii three minute epoxy for the fins. **Note: **The instructions on the bottles are wrong! It is a 40:100 by weight only. Otherwise you get a soft rubber, that softens when wet. They know the label is wrong at the store, but they don’t change it, so watch out! **Also **Mix the two parts before you add tint. The tint can hinder the reaction if added before the two parts are mixed. The stuff is great for fins, almost no exotherm. Pot life three minutes. Turns to hard rubber, that can be trimmed with a knife in ten minutes. But not sandable for about seven hours. A great option for the EPS guys, I use it on PU boards also, if time isn’t a concern.
[img_assist|nid=1063853|title=Fusion Template|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=359]
I use my home made Fusion router template to take down the tops of the plugs, Easier than sanding, and no heat / sand through problems.
[img_assist|nid=1063854|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=359]
Just make sure you take out the screws first!!!
1/4" toe in. 5 degrees cant. Fin placement 1 " off the rail, and at 5" and 11" up.
With wider tails like this one, don’t try the "aim at the nose method. You would end up with way too much toe in. I just keep it simple and measure from the center line, or stringer if it has one.
It didn’t drive well at first fin set up. First try, I used the Stretch FCS Quad set. Second pairing, I put large Occy fins in the back, and it worked much better. That makes me think the trailers should have been set a little further back.
Hey Mark, looks sick. Hopefully we will get another session together before we are both out of Santa Barbara.
[img_assist|nid=1063996|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=359|height=640]
After sanding to 150 on the epoxy hot coat, I did a PE gloss coat. Had to do it outside, because my shop is in the basement, and the smell would go through the whole house.