Looking into what US Blanks calls Powerline Stringerz.
Interested in details of how (EDIT OUT PVC) it shapes and rides.
Anyone been there?
Mako224?
Eh, THANKZ in advance…
Best
that looks pretty cool. I have used/made the non opaque white pvc stringered blanks. The hand planer will be a different feel and I chipped the nose area with my spoke shaver on the first few. Electric planer no noticible difference. MOST importantly you will need to grab some wood stringer curly cues out of the garbage for the money shot on the shaped blank.
pic of money shot with high density foam stringered board.
This one is Orange foam with the PVC stringer. Shapes up nice. Taking down the stringer you need your block plane set just right. Glassing, you had better support the blank real good because the shaped blank is very flexible. I accidently flattened the rocker a little bit in the middle of the board when I glassed it but my son is ripping on it so I must have done something right. The white stringer with black glue is really cool looking. Board is holding up very well.
The biggest thing with these blanks is taking down the stringer. Going in I thought the stringer would cut like butter but it didn’t. I had to set the block plane at a much lower depth than I would for a wood stringer.
Powerline stringer are not PVC but epoxy reinforced with nylon fiber. Far stiffer than extruded PVC.
Thanks lemat!
Here these are spendy.
How do they shape?
Anyone with a ride report.
Mako Kids a ripper!
What I know.
I’ve only used PVC with EPS. PVC in my opinion is the best stringer material for EPS…so you ask why? I’ll tell you why:
EPS with an epoxy glass job has a better flex/return than a PU/PE. But to get that flex / return you need to have a stringer material that will flex and return…and wood has a flex/break flaw that I don’t like. The EPS with PVC stringer will ocassionally buckle if the glass is too light, but thats compared to the light weight PU/PE that will flat out break.
More flex than a wooden stringer.
Stiffer than a non-stringered blank.
Epoxy & nylon as a stringer option,
It does chip some.
Cuts fine if blade is good and sharp.
Dulls blades quicker too.
I still prefer wood.
Bless you, my son.
early on I glued up a bunch for them, the problem I saw was, the blank would overpower the stringer and it could not hold a rocker that was not the natural for that blank, especially in thicker blanks
The clear stringer offered by US Blanks is not PVC. Lemat may be right about the Epoxy/nylon. There is a Sways member who knows exactly what the material is, but he’s not talking. US had all of it’s stringers available for viewing at the Del Mar Board show. The material in question look like some form of reinforced plastic mesh. Very flexible and defiantly not PVC. I think PVC works well for EPS because most EPS blanks are slab cut. Rocker is predetermined.
Think this has run its course.
Sorry for my FUPA on the PVC deal,
No excuse other than Old age
Which is weak.
Greatly appreciate ALL responses.
The correct spec is “Powerline Stringerz is a 4-ply, non-woven, polymer stringer, giving you uninterrupted flex and strength from nose to tail. The stringer is translucent but it reflects and refracts the glue-line, giving you multiple color options.”
If recall correctly the stringer showed up a few years back and noticed the big name makers using them.
So in retrospect and I could be wrong…
But I don’t exactly see that they caught fire.
Really didn’t like Mr. Phillips experience.
I’m with Barry and Mr. T
I’ll stick to wood (or a least applecore)
Mahalo Nui!
