When laminating 2# EPS with a wood stringer the foam compresses and leaves the stringer high. Is there any way to laminate with vacumn without the foam compressing?
Dont draw so much vacuum. Do a test panel, but if you draw 5-7"/Mg and get all the creases out, it should be sufficient. You can also gently squeegie on the bag after youve drawn vacuum.
Het Chub,
If you shaping properly there shouldn’t be a proud stringer. EPS #2 with a wood stringer or any stringer material should shape up just like any other blank. What kind of EPS are you using?
This is a stupid question, but are you using compatiable materials. I mean, is your resin disolving the foam during lamination?
Remember everytime you take sand paper to the board around the stringer, you going to remove more foam than wood. So keep sand paper in one hand, and the block plane in the other.
As for vac bagging EPS without an exoskeleton skin, I’d say don’t do it, your going to crush the shape, or your going to get some kind of funky twist if you don’t have a rocker table. (I’ve never vac bagged, so take that for what it’s worth)
But hand laminating an EPS board vs a vac bagged board, I’d challenge anyone to get really substantial strengh vs weight gains.
So get you foam in better shape and you won’t have any proud stringers from glassing. Vac baggings for the comp sand guys.
Quote:
But hand laminating an EPS board vs a vac bagged board, I’d challenge anyone to get really substantial strengh vs weight gains.
Challenge accepted. The Coil technology developed by Kirk and Eric Brasington can easily get twice as much
fiber (and weaves you can’t hand lam) into a board of a given weight. More fiber equals more twang as well
as a much stronger structure. And among their other tricks, they can bag without distorting shape. These guys
are the industry leaders in vacuum tech.
I believe you made that comment because you just haven’t seen what can be done, but I can’t resist a challenge.
The bar is being raised.
Mike
I guess I need to clarify my post on the challenge. My challenge was to us backyard hacks, not the (PCC) Professional Coil Crew.
The point was that I don’t see the benefits of vac bagging a standard #2 EPS S cloth surfboard, vs a #2 EPS S cloth Hand lamination…All that extra work just because you are getting a proud stringer. I don’t think the minimal gains justify the additional work.
My goodness I didn’t want to call out the Coil Technology Dogs!
-Resinhead
Point taken, but you put the challenge out there for all, or so I thought.
Dogs going back in the kennel. No worries.
Mike
Shit, that was close!
For the record, though…hand lam, youre probably looking at 30% fiber to 70% resin. With vacuum bagging you can get the fiber ratio around 50-60%. Therefore you can add more fiber via a heavier cloth or another layer and be about the same weight as hand lam but substantially stronger. Im a backyard hack and vacuum all my boards.
Any hints for how coiling is done?
deanbo, I laugh every time I see your signature. Easily my sways favorite.
(craftee’s ''he who dies…" is second)
But I still can’t say much about the particulars of the Coil process. As I said in another post,
it doesn’t really fit into any of the composite industry’s classifications, i.e., it’s not exactly infusion,
but it’s more than just vaccing the exterior lam, etc. It’s a very unique and proprietary methodology.
Mike
Fair enough. Good luck with those things, they look very impressive if that air was anything to by.
Hi Chubby, you didnt say if you ARE vaccing with that arrangement?
Embrace the full compsand experience and you’ll dodge those forseeable problems. Search for Bert and compsand right here, ( in River City ) as the thread is clear and entertaining.
And look out for references to perimeter stringers.
Lets know how it goes and dont forget the pictures if you can.
SF