also, in here he says you can just buy eps insulation for the blank so i googled it and found that you can buy eps insulation in pressurized tanks (similar to propane grill tanks). what do you guys think of the possibility of constructing a mold that has a groove for the stringer and then you fill the closed mold with the eps and let it sit and harden → finished blank… what do you think? am i being unrealistic?
The time required to make the mold for the foam would take quite a while (more than making a blank normally) and would be a waste of time. Make your own blank normally + shape = saved time and fun.
The Tiger Foam is a 2-part polyurethane expanding foam… maybe more like Clark Foam than EPS but more often used as a “pour foam” to fill boat hull cavities for flotation. EPS is made from beads that expand when subjected to steam inside a mold.
Either way is tough for a do-it-yourselfer.
The first link to the guy who glued up insulation foam is probable easiest if you don’t want to hotwire.
Really nice pre-made blanks from several different blank manufacturers are available at a reasonable cost from any of several retail sources. IMO, if you’re calculating time as money, it makes sense to go the retail route and get something that is surfboard specific.