Since some of you have been using the carbon fiber netting in your builds I wanted to see what the feedback was like as these boards get some use.
I havent used any carbon on my boards before. However, i have used lots and lots of carbon when i repair rowing shells.
Carbon is just like fiberglass in form. Comes in a woven form like a fabric, and can come in so many variations it will make your head spin.
Carbons strength comes the same way fiberglasses does. Alone its not going to do much. Layer it and it gets stronger. Add a medium to it like foam, it gets stronger based on the strength of the medium it bonds to. The carbon netting idea seems totally useless to me. the netting itself is not layered amongst itself, and sits on very small surface area on the foam medium. Im sure the tension it creates across a tail section is beneficial, however that same effect could be achieved with just as light, and far cheaper 4oz fiberglass stretched tight over the tail area.
In my opinion the carbon netting idea is for looks really. Not much if any real structural value to the board.
Angus-
The net is a Kevlar base not carbon.
It does a bit for impact supression on shortboards.
I think overall its better for the way the SUP guys are using it across the bottom.
Got enough experience with it. Recently a 1/2" “weave” became available and resists dents better.
First use was to stiffen up the board, lesson boards need to flex. Moved to parabolic with vector net tail patch.
My personal board 10’-6" with full 1" vector net and 1- 4oz. on the bottom. Thinking that the Kevlar netting works like a post tension type deal. So far no hassles.
acqua and OPS, so is there really any benefit to it?
If all it does is add some surface tension and prevent dings better, wouldnt 4oz and a tight glass job do the same thing? Or am i missing something does Kevlar behave differently.
The world of Kevlar and space age fabrics in surfboards is very new to me, learn me somethin haha
Angus-
Another downside is that it telegraphs through the cloth, meaning if you do a tight lam, you get a bump from it, which you might want to fill with hotcoat. Better would be to have it woven into the cloth, rather than a net. Or you could call the bumps something cool like Kick, and market it as a benefit.
Am I being a dick again? =-)
Using Vector net to add strength where needed. Other than “racing stripes” of which some folk are going back to, what else is out there? And yeah IMO there is value in it. check out Kelley’s board doesn’t look cosmetic.
Subconscious sexual attraction. The similarity is simply too obvious to dismiss.
she looks cold
Killin’ me John, as me scrolls down I’m thinking killer lam job! Am I becoming insensitve to fish net stockings…
Hilarious John.
seriously though, can you wrap a sharp tail edge with it? Or just a round rail?
Fiber orientation is critical, the carbon that runs under the length of Kelley’s board in that pic is likely a small flat tightly grouped unidirectional, which works in conjunction with the stringer to create a stiffer beam that would resist flexing (bending) when pressure is applied to the top…
Whereas if you were to (ahem) laminate those fishnets into the surface or rail of a board the, benefits are less clear, mainly because they are so spread out and not tied into anything…
I would guess the rail in the first picture posted by Oldphart shaper would definately resist dings better, but probably not add much stiffness…
Thickness of skin is by far the main factor of “strengh” for typical stress experiment by thin surfboards skins. Modulus is secondary. That´s way timberflex style skins are so durable if water intrusion problem is solve. Others materials as “thickened glass lam” or glass with thermoformable matrix allow to build thicker tough laminate with lower weight than plain glass. But not as sexy as vectornet for sure.
Or the cork.