Is there a simple, low tech method to test a vent before install?
Or to Test it after cutting it out of the board after the fact?.
I never had any interest in foam under 2# but I scored some deals.....now I'm venting......
Is there a person in San Diego county that wants to test my vent?
Wood veneers will expand and contract a lot (and fast) . If I vacum a 1/42 veneer (dry ) that is 30 inches wide at 20 hg and hold the vacum 8 or so hours the veneer will shrink 1/4 to 3/8 inch depending on what kind of wood. If I laminate that veneer to a wood substrate useing epoxy at 20 hg as the resin is pulled into the veneer the veneer will expand ( I assume from takeing in all that resin) and the seams in the veneers will buckle. If the veneers is vacumed useing epoxy in the normal method the joints will be tight and not buckle . Useing a layer of cloth under the veneer is insurance that the veneer will not expand or contract. The weak spot is in the foam as it is not strong enough by itself to restrain the veneer. So the glass cloth underneath the veneer is preventing the veneer from moveing. The more hgs pulled and the more bleed into the veneer the more stable the veneer. Of coarse you are limited to how many hg you can pull because of the foam weight. So the moral is the more stable the substrate and veneer the less likely delams. Even a 28 inch 1/4 thick sandwich of balsa and 4 oz cloth can expand and contract 1/8 or 3/16 inch. The rule in veneering is always do on one side what you do on the other . So at least 2 oz under the veneer and whatever oz over the veener.. Foam core surfboards will simply self destruct over time regardless of how they are glassed . The enemy of foam is heat . The only foam that is exempt from that is carbon foam which is used in the space industry and is far to expensive to use for surfboards. It is only a mater of time untill foams that are not affected by heat are developed by the eggheads.
Ray, there’s no way to test a non-removable vent on the board except to get it hot and squirt some soapy water on it. You don’t need to get it blazing hot, just about 10 min’s and start squirting. Out of the board, you need to make a fixture so that you can pressurize one side of the vent and stick the other in a container of water to look for bubbles.
Hey Stingray
Sorry the vent was defective. We test every one by filling with water and blowing compressed air through the bottom to make bubbles. The few that don’t bubble get tossed. Maybe this one slipped through the process.
As far as testing, simply putting heat under the plug won’t do anything. It’s pressure in the board that pushes the steam through the gortex membrane. Try blowing air through the bottom.
Let me know if we can send you another plug to replace it or I’ll refund you for that one. Whatever’s cool with you my friend.
~Brian
Brian-------You are a man of integrity and sucess. Best of luck for your future sucess in these tough economic times.
I did not start this thread to Bash Greenlight. I made quite a few mistakes that have been pointed out. Thank you to all the people sending me install videos.... but ...I have installed PeteC plugs and Greenlight plugs and the instructions are really good from both vendors. Vent plug install is not the problem. Sounds like my hair drier test was not really good.... I want to use compressed air to test the vent. But there's a good chance that I would just blow out the whole thing with too much pressure....I took the 12'6 SUP out in the sun Monday after noon to heat up along with the 5'6" fish. The Greenlight vents are working in those boards......
In good Faith...as a stand up guy...I am going to buy 2 plugs from each vendor...and I expect to pay full price...check your pm's.....Stingray
Thanks McDing.
~Brian
Ray,
Thanks. 2 plugs on the way. I won’t accept your money though. Fair is fair.
~Brian
A ltitle trick I picked up along the way is to install the standard vent but under the skin/laminate before you bag on your skin or glass your skin whichever your using then drill/round out the whole for the screw, shove a marker with tape on it in the whole and then hotcoat to be sure its sealed along the ring… this way has survived years now with no issues and looks great. Also you can put it in there and if you forget where you put it under the skin i found out that a stud finder will find it under there… got lucky there