Door Skin Compsand on the Cheap
Is this a “Compsand”? Hard to say.
Just wanted something super easy, super cheap, and super bullet proof so my sons can run each other over.
With the great success of the skim board using the same construction method, we had to give it a go.
My son wants a quad fish. So here is the beginning. Ha.
It is defiantly heavier than a balsa, but not crazy heavy by any means.
Thanks,
WM
Nice! Any glass underneath, or did you just bag on the plywood with foaming PU glue? What are you going to do for rails?
I’ve been wanting to go all-Home Depot on a board for a while. Insulation EPS, doorskin panels, PU glue adhesive, redwood garden-bender-board rail pieces, and marine spar varnish. If the rails went on before the skins, I think it would stay together. 5-minute epoxy on a shaped hardwood fin and give it a bunch of varnish too. Maybe even set it into a slot…I just don’t see the materials adding up to much weight.
good stuff, i have been doing a very simular process with my tow boards where weight was the target.
looks good!
One of my earlier boards was done using gaboon marine ply
1.5mm thick over 2# foam!
So bulletproof… I made it a tiny wide dishy fishy thing, but with a rounded square tail. Figured I wasn’t gunna get it to flex so a little board that doesn’t need to was the ticket.
One thing is, you can using 2 ounce cloth, and it is still tough.
nice one!
I used door skin for the bottom of a 7’ board. I think it’s much too heavy, and I only used it on one side. So much heavier that I’m thinking about sanding the bottom off and redoing it with balsa.
good stuff
ive been planning an MDF one for ages
Doctor, I don’t think we can save him. hehe
good stuff
ive been planning an MDF one for ages
Interesting. I’ll be watching. Keep us updated.
I’d thought about doing one on the cheap like that, but then the biggest investment for me is the time (it takes me a long time to make a compsand). So I figured why skimp on the materials?
ps KK, that little thing looks nice!
lol (still a compsand though)
i wasnt even gunna put glass on the inside
2 to 3mm mdf skins
and 3 oz on the outside
fins are to be in MDF and 5 minute epoxy to the bottom
stick on a new one when they break off
cost under a hundy
durability should be good
weight a bit heavier then a poly
i thought it could be a good way for thirdworld surfers to get something cheap/high performance that lasts
who knows
im just a tripping
I think the last statement is the most correct hehe. From my experience MDF has no strength. It’s hard yes and it makes great speaker boxes cause it doesn’t resonate easily, but in that application you have to brace the heck out of it so it doesn’t flex. An MDF surfboard would crack/snap very easily IMHO. Of course, you could be completely joking and I’m the one trippin making all these replys hehe
lol (still a compsand though)
i wasnt even gunna put glass on the inside
2 to 3mm mdf skins
and 3 oz on the outside
fins are to be in MDF and 5 minute epoxy to the bottom
stick on a new one when they break off
cost under a hundy
durability should be good
weight a bit heavier then a poly
i thought it could be a good way for thirdworld surfers to get something cheap/high performance that lasts
who knows
im just a tripping
Funny to see some interest. Kinda thought I’d be getting clobbered on this one.
Benny, No glass under the door skin at all. We hot-wired the foam true to the final shape, less rails. Rough cut the door skins with a razor utility knife, final shape with a Harbor Freight Laminate Trimmer/Router. 200 grams of epoxy each side for the glue up, some on the foam (no spackel or bog), some on the wood, in the bag. The rails are 80% done now, will get pics tonight. Used 8# pour foam cuz I love that stuff. Ha. I guess in the sprit of an all Home Depot Board, you could use Great Stuff hole filler. It’s only 2# density though.
Hey Dave, got any pics of those tows. Is that a sentence? Were you aiming for heavy?
KK, that board looks great! Are the rails just the foam blank sticking out and turned? Are you still riding that board and how is it holding up? Is it fun to run people over on it?
SharkCounty, from what I’ve seen you guys are way ahead of the curve. What was the inspiration for door skin?
Silly, if this thing ends up way too heavy, we might just paint the sucker and see how many surfs we can get out of it. Ha.
Llilibel, I know what you mean about time in the shed. My boys are at the age where they sometimes like to help, my wife knows why I call the boards “Widow Maker”. She doesn’t think it’s funny anymore. But that is exactly why I wanted to test door skins. It was crazy fast to get to where we are on this board. (Ready to turn the rails). Funny, I used to buy Clark blanks and I was nearly at this point when I walked into my shed. Ha.
Thanks,
WM
ill try one this week eh
in the spirit of widowmaker
my new cheap board hero
Hey Silly,
Just looking at Compsand.com. Can you explain how you are making your vents? I have cast some of the “Bert Specials”. Drilled a small hole through the set screw and resin, then put an O-ring over a patch of GoreTex material. Screwed it all down and tried to draw air through the GoreTex. No can do. I have not put these in any boards yet because I afraid it won’t vent air at all. If I don’t tighten the set screw all the way, then I can draw air. Just not what I had mind shaped.
Thanks,
WM
i just use plastic windsurfer ones
Kit - I’ve always said you make some nice looking boards!
WM, a mate of mine is riding that board now.
I havn’t seen him for a while, but it was solid last time I checked, and he doesn’t surf much.
Cheers for the complements guys! Don’t look too close, thats one of my early boards… 
Good on ya for making cool boards out of everyday materials.
If you design them right, and allow for the properties of the materials you use, i reckon you can make a decent surfboard out of bloody anything!
Sure it may not be as light and high performance, but if you do it right it’ll ride great, and last!
Can’t beat the price, and the satisfaction of making something so sweet on the cheap!
Hey KK,
Here are some more pics of the process.
Tried to contain the pour foam rails by taping on a piece of pipe insulation. Thought this would need to be sanded off later, but it released from the pour foam with little coaxing. That was surprising. That pour foam sticks to everything normally.
You can see how much waste I ended up having.
Need a new method. Any ideas?
I have a plan, but don’t want to taint any free thinkers out there.
The board is further along than this post, so I’ll try and catch up. ha
Thanks,
WM
should’ve just bought a panel of 1" of 1.5" EPS foam
trace the rocker
cut it out with a drywall knife or razor
and glue them on with some gorilla/sumo/PU glue or 5 minute epoxy and tape
you can even cut the rails out of the left over scrap EPS instead of buying more.
way simpler and cleaner than that pour foam option
you could’ve done the same with the excess door skin for an additional perimeter stringer before glueing on the foam rails.
Interesting, I’ll be following your progress closely. Thought about it once, instead of building a frame for a HWS, just vacuum the skins and build the rails in the traditional way. Weigh the final product and let us know, maybe I can give it a try as soon as I build my pump.
Jack
Whelp, here we go.
Ends up a friend of mine saw this board in progress and decide he needed one for himself and his son. We’re doing the son’s first.
5-4 fish, going to have a quad set up using 4 Way Fin System.
I ended up setting the original Lo-Tech door skin to the side.
Everything went as planned, quick and easy. Right now the board has been laminated (4oz on the out side only), the hotcoat on the deck, next will be fin install, hotcoat the bottom, poly gloss for UV protection. This board is not as light as a balsa, I’m thinking in the same ballpark as a poly.
Fully stoked on this little board. The 4 Way folks treated me right.
I’ll keep you guys posted.
Thanks,
WM
