Okay, I’m building a new board, and I bought foam that is the correct thickness instead of thicker to make the amount of shaping less (Last time the whole deck needed to be thinned). To do this, I plan to use a rocker table and vacuum bag to get my foam to bend to the shape of my stringer, make the glue up easier etc. what is the easiest way to get a decent rocker table. I have my rocker shape, excess foam sheet, plywood, extra wood for bracing, and a sheet of masonite.
I think you were asking about APS3000 earlier so this might work out for you. I traced my rocker curve onto a sheet of hardboard from home depot, cut two copies, and bolted them on to little frames as seen in the photo. Then a cheap sheet of formica countertop over top. Corrugated cardboard works too. I had to prop up the formica with wood blocks between the rocker curves the first time, this time around (as seen in pic) I’m using a third curve for support in the middle. I think the whole shebang costed about $25. (dog not included)
To get the foam stuck to the curve you can either stick the whole thing in or put weights on the bag to make it fit.
Nathan, You can avoid the whole vacuum bag step by simply precutting your stringer to the desired rocker, then bend the foam to conform to the stringer when it gets glued up. Doug
Take a piece of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood, 2 ft. wide and the length of your surfboard. Screw or nail it to a table in the middle, where your rocker apex would be. Stuff wood blocks or whatever under both ends. Push them in or out and measure to get the desired nose and tail rocker.
cut two extra stringers attach them to a 1-2ft wide sheet of 1/4-1/2" cheap ply or masonite
weigh down the clamped glue up on the table to maintain the rocker.
diassemble when done to reuse stringers as stringers using new board as rocker table.
or
get an inner tube and slice it into a long long 1" wide strip
get a thin sheet of masonite as long and wide as your foam
glue and temporarily tape the foam to the stringer with the masonite flush along the bottom and wrap the whole contraption with the inner tube strap and tie or stap tot he masonite to secure. masonite will keep the bottoms of the foam and stringer flush and rubber clamp will gently squeeze everything tight until the glue dries…
