I am new to shaping, and I have come across Homeblown Board Blanks (UK) in my materials research. How do they compare, first of all, pricewise to blanks manufactured in the US (they are priced in pounds)? Also, they mention their blanks are stronger than the average blank and more friendly to the environment. How sound is this claim? What sort of a market do they have?
hi ive been using homeblown since i started 10 boards ago. they are pretty good! 1: they are more water proof than a clark 2: cheaper by around £10 than a clark from seabase 3: much more helpful company (guy who blows the blanks will come speak to you if you have a complex question) 4: pretty close tolerance 5: i bought three blanks and now i get them for the second rate price!
hi ive been using homeblown since i started 10 boards ago. they are pretty > good! 1: they are more water proof than a clark 2: cheaper by around £10 > than a clark from seabase 3: much more helpful company (guy who blows the > blanks will come speak to you if you have a complex question) 4: pretty > close tolerance 5: i bought three blanks and now i get them for the second > rate price! I was at homeblown 3 weeks ago when i was on a trip too cornwall. I was shown around the factory. Nice guys. The foam is harder on the inside, the clarks are harder on the outside. http://www.homeblown.co.uk/
I was at homeblown 3 weeks ago when i was on a trip too cornwall. I was > shown around the factory. Nice guys. The foam is harder on the inside, the > clarks are harder on the outside. I hate to sound too ignorant, but does the hardness of the core vs. the hardness of the surface make a lot of difference in the overall performance or durability of the board? Also, does this have an effect on the weight of the blank? How much business does Homeblown do in the USA?
I hate to sound too ignorant, but does the hardness of the core vs. the > hardness of the surface make a lot of difference in the overall > performance or durability of the board? Also, does this have an effect on > the weight of the blank? How much business does Homeblown do in the USA? if the core is harder it may take a tiny bit more shaping, but you have a much stronger end product! i dont know if homeblown ship to america, but they are growing in business in the uk and europe
if the core is harder it may take a tiny bit more shaping, but you have a > much stronger end product! i dont know if homeblown ship to america, but > they are growing in business in the uk and europe I was talking to a wel known shaper from the uk this weekend and he told me these blanks were awful, there where soft spots and hard spots in the blanks he used it for awhile but stopped because of this and other problems. A friend of mine is using these to make kite boards and told me the same, he did’nt mind cause he was using hardfoam over it before the glas layers. Peter Rijk.
hi ive been using homeblown since i started 10 boards ago. they are pretty > good! 1: they are more water proof than a clark 2: cheaper by around £10 > than a clark from seabase 3: much more helpful company (guy who blows the > blanks will come speak to you if you have a complex question) 4: pretty > close tolerance 5: i bought three blanks and now i get them for the second > rate price! May I correct a few errors & myths in your reply - firstly, Homeblown are not more waterproof than Clark, secondly, they are not £10 more expensive Thirdly, if they are more helpful than us then please e-mail me and I will put that right, forthly, there is no other blank that is closer tolerance than a Clark Fifthly, second rate prices are for second rate blanks and finally (ask SAS!) Clark Foam is so much more environmentally friendly (water blown) while the blowing agent used by Homeblown is so toxic that it is about to be banned! (True!) PLease be more careful and informed before posting replies like this on such a respected site.
Hey everybody, thanks for the input. It sounds to me that when it comes to Homeblown blanks you either love them or hate them. I guess it pretty much depends on what impact they have on your business. Clarkfoam’s quality is no doubt the industry icon (no arguments there), but every rose has its thorn. CFC issues plague them. Environment freindly mfg. is very important in the states, and things are getting more strict. About this blowing agent Homeblown uses? I did not know. More on this?
Hey everybody, thanks for the input. It sounds to me that when it comes to > Homeblown blanks you either love them or hate them. I guess it pretty much > depends on what impact they have on your business. Clarkfoam’s quality is > no doubt the industry icon (no arguments there), but every rose has its > thorn. CFC issues plague them. Environment freindly mfg. is very important > in the states, and things are getting more strict. About this blowing > agent Homeblown uses? I did not know. More on this? I have to delare an interest in this debate as we are European distributors of Clark Foam. The enviromental issues are these: Fact: Clark Foam is not only the best foam, it is definitely the most environmentally safe producer of Expanded PU foam surf blanks in the world. They will not say much at all,(modesty?) but their factory has met the most stringent environmental and safety inspections, not only in California (you know how stringent they are!) but exceeeded the most stringent world targets, now and in the future, by a substantial margin. Their blowing agent is totally non-toxic, totally environmentally sound, and totally safe. It is a non-cfc! CFC issues do not plague Clark Foam. They are fully permitted by the environmental agencies… Fact: Homeblown use HFC-365 mfc as a blowing agent. It is a powerful global warmer, a a product that, according to the International Panel on Climate Change, “has a 9.9 year lifetime in the atmosphere with a 100 year Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 890 times the warming impact over 100 years of 1 tonne of Carbon Dioxide”. This is one of the products the Kyoto agreement sought to ban, and the EU is soon to ban. The truth, therefore, is so very different to the perception, and I do think surfers in general in the US as well as here should be aware of the facts, hence this reply. European stringency, enshrinied in agreements like the Kyoto agreement, are generally a public agreement followed by private non-compliance. At leat the US had the guts to recognise they would not sign agreements at Kyoto they could not possibly keep. Meanwhile, a blind eye is turned against the use of chemicals (such as above)that might be banned elsewhere, while trumpeting environmental issues for the sake of a generally blaise, and certainly naiive, EU public. This is the future of the EU. Lies, cheating, fraud and incompetence. Be aware.
Fact: Homeblown use HFC-365 mfc as a blowing agent. It is a powerful > global warmer, a a product that, according to the International Panel on > Climate Change, has a 9.9 year lifetime in the atmosphere with a 100 year > Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 890 times the warming impact over 100 > years of 1 tonne of Carbon Dioxide . This is one of the products the Kyoto > agreement sought to ban, and the EU is soon to ban. In my opinion, this message is strongly biassed: 1)I don´t think that it is due to modesty that clark foam does not publish any article concerning their chemicals used. 2)The clark foam msds states that clark foam uses TDI which is known to cause cancer. 3)What does “water blown” mean? Thanks Henning
In my opinion, this message is strongly biassed:>>> 1)I don´t think that it is due to modesty that>>> clark foam does not publish any>>> article concerning their chemicals used.>>> 2)The clark foam msds states that clark foam uses>>> TDI which is known to cause cancer.>>> 3)What does “water blown” mean?>>> Thanks Henning Its baised insomuch as we are Clark Foam advocates, and their agents. They care, and we know they care. It’s biased because we are Europe’s largest user and distributor of blanks. It is baised because we are so concerned about environmental issues, that we were the first company in Europe to use water based paints, speedcote and, soon we hope, resin. We care, too. Tdi and Mdi are both possible carcinogens. Mdi is less likely to evaporate, (the main problem) so is used less carefully. Tdi, used by Clark Foam in a fully closed system, is far less likely to cause cancers if its evaporation can be fully controlled. It is at Clark Foam. It is fully contained, to the same standards as Nasa keeps air in its capsules. Mdi, in contrast, is much more dangerous than Tdi when it is dissolved in water, incinerated or evaporated (I will publish the appropriate research if you are interested). Keep in mind his thread concerned the cfc aspects. In Clark Foam’s case the cfc issue is not applicable, you have moved the goal posts raising the Tdi/Mdi issue. But Clark Foam have spent the money (a lot) and taken their green & safety credentials totally seriously. Others have not. Water blown means what it says. It doesn’t take a genius to work out what Clark Foams blowing agent might be. So water blown is exactly what it says it is. The FACT is, you should know that Clark Foam meets all the world’s toughest regs, now and for the foreseeable future. Homeblown does not. In terms of safety, environmental issues, and worker concerns, Clark Foam is so far ahead that if they cared to push the issue several of their competitors, icluding Homeblown if the authorities here were minded, would possibly be closed down immediately. (I happen to know because Homeblown & I went head to head in a Surfers Against Sewage article, June 2002). I also happen to know that Homeblown tried to get the import of Clark Foam into the UK banned via their MEP (Member of European Parliament) by presenting totally false and totally misleading information. They guessed others could not be as green. In fact, Clark Foam was simply miles ahead, a far deeper shade of green. It was Homeblown that had the problem with their blowing agent. Clark Foam’s dignified attitude was let the competitor make an arse of themselves. They sure did! With the greatest of respect, you must come to these forums grounded in facts, not with the proceeds of false and totally dishonest promotional claptrap. good surfing Mus Steward
With the greatest of respect, you must come to these forums grounded in > facts, not with the proceeds of false and totally dishonest promotional > claptrap.>>> good surfing>>> Mus Steward Mr. Steward, I am not involved in producing or selling surfboard blanks, therefore it is more likely that “promotional claptrap” is on the business site of the two of us. I´m studying mechanical engeneering and build boards, thats why I´m interested in buying good and green blanks. A blowing agent is a substance that causes the polymer to build air bubbles which are trapped in the fluid and produce what we know as foam. Does water blown mean that clark foam does pump water into the fluid polymer? Sorry, I can´t imagine this process. The two components used for producing polyurethane foam react after being poured into the mould and produce this blowing agent by themselves ( carbon dioxide ). Why is there the need to use the cfc you mentioned? Thanks Henning
Mr. Steward,>>> I am not involved in producing or selling surfboard blanks, therefore it > is more likely that “promotional claptrap” is on the business > site of the two of us. I´m studying mechanical engeneering and build > boards, thats why I´m interested in buying good and green blanks. A > blowing agent is a substance that causes the polymer to build air bubbles > which are trapped in the fluid and produce what we know as foam. Does > water blown mean that clark foam does pump water into the fluid polymer? > Sorry, I can´t imagine this process. The two components used for producing > polyurethane foam react after being poured into the mould and produce this > blowing agent by themselves ( carbon dioxide ). Why is there the need to > use the cfc you mentioned?>>> Thanks Henning If you mean the 365, there is now a need to use it. Many do, as well as the newer, less damaging Hexachlorofluorides (I think thats the spelling). PM me and i’ll give you further details.
If you mean the 365, there is now a need to use it. Many do, as well as > the newer, less damaging Hexachlorofluorides (I think thats the spelling).>>> PM me and i’ll give you further details. If you have further details, please share them with all of us. I can’t speak for everyone on this board but I’m sure there are many who are VERY interested in the environmental impacts of the materials we use, and would like to make the best choices we can. Thanks!
If you have further details, please share them with all of us. I can’t > speak for everyone on this board but I’m sure there are many who are VERY > interested in the environmental impacts of the materials we use, and would > like to make the best choices we can. Thanks! Sorry, that should have read “there is now NO need to use it”.
If you have further details, please share them with all of us. I can’t > speak for everyone on this board but I’m sure there are many who are VERY > interested in the environmental impacts of the materials we use, and would > like to make the best choices we can. Thanks! And I think it would be interesting to hear what homeblown has to say concerning this subject.