Eps 100 or 150?

General Discussion
1

so eps 100 is 20 kg per M3.

and eps 150 is 25 kg per M3.

the price doubles for eps 150.

is eps 100 (20kg per M3 ) good to make surfboards??

Thanks for the help friends.

2

I prefer 1.5PCF (24 kg/m^3) EPS as it is a little denser. The stuff from the big-box stores seems to come in at about 0.9PCF (14kg/m^3) and seems to to dent from just being looked at on the stands. Something around 20kg/m^3 might be good too. With hotwire tools and templates, a block of foam can become a partially-shaped blank in very little time with very little dust and noise.

3

The lower the density, the higher the air/gas content.

The higher the air/gas content, the higher the internal pressure when heated in the hot sun. Higher internal pressure without vents = higher probability of delamination.

Lower density = lower minimum compressive strength and higher probability of pressure dings. Pressure dings increase the probability of delamination.

4

Thanks, i also have another question, how much of a good idea is to work the EPS in the same room and with the same tools i work with poly blanks??

is it enough when i finish shaping one or another to blow the blank really well with the air compressor and then laminate, or should i work the eps somewhere else?

cheers and good waves.

5

so a air vent is recomended? for longevity of the board?

cheers and good waves.

6

For EPS density below 1.5-pcf (25 kg/m^3), I would use a vent.

bb30 used 1.25 pcf (20 kg/m^3) but used it with glass+wood veneer skins.

At 1.5 pcf, vents are insurance policies.

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7

Thanks, i also have another question, how much of a good idea is to work the EPS in the same room and with the same tools i work with poly blanks??

is it enough when i finish shaping one or another to blow the blank really well with the air compressor and then laminate, or should i work the eps somewhere else?

cheers and good waves.

8

20 is good with a sandwich skin deck.

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9

IMO If you’re cleaning up thoroughly, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.

Personally, I like to use a vacuum cleaner with a suitable, new/clean brush attachment used for surfboard shaping clean-up only.
To each their own.

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10

yeah, i try to work with as many tools with vacumm atached, but the surforms etc… they still dust a bit.

Thanks for the help.

11

I mean I use a vacuum cleaner independently, with and without brush attachment, to clean up free-standing foam dust from surforms (etc), the surface of sanded blanks and fiberglass dust from sanded FG surfboard surfaces as well as other work room surfaces.

12

I find that pu foam dust stick to eps foam. I didn’t shape pu blank since 30 years but i epoxy lam on pu for friends, i stop use blowgun that spread thin pu dust everywhere, ended srick to my eps blanks instead i use vaccum cleaner.

1 Like
13

thanks that is really helpfull.

cheers and good waves.