From a custom shapers perspective, what do you want or need from an off the shelf EPS blank ? There are new EPS blanks on the market ,but do they aim up? or is it simply take the best of whats avialable??
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From a custom shapers perspective, what do you want or need from an off the shelf EPS blank ? There are new EPS blanks on the market ,but do they aim up? or is it simply take the best of whats avialable??
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I just wanted to get some info about ding repair...I ended up on Swaylock's.com......Fast forward 4 years....I don't keep track of repairs or glass jobs for other people...only shapes.....24 shapes so far......all glassed by me...not counting the one SinergyTodd has......
14 EPS surfboards....built by Stingray...Glassed by Stingray , Industrial grade 2 pound EPS foam......Hotwire to gloss coat...I have foam from three different suppliers.....standard 2# EPS foam is the same from all suppliers......I will never tell you that EPS is better than Poly.....it's different...
It's nice to have an Industry Standard......POLY surfboard blanks do not have an Industry standard.....
For repairs......Old fashion pu/pe surfboards are best......Slam dunk , give me your money....I do EPS/Epoxy repairs too.....takes more time, more problems......
There is some excellent pressure molded EPS available that produces high quality boards. I was talking to a customer yesterday about this subject. I’ve gone to recommending EPS/Epoxy to everyone now, for a lighter, more durable “standard” board that’s laminated clear with sanded finish. So the stuff has come a long, long way.
There’s a lot of crap out there, too.
NJ , do you get them glued up to your profile ?
Not generally. Usually just get the best foam I can find, and pick the closest tolerance blank they have.
I agree Stingray , EPS , is relyable bought in a raw block . I use it to fill voids cause I,m not into hollow , and a hotwire is a cost effective system that fits the bill perfect . I just got some inquiries for ready to shape EPS blanks , so I thought I,d ask the question and get some informed opinions. I do know that EPS , glued up to required deck line with at least 1/2" of nice balsa , has a nice flex return property, and is comfortable to profile without gettin the constant "ridge" that you get when the stringer is too thin or too hard (as with plywood)................never trusted surfboards that dont have stringers!
About a year ago I was checking out the Marko blanks. They're pressure molded EPS and look close tolerance. I saw one after shaping and it looked just like the industrial stuff I've been using.....SegwayComposites.com has all kinds of good stuff. I have a friend who posts here that says the foam from Segway is really good. Rumor has it that the new 1.5 foam is just as good as the old 2#....People are going nuts on the WMD/ Timberflex threads. I'm amazed at all the awesome boards Swaylocks members build.....
I like stringers......Have you tried PVC?
I would have to agree the 1.5 Segway foam is pretty nice stuff. Your lucky if you can get it directly from Ken. I tried to get some to Hawaii and he laughed. The Pau Hana guys were very helpful though, just took a while.
Segway has PVC in white and brown. It planes nice by hand and machine, but feels too flexy for my taste. The bass has a better flex and so far the material has been clean and easy to shape.
hey Stingray , tried PVC- tried most of the composite boat stuff available -the shapers seem to prefer balsa and its their call really....................they want and I do ! Raw material EPS , and the industries they supply are pretty sophisticated IMO . There's many variations to choose from, to suite your purpose......all you do is ask . The big advantage for custom biulders is, a block of EPS can go into many different designs , which is a cool thing. One very interesting thing = if you make a flexable profile template ( maybe from 1/8" thick EPS) , then bend the deckline into a straight line , then make templates for the hotwire , you get more blanks from a block ...............................also when you bend the straight deckline back to your deck curve ( ie glued up under tension) the finished board has a totally different feel................................but you already new that I bet !! hahaha!
Where is Ken, anyways…? It seems like he hasn’t been posting much lately.
I hope he’s well.
Ken’s around. He emailed me last regards cutting some blanks. He told me I can send him an APS3000 brd file and he could cut the rocker and foil for (approx) an extra $25.
I’ve used only Segway. If you’re onto a good product why change? If it ain’t broke , don’t fix it.
also when you bend the straight deckline back to your deck curve ( ie glued up under tension) the finished board has a totally different feel................................
Hi Kayu - I've often wondered what kind of effect that would have on the ride. I've posted the question here before as to tweaking the rocker (and inducing tension) maybe being part of the recipe for a 'magic' board. I'm still not sure what effect increasing or decreasing the natural rocker might have. I suppose the stringer would play a role there as well.
What's a stringer?
Oh yeah, now I remember stringers...
Kayu,
Marko and US Blanks molded foam is better than any block foam I have tried but they are not very close tolerance. The 6-5 US Blanks is a nice blank. Nothing like being able to hot wire your own. I just hate cutting hardboard to make templates. Its the nastiest stuff in the whole board building process.
Mike D,
Mucho better planer blade life with no stringers as well. Grit drums are happier without stringers as well. BTW looks like something named Bill is coming our way.
Dave D
John , not sure if it's better - it is definately different . I havn't ridden the boards myself , but the feedback is topshelf
Dave D, I know what you mean about the hardboard ! I got the luxury of ordering my foam profiles computer-cut at vey fair price.
EPS is custom shaping AND blank building. Not the best for high volume shortboard production but I'm building nothing but custom SUPs these days and making all my own blanks out of 2# EPS billets. Any length, width, or thickness I want in any rocker profile I want. I can create anything I need for production or testing.
[img_assist|nid=1045398|title=Stacks Of Roughed Out SUPs|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=0|height=0]
See ya in the water, Byron
Hey Kayu
I haven’t used any of the off the shelf EPS blanks that are available in Aus, not that there is a lot to choose from.
I have bought foam from Hi-Tek in Brisbane and found it to be suitable for my needs but my boards are skinned with one thing or another so I can’t comment on making an EPS equivalent to a stock Poly.
I think EPS bought in billet form is the ideal core product for the builder who does one offs and is into experimenting with methods and materials. In Aus close tolerance EPS blanks would certainly be welcomed if the builders had access to quality epoxy suitable for clear lams that didn’t cost an arm and a leg , unless of course you can afford to buy in bulk.
Got any EPS supplier tips .
Cheers
Mooneemick
Theres a supplier down your way Mick - I'll find the details and send 'em down to ya