I’m about to start my first build and I would like some input on my step-by-step and design. I’m looking to make a board that will easily surf knee high waves yet also fit in my office. I want something that will paddle fast, catch waves easy, and be a simple transition from longboard. I think a large mini simmons (kinda an oxymoron) will work well. I’ve created a 6’6" in AKU shaper that is 23" wide, 3" thick, with 1/2" tail rocker and 3" nose rocker- I belive it is about 51 liters volume. Does this seem like it will fit the bill for design? I know its huge for a mini simmons, but I’m 230lbs and in meh shape at the moment. I would prefer to sacrifice maneuverability over wave catch ability.
Now onto construction. For availability/economics, I want to go with Home Depot XPS (Foamular 250). My plan for a blank is to cut profiles that would be similar to what the stringer would look like and glue them together side by side with Gorilla Glue (or other PU). So essentially it would be 12 two-inch slices glued up. I’ve seen a few examples on here that utilize this method. This would allow me to get the rocker and thickness pretty close in the blank. I plan on shaping the outline, rails, and single concave with hand tools- no planer.
Does this all make sense? How about glassing? I have read the surfer Steve method and that seems adequate, but how many layers for top and bottom for this grade of XPS? The board will live in my office, so I am not terribly worried about delam.
I understand that there are a million ways of doing this, I mostly just want to know if this way will work. For cost reasons I am pretty set on using XPS. If I ruin this blank it will only run me about $18- versus $100 for a US blank.
I ride several boards that are a mix of XPS and EPS, I have a couple XPS only and EPS only. I don’t have issues with delams, but I don’t use the same board all the time. I rotate between about 10 boards, some are PU/PE, some are EPS glassed without a skin, 2 are XPS glassed without a skin and the rest are Compsands (wood veneers over the foam).
The only thing I’ll say is that making a board from a PU surfboard blank and glassing it with Poly resin is much easier and so much faster. You’ll get better results because you can concentrate on the shape and not trying to make the blank then get the shape. Plus glassing with Poly is easier than Epoxy once the board is laminated.
All great questions.....no one thinks you are an ass. As a matter of fact you need to keep asking these types of questions......Hard core is good,,,we are not insulted....Get it right before you start.
Stingray has never built a surfboard using XPS or that type of foam.....I've seen too many delam issues. The crew at the Low Tech Lab has done several surfboards with EPS foam anywhere from 1# - 2.5#. We've been lied to about foam density. More than once. Stingray and the crew also do US Blanks Poly with RR epoxy resin.....a very good combo.
I love a homemade surfboard. Some people have posted places to source blanks.....Aqua quoted really close to $100.....A proper blank with a proper rocker is worth the money.......Ray
Thanks for all the info. The $140 shipping cost was based on Foamez flat rate shipping, but I now see that Greenlight ships single EPS blanks for $49 which would put me at $130 for a blank shipped… not too bad
Maybe I am mistaken, but I keep hearing only two opinions: one says “Do it, I’ve made plenty of boards out of that stuff” and the other is “That foam is shit” - How many of the ‘that foam is shit’ guys have made boards out of this stuff? I apologize if this comes across as me being an ass, but I am genuinely curious. Are the negative thoughts about the foam based on experience? Tradition? Is delamination the main issue?
I’ve made several dozen boards using EPS and XPS, and at least a dozen have been from cutting rocker profiles and then gluing them to get the right width.
My best advice is to get the thickest foam you can. 2" thick foam and you’ll have 10 slices to get 20" width. That’s a lot of cutting for the slices, a lot of glue to hold them together, and then a lot of work truing up the blank. The foam I’ve used was either 4" thick or 6" thick and I needed 3 or more slices to get my boards. It can get heavy with all the gluing so I’ve chambered a couple and that helped to lighten it, but it’s a lot of work, and things can go wrong at so many different stages.
If you can get 3" thick x 24" wide foam, you can hack out a board from a single slab then use a little weight to add a bit more nose rocker. Personally, I’d make a board at least 7’ egg or fun shape with the maximium thickness to get your best wave catching. The McCoy Nugget shape is a great way to go.
Another thought is to get one of those Costco 8’ foam boards. I have one and many of my friends do as well. They are wave catching machines, and ride small waves pretty good. I have friends that ride them in really good overhead waves and have a great time. They are not just for beginners.
If you are in MA, try contactin g Jon Chino, Vec, or Roger Beale. They may let you piggy-back a blank in one of their shipments. Vec is right in Orleans on the Cape.
You are just not looking at the right places if you are at 240 to get a blank shipped to you.
We ship boxes of blanks to the northeast all the time for about 70 bucks for a 6-8 blank box.
single boards ship for less, blank plus shipping you are looking at 110-120 ish depending on the whos and wheres you buy from but keep in mind its about the same price to ship 8 as it is 1.
Not to poke at anyone on the East Coast but for the most part the price of any blank you buy on the East Coast already has a shipping charged tagged to it, then its shipped again.
Hence why blanks that are 50 here are 65 there. Many people just cut the middle shipment out and buy from CA suppliers.
Please re-think the type of foam you plan on using.....do not take my comments as negative.
And please contact Greenlight because sooner or later you have to buy resin and cloth. Maybe get a package deal from Greenlight or FoamEZ. I was forced to build my own blanks because Clark Foam closed.. ..The biggest Red Light in your post so far is the type of foam you plan on using......
you went from $100 blank to $240 with a wink of the eye.....at $240 you might as well go full on GrainSurfboards with the whole wood thing...you already have the clamps and the beer.
Thanks for the replies all. Just to clarify, the $100 blank cost was a guess/hope. Its funny that jrandy mentioned Hanlon- he shaped me a board last summer (with me watching over his shoulder). That was the inspiration to do it on my own. He did a great job and is a super cool guy, I’m sure he would sell me a blank… if he has an extra one… he pretty much just shapes 9’+ boards.
If I order a blank myself it is $240 with the shipping cost…
Too many projects end with paralysis by analysis. Aside from a few nay votes, I feel good that this will work. I understand using a factory blank my eliminate some headache, but I just want this first one to be quick and dirty. I have all the clamps I’ll need, and $18 is an easy purchase to justify. I don’t set an hourly wage for my free time- otherwise I’d have some serious lost wages due to beer drinking hah.
I’ll be starting a new thread soon and post my progress, if its a trainwreck please enjoy the show. Hopefully it will turn out alright. I’ll track my time and try and be as detailed as possible. Thanks for the help everyone. I really appreciate all the input both positive and negative.
If you look at it that way then yes. For me I don’t allow a cost for time on hobbys its all for fun. I’m pretty happy making odd looking boards and drinking beer in the shed.
Obviously Barrys at whole different level building some amazing boards.
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Ray how will it cost him 100 bucks to build the blank? 18 for foam 5-10 for some glue
The glue wasn't a major problem just have to be aware of it as you go.
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I have a great respect for Barry Snyder...Surfboard building is my hobby.
Track your hours at $8.00 an hour. I did the whole hot wire thing with top quality EPS foam. Not crappy HD foam. Buy the foam, draw out the foam,cut the foam, glue up the foam, buy the clamps or tape or bicycle innertubes ect. Fight with the glue....it goes on and on........now try to shape your super duber not so perfect blank....with not so great foam....with hand tools....and resin is much cheaper if you buy a drum...........and make sure you track your hours.....be honest.......
First Quality US Blanks are worth the money...............a "real" Mini Simmons sells for $1100 at Mitch's in Solona Beach.
the $100.00 blank is worth the money........but........the Sway's crew will do everything possible to prove me wrong!..Ray
Carry on! Make sure you have fun on your journey................
Hi Lex, did you say you are from NH? Anywhere near Mr. Hanlon’s shop? It helped me greatly to actually meet a shaper who allowed my son and I to watch him work, and sometimes they can get you a blank easier/less expensive than you can get one yourself.
That being said, I have made 3@20$ EPS blanks from one 4x8’ x 6" sheet of roofing foam (2 whole and 3rd one is from pieces)…but it adds time on to the front end of the project-chasing down materials, cutting rocker templates, cutting/gluing up stringers. If I could (do it over) I would skip that process for a first board since there is plenty of other things to make, buy, and do to get the first board out of the shop and in the water.
I would also skip low VOC and poly resins and homemade vent plugs and go straight to epoxy and industry standard hardware.
When you build a house do you use the cheapest materials possible???
...or...Do you use a solid foundation with quality materials? Top to bottom???
A 6'10" US Blanks in EPS foam will cost you less than $80 in Oceanside, California. That blank will be 24" Wide....and almost 4" thick...poly will cost about 10 bucks extra.....that 100 dollar blank you speak of is a good deal......but you don't see it......
it will cost you more than 100 to build the blank you talk about.....and you will have other major issues..........but you already made up your mind .....so build the blank......and don't bitch about the price of resin.................Stingray.
Tommorth, obviously the less glue I have to deal with the better. You didn’t have any issues shaping with the minimal glue between pieces?
I appreciate the support spey. I can’t wait to get going, as a woodworker and avid DIYer I know this is just the beginning. After seeing my shape on AKU shaper, my girlfriend is already requesting I make her a board haha.
I had a feeling that glass schedule was a little overkill chrisp… especially after looking at fiberglass prices hah. If the 4oz is easier to wrap, that sounds ideal, thanks!
Hey Lex, you seem to have your mind made up on your choice of foam. But…You have been given great advice from Crisp & others. Work with xps on your first board!!! glueing up bstrips of board etc is definitely more challenging & I appreciate you have your creative juices flowing, but keep it simple on the first couple! Most guys after building one usually keep on shaping & building more (to the detriment of all else in cases!) Go with the home depot eps foam & use epoxy or preferably buy a decent blank for the board you want. I am in the North of Scotland & understand about steep shipping costs! It’s a steep learning curve though & your going tae have loads of other things to contend with. just my tuppence worth. Build, surf it & learn from it! Good luck.
