“Fun on a Plastic Surfboard” was an article that appeared in the July 1953 issue of Popular Mechanics Magazine. Yes, even way back then, garage surboard builders were interested in fabic inlays, syrofoam surfboard blanks and vegetable graters. Young readers today might stumble on some of the terminology. A stringer is a keelson. The resin is dope. Nautical terms like bow and midships are used. 80 board feet of foam is recommended for the project, but don’t ask for that at the local building supply store, because they’ll probably just call security.
I’ve uploaded the three page article so you can view it online, but it would be better to save the jpegs to your own computer so you can enlarge them (if you need them bigger.)
If we go farther back in time, then we come to what I think is the earliest known photo of a twinny fish surfboard on the cover of the June 1927 issue of Popular Mechanics. That’s right…1927. Long before Mr. Lis was even born.
do you any idea what sort of sealer is used in the article? The "sealer" was applied to the styofoam blank, the cotton fabric was smoothed on and then another coat of sealer was applied to the fabric. The same was done on the other side of the board with a little extra sealer on the laps. When dry it was ready to be covered with fiberglass and catalyzed resin. Sounds a bit like that Swaylock's thread about how to glass with poly resin on a Home Depot EPS blank.
I guess it’s possible they meant a wood sealer that was common at that time, but what? Something water based? Maybe I’ll have to look through more of the old magazines.
Very good question. Shellac would work, and I think an alcohol based aircraft fabric dope would be better. I think there was a nitrocellulose dope available. A lacquer based dope would possibly react with the styrene based foam. So, my guess is that an alcohol based product was used. If a laquer dope was compatable with the foam, that would be the best choice, in my opinion. Interesting sidebar, a nitrocellulose dope was used on the HINDENBERG, that’s why it burned so well.
edit: Velzy’s first foam board was coated with shellac, as I remember. The cosmetics of shellac are not good at all.
