H.Depot EPS Foam Shaping

Aloha , I had seen a few posts about making blanks out of H. Depot EPS foam . How do you shape it without it “Flaking” a lot . Looks like the Beads in the foam would be a problem… Thanks.

It planes and sands fine…just go slow with the planer,and have sharp blades.Use a heavy glass schedule. Peace and waves… http://www.savesymrnainlet.org

You can get eps foam at Home depot?? What section is it in, I have never seen it there but I have never looked either.

insulfoam, its sold in the roofing section in 8X4 sheets, usually only up to 3 inches thick, I have seen 4 inch in some stores, Im sure they could order 4 inch for you. http://www.surfboardglassing.com

Another method…check out the link below, call, and find out who distributes insulfoam’s foam near you. Cost is about $2.50 per square foot. I custom ordered a chunk 24" x 30" x 12’ that cost me $150. Gary http://www.premier-industries.com/insulfoam.cfm?topic=locations

home dopot has foam…? what like squared of 3" all the way .ahhh forget it too much shaping for somebody like me then what i would have to glue a stringer…ahhhh!

yes it’ll need a stringer but that’s the good part: you can put in multiple, Tband or whatever. Clark Foam charges about $20 for each additional stringer in a tank sized blank - that’s $40 for a triple stringer board. CERTAINLY the wood’s not worth that much. I long for a simple rig to make a straight cut in a blank (lengthwise).

I had Home depot cut mine for me on the ripsaw. http://www.surfboardglassing.com

When you cut for the stringer do you set your rocker at that time? I would guess that you could make a jig out of ply wood and use that to hold your rocker, right?

I am just about to glass a 70’s style fish I made with EPS from HD and I am not going to use a stringer. The board is 6’2" and will have a heavy glass schedule 3x6oz deck and a 6+4oz bottom. I am using rail channels to stiffen the whole thing up. I used a masonite template for the rocker profile I took off a friends board (70’s twin ) of the same length.Then I hot wired out the profile. No need to “bend” in rocker if you can make a profile of some sort,or are lucky enough to know someone who has them. If its too flexy when done I will surely put a stringer in the next,doing it this way to see what happens. I would like to make an egg shape next…anyone have a rocker profile they would be willing to share?? I am in FLA, or if you have done the same thing(no stringer…) any tips or cautions? I will be using RR epoxy. Peace and waves… http://www.savesymrnainlet.org

clark will sell you rocker sticks,I beleive, just buy one and clamp it all together. Use the natural rocker of the blank your closest too off the clark info pages per that blank and go from there. http://www.surfboardglassing.com

TK for the info.

Aloha … How did you shape the EPS foam Does’nt it “flake” a lot . Being the large beads it is… Thanks…

I forget who posted it (Greg L.?), but he said that the foam at Home Depot is too soft and inevitably fails- believe he said to look in the yellow pages for Architectual Foam, which is a stronger grade. I agree, the type of foam from H.P. does not plane so nicely. Maybe my tools are dull. D.