Help..1lb eps foam

General Discussion
1

I’ve shaped quite a few blanks using the Home Depot foam, both pink and blue, and I am ready to move up in the shaping world.  Unfortunately, I live in central NY state and the nearest block foam manufacturer only has 1lb density EPS.  Is this solid enough for a board, I plan on using 6oz glass, 2 layers on top, one on bottom, epoxy resin…Appreciate the help. 

Also, they quoted me $160 for a block with dims of 8ft long, 4 ft wide, and 2 ft tall.  They said they could quarter it up for me 8X2X1 to work with it easier.  Sound like a reasonable price?

2

Price sounds about right. Are you slicing out flat sheets to bend, or are you hotwiring out your rocker from the blocks? If hotwiring rocker I’d ask for the billet just sliced down the middle  (8’x2’x2’), I’m about to order the same thing myself. Is 1# all you can get? I’m going with either 1.5# or 2# and I’m hotwiring out my rocker. Having it split is a good plan so you can glue in your stringer without having to split the blank yourself, save yourself a step and possible mishaps and you’d definately want at least 1 stringer, maybe even double stringers in 1# depending on your build method (correct me if I’m wrong, anyone). I was just quoted $220.00 for a 8x4x4 block of 1.5# split in half, but I’m getting it at my friend’s cost (which comes out to store cost +10%). So for retail, your quote sounds about right, as far as I know.

Oh yeah, also find out if there is a mininum order. Min order at my source is $125.00, but then ya get free shipping, just have to wait about a week or whenever their next regular truckload comes in.

Hope this helps, just my $0.02 worth of recent experience.

J.D.

3

1lb foam is soft. You may have a lot of pressure dents or delamination. We use 1lb, but always under wood skins. Can you vac bag skins? If yes, 1lb will be ok.

I think the white EPS foam Home Depot sells is 1lb, but they don’t sell pink or blue in Hawaii. We get blue dow foam from Lowes, and that can be glassed without a wood skin.

4

it is the easiest thing to do: make a blank

Trust me cut your own stringer it’s so easy and you will have a better blank.

Put a 2 pound weigh on each end of a piece of INCONNEL wire that is about 10" longer than the length of your blank.

Pull it tight and let the weights hang at each end. Place your alligator clips on each end of the wire.

Turn your variac on and let the wire cut trough the blank. You will have a perfect straight cut. Don’t forget to turn the variac off after the cut is made and the weights fall to the floor. No fancy bow needed to cut stringers.

Sand both sides of the cut with 60 grit before glue in your stringer.

There are no secretes!

 

Surfding

5

[quote="$1"]

I've shaped quite a few blanks using the Home Depot foam, both pink and blue, and I am ready to move up in the shaping world.  Unfortunately, I live in central NY state and the nearest block foam manufacturer only has 1lb density EPS.  Is this solid enough for a board, I plan on using 6oz glass, 2 layers on top, one on bottom, epoxy resin...Appreciate the help. 

Also, they quoted me $160 for a block with dims of 8ft long, 4 ft wide, and 2 ft tall.  They said they could quarter it up for me 8X2X1 to work with it easier.  Sound like a reasonable price?

[/quote]

Surfding is a really good guy. He shares some good stuff.

I saw your post....Bad Ray wants to just go off on a rant !....

1# foam, where the heck do you live....What are you thinking...ect ,ect ect,.....Good Ray jumps in and puts out the fire.....

You want to.... "move up in the shaping world"....that's a good thing....

Why go from Home depot foam to Block foam of the same quality???? There's nothing wrong with building surfboards with Home depot products...but if you want to move up you can't start with 1# foam...

I know nothing about New York...I did a Google Map search.

You are near New Jersey ,Pennsylvania and Boston....You can get good foam....Time to "network"...

FoamEZ.com and Greenlight ship anywhere. Rachel is somewhere around Delaware. She builds Rad surfboards...Lots of Sways surfers from Jersey...

I'm in California. I can get good  foam close to home (less than 10 miles)....I drove 80 miles one way for my last 3 blanks. Worth the trip ...

Step it up! You can do it!

 

Ray

6

Hey, thanks for all the great input!  I'm located out of Binghamton NY, close to the PA border about 3 hrs from NYC.  I have no problem with the HD blanks, they've actually worked out great for me.  The only reason I looked up this other place (Rimco Plastics) was becuase they sell block EPS that is white in color, a change from the normal blue and pink.  They do have a minimum order, gotta get at least 1 (8X4X4) block.  They will cut it however I please, I agree with you badhoudini, thanks for the advice to rip it down the middle.  

I dont have access/experience with putting skins over a blank and thats why I hesitate to order just the 1lb EPS,  I've used the 1.5 and 2 in the past and it has worked great.  

I agree, going from HD XPS to 1lb EPS might not be "moving up."  I was hoping to get some solid White foam, hot wire out the rocker and glue up a stringer...instead of buying the 1.5 inch XPS sheets and gluing/bending...stacking up weights and other random heavy objects around the basement :D

7

First XPS Blank

Here's what I got out of my first HD XPS blank, very pleased for a NY rookie who surfs lake Ontario more than the Ocean.

8

Here's a few more from the first build...everyone loves pics

Blank Glue up

9

Good tip! Hadn’t though of the “gravity feed” method. Thanks maybe I’ll try that one myself.

10

Listen to the Ding! He knows his stuff. Way more advanced than us backyard builders but he is always willing to share his wisdom.

11

The pink and blue foam are xps the white foam is eps. There areb big differences in the 2. You should check out the white foam before buying a block.

12

"I plan on using 6oz glass, 2 layers on top, one on bottom, epoxy resin..."

Hi -

In light of those XPS boards you've built (look nice by the way), 1 lb EPS might be a step backward?

As Shark Country points out they are different materials.  1 lb EPS is soft and spongy.  You might be OK with that glass schedule but things like deck denting are relative to the beholder... some guys apparently want their decks caved in. 

FWIW XPS (pink and blue) sold through Home Depot, etc is listed as minimum 1.6 lb/cu ft density and has a different structure than EPS (bead foam.)

Best bet is to ask for samples or buy some small pieces of the various densities.  Slice them up as test panels and glass them along with scraps of your XPS with various combinations to see what works for you. 

PS - how are your XPS boards holding up?  Any delam issues?  Any specific prep pre-glassing?

    

13

Hey gerlic22, those shots of the blanks looks like you’re doing OK. If there are no issues with doing that, I’d stick to it. Those boards will be a lot stronger than white eps foam.

As far as shaping, EPS and XPS foams are not easy foams to shape. If you hone your skills on XPS, EPS should be a bit faster to cut, also a bit more fragile and easier to mess up. PU would be like slicing butter with a hot knife compared to EPS or XPS.

Another good thing about XPS foam is that you leave it rough and not super smooth before glassing, so that saves a bit of time. EPS and PU will need to be smooth, and you may want to seal EPS before glassing.

For the easiest and quickest board, I’d go to PU blanks and Poly UV cure resin. You can make a board over the weekend, or start early Saturday morning and ride it Sunday.

I can understand the economics of buying that block of foam. If you just want to practice shaping that might be a cheap way to go.

14

Hey,

I have some 2lb "C" bead rockers for sale $35/each pluss shipping anywhere.  Drop me a line if you are interested.

We can cust your rocker as well or custom if you like

bjtrott@FoamDepot.com[img_assist|nid=1056511|title=Some of the stock I have split and unsplit|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=0|height=0]

15

Hey,

 

I have some 2lb “C” bead rockers for sale $35/each pluss shipping anywhere.  Drop me a line if you are interested.

 

We can cust your rocker as well or custom if you like

 

bjtrott@FoamDepot.comSome of the stock I have split and unsplitSome of the stock I have split and unsplit

 

This is a very good source of EPS Blanks. They have cut out lines and are easy to shape. Just glue in you stringer and your good to go!

KIND REGARDS,

**SURFDING
**

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