hey guys i am after some ideas to add strengh to the deck of my HWS.
I started the board 9 months ago and hit a snag and its been sitting in the shed since then. I guled the board up and after i got the skins glued on I notice there was a lot more flex in the skins than i thought was healthy.
This board was my 2nd HWS and i was not glassing the skins on the inside then ( but now i am).
i was trying to remove weight by only having 3/16ths skins instead of 1/4inch. the frame ribs should have been closer as there are about 9 inchs apart.
so what i have is a good bit of flex in the skins between the ribs. I am worried that if i glass as normal and the hit the deck hard the timber will crack and seperate from the glass. what i am looking for is a creative way to stenghten the deck before i glass so do not waste my cash on a board that will not wear well.
i thought that i could just at more layers of glass to the deck but i do not think that will help as the skin is the week point.... what your thoughts.
also thought of using expandable foam to add strength under the skin in the impact areas. ie knee for duck dive etc.... what your thoughts
hmm if you’re willing to de-rail (no pun intended) its current form as well as remove parts of the stringer, you could insert rib-like platforms in between the glued-in ribs, positioned where the stringer should be, like this (top view) :
each piece need not reach from rail to rail, but support the space where your heels usually dig. if it works, good for you!
cheers for the idea. i was hoping to keep board in one bit though. Most of the flex is in the redwood panels in the center of the board the cedar panel on the nose and tail feel alot stronger ( i think cedar 1/4 sawn grain)
make sense as the panel span more between stringer and the rails.
i thought i could drill holes though the bottom skin and use nice dressed up n dowels epoxied in to "bridge" the skins together
i thought i could drill holes though the bottom skin and use nice dressed up n dowels epoxied in to "bridge" the skins together
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I've thought of the same thing, as I have a completely hollow board and have been thinking of ways to go back and reinforce the skins if needed. You could notch the end of the dowels and drive a small wedge in to really "lock" it in place, if the fit is too tight to get much epoxy in there. Of course, you haven't glassed yet, so that's a good thing. Mine will be glassed, as I want to ride it before deciding if I need any reinforcement (5.2mm plywood). Another option is to drill a few small holes and inject expanding foam inside, then patch or fill the holes.
maybe a combo of expanable foam and a deck patch would provide a fix. i guess would work abit like a compsand....? the only thing is the foam would have a low density, but it might be enough.
any one out there use expanable foam in HSW before or is this a " real bad" idea and i am asking for trouble?
I would glass it with a deck patch. If you get the glass to bond well with the wood, then it should had a significant amount of stiffness and strength. If you put a hole in the deck while surfing, then you can re-inforce the deck when you fix the hole.
3/16" thick deck glassed on the inside with 9" rib spacing should be sufficient. Are you sure you got the deck glued down well and that is why it is flexing? You might be able to tell by checking the thickness.
I don’t think adding expanding foam is going to do what you want. Even if you get the stuff that doesn’t expand too much, it won’t disperse evenly and I think you will have lumps. The stuff that expands a lot is going to bust the board open if you put too much in.
The only other option I can think of is using dowels. Drill holes in the deck and insert dowels that match the diameter of the hole and have them extend to the bottom of the board (but not through the bottom). Make sure you place the dowels in strategic locations, (it might make for a cool look too), like where your feet land. Sand the dowels flush with the deck and then glass over it.
cheers guys for imput so far. i think the main casue is not glassing the inside of the skins. my lastest board was alot stiffer than this one and i glass the inside of skins before i put them on.
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i think the main cause is not glassing the inside of the skins. my last board was alot stiffer than this one and i glassed the inside of skins before i put them on.
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I think you just needed more closely spaced ribs. Glassing the inside seems overboard to me. That's just me - I think 5" o.c. is the max. I think most hws boards have too much wood per rib, but not enough ribs.
Or - go with a plywood deck. But your board is beautiful, the wood patterns.
