The first prototype of the T-Model Ford was built with composite panels using hemp cloth…corporate lobbying by both the steel and forestry industries resulted in the marijuana prohibition that still exists in most places to this day…we have come full circle. Hemp grows faster than all trees , and has far more and varied uses than any other natural resource…it has the potential to drastically reduce the amount of forests being destroyed globally …and it also has very relevant medicinal uses . If the T Model Ford went into production using hemp , the world would be a different place today…it also has a place in surfboard construction.
I have been experimenting with hemp and it’s harder to do rail but doable… Super duper strong and sexy too… Will do Many more in future
Can you guys explain more about the difficulty in the rails?
Yardage cost.
Distributor?
Pix please.
Yes there is always a lot of talk but not much info.
Here is what I use…
I buy 7.5 oz 45%hemp,35% org cotton, 20% poly fabric from Hemp Traders. It cot me 3.50/ yard and comes in 60" wide( super cheap I thought @ 2 boards/ yard)… I get it a roll at a time.
It is way stiffer than fiberglass so bending over rail and getting it to stay can be harder. I found fiberglass to help hold it down a lot. vac bag can do as well but its not as easy to dial in perfect (for me so far).
I wash and Iron it first.
It does not sand like fiberglass, it does sand but is totally different( you got to try to get it)…slow and tough…easier for me to take more time in lamination than fix in sanding bay
It is tougher than fiberglass by far in my early testing.
I use a wet out table now thanks to sways and I am using the same amount of epoxy for hemp that I was using for all fiberglass boards. I am doing 1 layer hemp under 1 layer 4 oz warp glass for bottom and in between 2 la¥ers 4 oz warp on top. The fg helps keep rails held down…i used vac bag and no vac bag and i like no vac bag wth wet out table for hemp and glass… I use the pvc roll up style written about here on sways and love it! so far…
The boards in the pics are fresh hot coat and not sanded yet.
I might try an all cloth board again but really like the combo of glass and cloth right now.
100% hemp deckpatch, 4oz with a loose weave. About $8/yd for 60" wide (Also from Hemp Trader.com) . I vacuum bagged it with a layer of s-glass over it, but was only doing a deck panel. It drank resin like crazy. I waited a little too long before starting on the cutlap and it ended up being a fight of epic proportions, so don’t do that. It came out nicely, though.
I also used a layer as a backer for the sidebites I made for that board. I thought it came out nicely.
Lately I’ve been thinking about laying up a fin panel with it.
I should receive enough for a few boards in a week or so… it will be some hemp/bamboo and some hemp/silk hybrid aprox 6oz…Who are we?
Gdaddy that looks awome!
so far in my experiments silk was crap after it got saturated with epoxy, weak! no strength in any way, but it was great for grafix
My interest in silk comes from it’s successful use in gliders…maybe some silks are different to others?.. anyway , I will find out soon enough.
good point I bet your right “some silks might be different than others”, it will be cool to see … Good luck
I see no advantage. Moneywise. Strengthwise. Weight. Green sustainability. Zero, nada, zilch. None.
The cloth is supposedly stronger than wood of similar weight. I can tell you that trying to cut that cutlap as it moved past the B-stage was tougher than any 4+4 I’ve previously cut. The adhesion was wicked awesome.
There’s supposedly no cotton or flax content in the cloth I was using - it may not have any advantages over fiberglass but it’s definitely not just another linen. I can tell you the hippies like the aesthetic.
God bless the Hippies.
I think you’re completely right about the weight and costs. The weight might be more after the resin intake. But the real deal killer for most people will be the color.
I think it’s cool to see people trying alternative materials. I was looking at silk and other fabrics too, but I didn’t see a cost advatage. I’m a step away from learning vacuum bag lamination. Once I get that down, alternative materials will be easier to work with. As for color, you can always add a coat of color over the lamination. I think that’s how it was done when they started doing polyurethane boards. Color in the gloss coat.
Hemp is interesting. I think combining hemp with resins that don’t use petroleum and vacuum bag laminations may end up as an alternative when traditional materials become scarce or too expensive. Or if you want to create a really strong yet light surfboard.
My brother and I started building Compsands with insulation grade EPS well before the Clark Foam shut down. The lack of PU foam didn’t have any effect on what we were doing. Friends were saying how were smart to go the way we did. All of you experimenting with alternative materials are staying ahead of the game. Don’t stop.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m very much in favor of Hemp. If politicians and lobbyist would have left it alone; the technology would be very advanced by now.
yep , DO it !
I have enjoyed the ones that I’ve made over the years.
not solid hemp , just a few layers per panel , for mine …
And … a big thank you to 'Nocean ’ here , for his use of various materials in his lovely boards ! And for sending me stuff to put in my fin panels … linen , hemp , and other goodies !
cheers Noe ! [see his blogsite for more …]
ben