I’m always trying to find simpler, easier, faster, healthier, more user friendly ways to build my Hollow Surfboards…
One of the materials that I have been looking to find a replacement for has been the contact cement that is used to build out the rails…
A week ago, while on Jersey (U.K.) teaching a workshop, we built two boards using double sided, pressure sensitive, adhesive tape instead of using contact cement…
The tape we used here was the common stuff that was sold in the local Mom and Pop hardware store on Jersey…Readily available…To do a board it cost about $25…Your prices may vary…
I’ve researched these tapes a bit since I returned home…There are several intensities of the bonding strengths…The highest strength is called “Destructive Bond”, because if you try to tear things apart, the tape joint won’t be what fails, the materials being bonded will break…The hardware store variety is not that strong, but good enough…I bought a big (750 sq.ft.) roll of the Destructive Bond for my future boards and it cost me about $450…Each board should use less than 25 sq.ft…
On the website for the hardware store tape, it claims the tapes are made from non-toxic adhesives…Perhaps…For sure you don’t need a certified respirator… The main danger could be from stepping on the peeled off slippery paper if you leave it on the floor…
Applying the tape is as simple as peel and stick…The one key to success is making sure that the surfaces are dust free…Wipe things off with a clean rag, maybe a with swipe with alcohol…
Shaping is the rails is the same as before…Maybe use a power plane to knock out the rail bands, then finish with a belt sander…
Thank you. Paul. I’ve done a couple of built up balsa rails and the gluing process was keeping me from doing any more. I’m giving your suggestions a go on the next one. Should be cake. Note to Lillibel!!!
Hey Paul, see if you can get a meeting with a 3M rep to discuss the tapes, i had one last year and they do some pretty amazing tapes for all sorts of purposes, some have different types of adhesive on each side of the tape to join different materials and they now have tapes to stick external bits on planes and panels on skyscrapers!
it would be nice if they came with recyclable backing tape though as i always feel a bit guilty seeing it filling the bin!
monty. we were discussing to use for the rails and thought about using a product that comes in a film off a roll for doing a whole skin. but my concerns are simlar to that what ive discovered with polyurethane glue. Its strong but breaks down rapidly from flexing. maybe the tape/film can handle the flexing. the idea we had was to use EPP for the core because it is low density and waterproof and use the flims and tapes to adhere preglassed skins
Yeah that’s the idea. Sounds simple to me. My only concern would be cost. My experience with some of these modern materials is that they don’t come cheap. Guess you’d have to weigh up time and ease vs. $.
I was wondering if the results are in from these double sided tape rails. It seems so easy that it couldn't possible be true, but I've been surprised by 3m before. I'm not apposed to glueing the rails, but if the tape can handle it would no doubt be clean and fast. Thanks for your research
I tried scotch double side tape on rail construction (hallow rail) a couple years ago. I was impressed when I first did the rails but in time the tape turned color and joints failed but the rail glass held it all together. Looked ugly as hell..
I bought a roll 18" wide x 750’long of the “destructive bond” double sided Pressure Sensitive Adhesive…Destructive strength refers to what happens to the bonded materials if you try to pull them apart…Yeah, it’s that strong…
I built a longboard using the PSA for the bonding of the cork/ply rail layers…Fast, easy, non-stinky and quiet…All good…The shaping was the challenge…The PSA has the adhesive on both sides of a very thin layer of clear plastic / vinyl…That plastic/vinly layer, as you might expect, does not sand, it rolls off…The sanding belts gum up pretty fast and the shaping and final sanding of the rails is frustration…In the end they turned out great…No delamination, looks fine, but the hands-on-tools time was demoralizing…
I made a big board, 10’4" x 27" x 4" and used 1/2" blue foam, and cork for the rails…PSA for the adhesive since every other adhesive I tried either melted the foam or had a bond failure…Again the shaping had me using compound swear words for the duration of the process…In the end the rails look great…
Paul, I had the same problem trying to sand the scotch tape so I didn't. Instead I used a spoke shave and a block plane and final touch up with a fresh turned bur on a curved cabinet scraper.Woundering if cork planes with a block plane. Tried to get cork from the mainland one time ( a whole role ) The cost of the cork was fine but couldn't get a good shipping price. I imagine there are flooring contractors on Oahu that have cork sheets, but then I desided to use what i can get here locally. Just milled a 11foot 8 inch camphore log which I am thinking would make an interesting board.
I've used some 3M tape in the past - it had the adhesive either side of a tissue paper carrier and was awesome stuff. don't think it would plane, but i suppose if you trimmed off the excess prior to laminating it would save some of the goo from beltsanding
