Hola a todos!,
Since some of you showed interest about bodyboard bulding it’s better to start work.
Bodyboards are built at 3 stages: core+slick bottom+deck. All 3 parts/stages are made from different plastic materials. Production bodyboards use heat guns and an inner layer of bonding material (commonly a thin layer of packing polyethilene) for gluing the 3 parts. I had no heat gun, so I decided to use the contact cement method (chemist-bonding), quite good but not as durable as heat guns (thermic-bonding).
If you want to check how to go thermic-bonding method you can walk through http://www.buzzardbodyboards.co.uk/ and check TECH STUFF site, where some pics explain the process. Very interesting.
I’m going to explain the chemist-bonding method, since it’s cheaper and less difficult.
Let’s check the materials we need:
First of all: 1"=2,54cm
CORE: We’ll use XPS (blue, grey, orange,…). We need 5cm(2") thick core. It’s difficult to find a supplier with 5cm thick XPS in stock, so let’s go for 2 panels of 2cm+3cm, which will be glued. Overall dimensions of the panels should be 125x60x2cm and 125x60x3cm for a common bodyboard (app. 3$+4$). If you can’t find 125cm long panels, don’t worry: buy 250cm long panels and you’ll have core for 2 boards. We can use white EPS too, but remember, the leash tab will walk trough the deck-core-slick and water will remain in EPS forever. XPS is almost non absorvent.
SLICK BOTTOM: We’ll use 1mm PSHI (high impact polystirene) or 1mm PVC or 1mm whatyoucanfind sheet. The overall dimmensions of this sheet should be 1250x600x1mm. It’s quite important it has, at least, one of its sides in a NON-SHINE finish, since we’ll use contact cement for gluing. (app. 12$ for a 1000x2000x1mm sheet (2 boards))
DECK:This is the hardest material to find. I made my first bodyboard from a 10mm camping mat (very cheap, but too thick). The best material I could find is EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate), the material used in sandals. Some thick around 5mm (4-5-6mm) should be OK. Overall dimmensions 1250x1000x5mm(app.12$). This layer is wider than the other 2 since we use EVA to cover deck+2 rails+tail. If you want a more colourful desing you can buy a panel for the deck (1250x600x5mm) and a panel from other colour for the rails and tail (1250x400x5mm). (app.10$+8$)
ELBOW PADS: We’ll use 5mm thick packing polyethilene foam. Overall dimmensions 1250x300x5mm. (app.1$ or free if you search in the dustbin of a TV shop).
GLUE: It should be NON-SOLVENT CONTACT CEMENT, since we’re using polyestirene (XPS) for core. App. 4$ for a can of 1kg, enough for a bodyboard.
TOOLS: Razor blade, cheap tape, saw-edge squegee (I don’t know how you call this thing) for the contact cement, sand disk and a drill.
The hardest thing about materials is to find someone who sells us the quantity needed for just 1 board. Make numbers and watch the possibility of building 2 or 3 boards (good anniversary present for your girl/boyfriend).
Well, try to find these materials and we’ll start to talk.
