I’ve been trolling around Swaylocks for the last couple of months admiring the work of all the crazy good shapers on here and I’ve been inspired by the frog project thread to try my hand at shaping a Home Depot EPS board. I really like all the boards posted up in the mini simmons thread, so I think thats what I’m going to start with. I’m 5’7" and about 145 pounds and I’m Thinking something like 5’4" x 22" x 3" I’ve watched glassing and shaping 101 videos, so I have a tiny idea of what to do but I’m still pretty lost. I want to go stringerless, so what glass schedule should I use? Maybe double 6oz deck and bottom? How much resin and glass should I order from fiberglasssupply.com to make three of these with glass on fins? (two buddies are going to build with me as well). I’m super stoked that the semester of doom is over and I can finally get started on shaping a board!
Right on,the reason I ask is because the home depot foam is not very good,I believe it is not even 1# density.Your best bet would be to find a place that sells eps for architecture in your area,they normally will carry a denser stronger fused foam in the 2# range.Many of these places will even cut your blanks profile for you if you can provide them with a cad file.There may even be a swaylocker near you cutting blanks in his garage as we speak.
Thanks Jesus, I just found a local place online (foamlinx.com) and emailed them about cost. Do you have any suggestions about what cad software I should use and where to get it? Is the Home Depot stuff so terrible that its not worth it? I’m not really trying to make a super excellent board I just wanna try out the process of shaping and for as cheap as possible. (Im a broke college student) I found the exact same stuff that the frog project used at my Home Depot. Is that too light to make a rideable board? I’m on a really tight budget, so I might have to sacrifice the longevity of the board just to get the experience of shaping. Thanks again for the much needed help.
Yes you can make it out of HD EPS but the glass schedule would have to be VERY heavy. Or, you can use the DH foam and encase it with balsa or Pawlonia, much better choice. Or you can go to White Cap and get 2#EPS. As I remeber the the glass schedule for the 2# is 2x6 top and 1x6 bottom? And you could shape add balsa rails (1 1/2") then glass with the above schedule! Much better!
Les
ps- I've been using the HD EPS for the past 7 years...20+ boards, but... I do a balsa composite build.
Hey Les. What glass schedule would I have to use with the 1# stuff? Would the extra glass needed outweigh the money saved using 1#? I think I should probably stick to foam for my first build. I don’t think I have the shaping competency to jump into any composite stuff yet haha. I think I’ll stop by White Cap tomorrow and check out their EPS. Is it much more expensive than the 1# at HD? Thanks for the tips
Hey Gavz! I live in Monterey, just down the street from you in SanJose. Come on down and I'll help you. I have Pawlonia for the rails, it's easy!
And... I have plenty of 4 oz. glass (I'll sell cheap). So, I'd suggest (best/cheapest) 2# EPS from White Cap (not much more then 1#)... cheerywood/pawlonia rails...2x4 oz. glass toop and bottom.
That would be awesome, Les! Should my buddies and I order some resin? How much should we order for three of us (a board each). Sounds like everyone on swaylocks likes RR and additive F. We’d be more than happy to drive down to Monterey and steal your shaping secrets. (We drove 17 to Santa Cruz in the rain today hoping to surf, only to find chop that looked like foamy chocolate milk)
? Amount of RR (yes, get it, the best)...I think if you get a 1 1/2 gallon set for the three of you. All of you are making short boards right? Like under 7'? 1 1/2 gal. should be OK.
I'm off Wed. till 5pm... sunday I surf in the am, breakfast with the family then good...and looks like I'm free next Monday and Wed.
If you shape the boards then (carefully) bring them down and we can add the rails here. You can glass one here to get the experience and the others at your place or I'll just explain and you get the glass here and take it home to finish up.
I make my own fins also so I'll have info for you on those also.
Haha yah it was pretty ugly. Yah I think were all going to make mini simmons ish boards so def 6’ and under. Should I get the kit with the slow hardener or fast? How much additive F? Should I get some vents and leash plugs? (I kinda wanted to try out a leash loop) Should we shape with about an inch to spare around for the rails and leave a flat edge?
Fast hardner. I have plenty of Add.F, smallest it comes is qt. and you don't use very much...so don't worry.
Vents...Get the gortex vents. I've been using them for a few years, GREAT! If they don't come intime for you to finish the boards I have a few extra then just give me the ones you ordered.
Leash plugs... I know I have one around here that you can have or make your own loops.
This is good... I have been NEEDING to clean my garage out! This will give me the incentive to get to it.
Shaping? Just shape them all the way as if you were going to glass it right after. I'll show you haw to finish them.
I got a quote back from the architectural foam guys and they said it would be $150 for a 2# blank. Thats super expensive. I’m going to head over to White Cap today and pick up three 1" sheets of 2# and Elmer’s them together. Anybody have ideas on rocker for a 5’4 mini simmons? Maybe 3" front 1" back. Where should the apex be?
I've surfed the hell out of it and its holding up very well so far.
DIsclaimer is that I'm not a very good surfer and I don't get out as often as I'd like.
The board has seen some abuse though. Left in a hot car on more than one occasion, stored in the garrage with no AC or heat, left on the beach uncovered and unbagged all day when there was no surf, dropped in the parking lot a couple of times, knocked over in the garage a few times etc... I'm pretty hard on my equipment.
As for glassing I used two layers of four ounce on the bottom, three layers on the top and Resin Research epoxy.
