I noticed ChrisP is posting here…he’s in the (north) east bay…and doesn’t he have a billet of nice EPS foam…?
You should ask him.
NO!!!
Don’t use Elmer… Gorilla Glue is faster and sticks the pieces together nice! It is a bit off color but I heard there is a PU glue that cures white.
Make sure that you put something under the tail (rear) and nose (front) of the glue-up so that you already have your rocker close to the finished. That way less work on the bottom contour.
Les
Hey Squalyboy nice board. I’m not a good surfer by any means either. I just started in August. I don’t feel like I actually go surfing yet, I go paddling and falling haha. I love it though. I like the wood tail and nose you built, did you install a vent?
Thanks for the heads up afoaf I’ll shoot him a PM.
YOu bet! Give me a call! How’s your board building coming along?
Les
Fudge I already bought a bunch of elmer’s, maybe HD will let me return it since it’s unopened. What kind of gorrilla should I use? I looked at a couple bottles yesterday, but there were several kinds and I wasn’t sure which way to go. Any ideas on how much rocker I should use, Les?
Gavs,
Thanks for the compliment!
I did not install a vent on that board.
I agree that Elmers is not the way to go. I used it on that board but it took several days to dry.
Gorrilla does make several kinds of glue. Use either the standard PU kind (looks like maple syrup) or better yet the "dries white" kind. Do not use the "wood glue" variety for the same reason that you don't want to use Elmers. The other variety they make is CA or instant (crazy glue type of stuff). I think you can use that on foam but I wouldn't recommend it for large area applications like this.
Keep in mind that if you use the maple syrup color one, it is going to dry a different color than your foam so you have to be careful to keep it away from the rails or it will make the seems visible. If you can find the "dries white" stuff you're better off.
Squaly,
Sweet, thats reassuring to hear that even an unvented EPS will hold up to some wear and tear. Alright I’ll check out what Gorrilla White Cap and HD have in stock. How much should I get? Did you really cake it on or did you end up kind of zebra striping it? How long did your boards take to dry when you used the gorrilla?
Thanks!
Gorilla glue or Roo glue both make a "dries white". Harbor Freight sells one or the other (can't remember which). To bad I'm not closer. I've got several 2# stringered EPS blanks that would save you time and money. You should check with Hotline in Santa Cruz and see what they have. I know they have Surfblanks in Poly. For the size board you are talking about a suitable blank would probably only be about $65-70 or less. I've got EPS for $40. At $65-70, it's not worth all the effort and material that would go into an inferior HD blank. If I wanted to make my own HD blank just for the learning experience I wouldn't do it on my first build. I'd keep it simple the first time. Sounds like making your own blank is going to cost you as much in time and material(if not more) than a quality Surfblank form Hotline would cost.
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The last stringerless EPS blank (7’8") I bought cost me $32. WNC Blanks, based here in San Diego County. Great 1.5# density foam, comes in sled form with the rocker and much of the foil already in. They also do other foam densities as well as a couple options for stringers. Obviously the blanks with stringers cost more because of the added labor and materials, but their prices are still pretty cheap.
Maybe I could have saved $10 by doing it the hard way with multiple layers of the flimsy Home Depot foam, but why bother? WNCs foam is among the very best surfboard EPS I’ve used and the rockers are dead on. I don’t even bother sealing their 2# foam on a straight lamination. I’ve heard the same type of feedback for blanks from other EPS vendors in this region, notably including Segway.
Home Depot foam without a wood skin will end up with a lot of pressure dents. Even with a solid Balsa skin you will notice soft spots on the deck after time.
I have many HD foam boards with Balsa skins. Usually 1/8" thick with double 4 oz glassing or 4oz under the Balsa and 4 oz over. Some were built in 2005 and I still use them.
I have 2 lb EPS boards with double 6 oz that are showing pressure dents on the deck after one day of surfing.
If you plan on shaping EPS regularly, then you may be doing the right thing starting with EPS. If you plan on making PU/PE boards, I’d start with a second quality or worse PU blank, and then glass it with UV poly resin. I’ve bought PU blanks for as little as $10 and $35 for seconds. You’ll learn how to shape in a new rocker and probably clean up a twist.
PU foam and the EPS foam are so different that you will be starting over when you make the move from one to the other. PU cuts like soft butter compared to EPS, and it finishes nice and smooth.
Epoxy resin requires longer curing time (except for the RR Quick kick stuff), and it’s harder to sand. UV poly resin dries very fast and sands easier. You can glass a board in one day.
If you go with EPS, Les will be a great help. He’s made a bunch of Compsand boards with HD foam.
PS… Happy Holidays Les!
There's no doubt that buying a pre-made blank is easier and better quality.
I decided to make my own because I can't find a nearby supplier. That $60.00 blank cost twice as much to ship out to Long Island.
Gavz, you won't need much Gorilla glue. Its much stronger than the foam itself and it expands as it dires. Drizzle it on in a back and forth pattern and then trowle it around with a squeege or a scrap of cardboard. You just need a thin layer. The smallest bottle (2oz I think) won't be enough but the medium sized bottle should be way more than enough.
Let it dry for a least a few hours. Over night would be best.
Oh, and be prepared for a wicked mess too.
Not from the Gorilla glue but from cutting and shaping EPS. The dust gets a static charge and clings to EVERYTHING! I wear one of those cheap painters jumpsuits that they sell at HD when I work with the stuff. That way I can just peel it off and leave it in the garage when Im done. Costs like ten bucks or something like that and it keeps the wife off my ass. Dust mask is a must also. Don't want that stuff in your lungs.
GG size... the 18 oz. size lasts me for two long boards.
Stream a bunch of strips up and down the board then spread it out fairly thin with a squeegy on one side then spritz water on the other side. Make sure you weight the stack of foam when drying, the glue expands.
If you glue it tonight it'll be totally cured tomorrow.
Les
ps- after I posted I saw above post, Squally?, good info more complete than mine.
Harry! How you doing? We're were in Waikiki but were busy and didn't call, sorry. Surfed twice on the north shore. Lani's on a VERY windy day with only one guy out on the Left. Hard getting but the shoulder cleaned up NICE once on it.
I took a couple of Ukulele Factory tours! Nice, I learned a lot.
Mele Kalikimaka!
Les
Hi Les,
Hope you went to the Kamaka Factory. They’ve been around a long time. My dad knew the 2 brothers (fathers), and I went to school with several of the kids. Now we all have kids going to the same school and the are the same age. My little one has been classmates with one of them since kindergarten, another since 4th grade and another got in in the 7th grade.
Sometimes I go down and ask for scrap pieces of Koa wood. They are really good people.
The surf on the south shore was unreal last week. Sets were averaging 6-8 foot faces, and the water was flat all over. I kept hearing people say “epic”.
I know you’ll help this guy make a good board.
Take Care!
Elmer’s make a PU glue, I think it’s blue. Maybe you can trade it for that. I’ve used Elmer’s white glue. The foam might separate when you start shaping. I also use Elmer’s spray glue for foam. It’s supposed to be strong if you do it right. I’ve had separations with that when shaping as well.
You need to have something the hold the pieces together like weights or wrap it with something like tape. The glue expands, so the foam needs to be held together tightly. We use a shrink wrap or lots of hollow tiles to keep the gap as small as possible. Sometimes we’ll use a vacuum bag and a rocker board to get the rocker we want.
Thanks everyone for all the help. I did a bunch of looking around and calling stores today. I’m trying to decide what my best option for a blank is.
Mcding: I called up hotline and they had a blank for 67, but If i buy EPS sheets from HD and split the cost with my buddy it comes out to $25 per blank.
Gdaddy: Damn thats a good price. Maybe when I head back to school in SD I’ll pick up a blank from WNC. Dunno if my roommate will be cool with foam all over our apt though 
Sharkcountry: I would have rather started with a PU blank but im trying to try out shaping board for as cheap as possible thats why I opted for the HD made blank. Next project I’ll find a second quality PU blank and try that out. Do you think that packaging saran wrap would be good for holding the layers together while the rocker dries in?
Squalyboy: Thanks for the heads up about the mess. I’ll pick up one of thse painters suits and some glue next trip to HD.
I stopped by White Cap today and they had 4’ x 8’ sheets of 2# EPS for 15 bucks each so if I get three and cut in half I’ll have two blanks and split the cost with my buddy for $25 blanks. I also got an email back from a foam company that would sell a block of 2# EPS 6’x2.5’x2’ for $100, but then I’d have to hotwire out some blanks. Any input on which to do?
Howzit Gavz, If you have access to a Fiberglass Hawaii shop then go there and buy a can of Clearco adhesive in a spray can, it'smade for gluing foam together abd dries fast and is very durable, plus it sprays a fan pattern which covers a wide area. Aloha,Kokua
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I also got an email back from a foam company that would sell a block of 2# EPS 6'x2.5'x2' for $100, but then I'd have to hotwire out some blanks. Any input on which to do?
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buy the block and bring it over to my place and we'll get you your blanks in less than an afternoon (stringerless)... shoots with that much foam, you should be able to get at least 7 blanks... check your PM's
There were three that I had addresses and phones to. I was able to make it to Kanilea and Koaloha. The other that I didn't have time to see was Kamaka. Next time.
Les