Home Depot Pink Foam; too Spackle and color?

chillysurfer · March 29, 2009, 1:24pm

Thought i would try the Home Depot Corning extruded poly. Do i need to spackle this before lam? It seems denser than my normal 2# eps. Plus, how do i color it; just spray with tempura like usual?

FYI; bought the 2’x8’x2" sheets; 2 of them. I then traced my stringer/rocker template and cut a total of 12 pieces which i am now glueing up. I will publish this process-eventually

shwuz · March 29, 2009, 2:48pm

Pink corning foam, isn’t that XPS? Like the blue dow foam I use sometimes, right?

I’ve only used it for rail buildups, but here’s my experience… For bonding I epoxy directly over it, no spackle since the pores are really small. I also left the finish rough for maximum bondage. I think I only went to 60 with the sanding. Too fine a sanding and you’re taking away the “tooth” for the epoxy to bond to.

If you don’t like the color, tint over it. I bet a red would work really well. A blue would probably make some kind of purple. When I did two layers of a dark red over the blue dow rails, it made a light purple after one layer, then a nice deep maroon after the laps overlapped. I would be hesitant about spraying anything that might interfere with the bond of the glass to the foam. I understand XPS is a great ride, but delam if you look at them funny. My advice would be to keep your color in your lams, hide the pepto-pink that way.

I’ll be watching for the photos.

chillysurfer · March 29, 2009, 3:42pm

Thanks Jarrod. It is xps. Cost $12 for 2 sheets, plus $12 in glue, plus about 5 hours to template, cut and glue up. So no spackle no paint. Maybe i will try a swirl and some opaque lam. You think i should use a vent plug?

shwuz · March 29, 2009, 4:02pm

Well, the price is certainly right!

Doing a whole blank is outside my realm of experience, so hopefully someone else will chime in here as well. But I THINK that XPS doesn’t need or benefit from venting because of the mostly closed-cell structure. I’m searching my memory banks here, but I’m also thinking I recall reading that xps boards can benefit from a post-shape/pre-lam “breathing time”. That XPS likes to outgas a bit, but if you allow some time after shaping before glassing, it will outgas into the atmosphere rather than under your lam. Maybe even do it with some increased temps, in the sun maybe, to get the outgassing flowing.

Again, I’m pulling this stuff out of the memory banks, so time may have corrupted the data I think i’m recalling.

Definitely treat it with care once glassed. I think it was drewtang who talked about making xps boards for close freinds who could be trusted to baby them (and who loved them!), but wouldn’t do them for off-the-street customers because of the heat sensitivity issue.

chrisp · March 30, 2009, 4:30am

http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/some-sways-inspireds-boys-and-my-greenroom-resin-experience

FWIW

landlocked · July 1, 2009, 4:47am

Hi Chilly,

My first shaping attempt was with XPS. The board turned out pretty nice and rode well, but one day in a hot van going to the outer banks had it blistered like it was covered in boils. It sat for probably a week or two befotre I laminated it, so if there was any chance of the blank outgassing before glassing it should have been done by then.

It’s a great way to get your feet wet for a first go, but just don’t expect too much of a life span.

surfding · July 1, 2009, 11:34am

FYI; bought the 2’x8’x2" sheets; 2 of them. I then traced my
stringer/rocker template and cut a total of 12 pieces which i am now
glueing up. I will publish this process-eventually

What am I missing?

2 sheets - OK 4" thick bent to rocker

12 piece - what are you building?

Do your artwork on the glass after sanding then clear coat. Then buff with a white 3M pad.

chillysurfer · July 1, 2009, 12:05pm

I dont have a rocker table and am too lazy to build one. My
stringer as the template has the rocker built in. 12 pieces glued
up makes the width of the blank 24". Hopefully I explained it
right?

surfding · July 1, 2009, 12:34pm

You meant you glued the pieces vertically?

Why wouldn’t you glue the two sheets together cut it down the middle then glue it to the rocker in the stringer?

Clamp the center - and work your way out to the ends maintaining the bend. Add clamps were needed for even compression.

“TOO LAZY”? You don’t need a rocker table! Besides you made 12 pieces? Sounds like you made a lot of work for yourself!

I got to see some pictures your killing me!

surfding · July 1, 2009, 1:55pm

Cost $12 for 2 sheets, plus $12 in glue, plus about 5 hours to template, cut and glue up.

Let me see:

2 SHEETS $12.00 = $12.00

5Hrs Labor x $25.00 = $125.00

Glue = $12.00

Cost of Blank = $149.00

Must be hard to shape with all those lines of glue?

dukdiv · July 1, 2009, 1:45pm

5Hrs Labor x $25.00 = $125.00

…blank $24, and he’s making money!

wroboman · July 8, 2009, 5:44pm

any progress on this project? pics or stories?

soulnpower · July 22, 2009, 1:15pm

Hi Chilly, You did right not to bend the foam and thus pressurizing the deck closed foam cells! reason 1 for delam.

All the glue could be a mistake for hard shaping and hotwiring. And could also be a reason for delam because of enclosed air.

I take foam in the right thickness and cut side to side with an angle to fit it to the stringer.

After I stopped using blue foam that has pressurized cells, also because I bent it, the boards with the European purple and green foam had no delams, but did pressureding, a good sign.

Have been watching the pink from the US but couldn’t get it here.

I use acrylic paint, gives the same bond as the resin. The foam’s internal bond is the weakest part in the bond.

And DO sand the ouside layer of the foam, that is what makes it watertight, they melt the foam to get the smooth finish and so pressurize the foamcells that are close.

Good luck and enjoy

Soul

bundy33 · August 5, 2009, 7:03pm

Did you have delam-problems with bended foam? I’m about to bend my BASF styrodur (the green stuff) for the nose rocker. Before I wanted to go with Chillysurfers method, but with beding the foam a little I get one board out of one sheet of foam…

soulnpower · August 5, 2009, 7:45pm

Hi Bundy, Yes I did with the blue foam (dow). I used the green Basf and it got pressure dents easy, ?lower pressure in the foam?, but didn’t bend it, I took a saw, cut it under an angle and glued it back together, better and easier than bending! The only good thing about bending to me while shaping is that it bends back when you thin the foam giving beautifull concaves with little sanding Please send some photos and a little building report to help the others lurking in the back and me too, could do with some new thoughts to keep the development going. Best foam to me is Jackodur, the purple one, light and strong, but I diddn’t do the big wave many bottomturns test jet. My heels can kill a board!

oneula · August 5, 2009, 10:44pm

if you bend

you need something to "hold" the rocker in place

it could be the epoxy you use to "glue" the sheets togethor

or an internal wood or glass springer that'll lock in the curve when dry

or the exterior skin lammed to the botrtom with glass and epoxy

or all of the above which is what we do

I think my brother and I are the remaining "kings" of bending flat sheets into blanks.

before everyone started cutting blanks out of blocks we all used to bend in rockers here.

i mix 1.5" -2" thick eps sheets with blue dow cause the blue dow is heavier if you use 1/8" wood skins.

i consider a bent blue dow sheet my "twanger" in the blank so it goes on the bottom layer.

you don't need a rocker table

just a surfboard with removable fins

which is how we've done it from day one

having a vacuum set up is nice

but stretch wrap and strapping tape works just as well in setting the rocker to create your blank.

i scored last week went i went too HD to buy some eps sheets

got a 4'x8'x2" and a 4'x8'x1" and a 4'X8'X1.5" panel of 1lb EPS all for $22.00

big mistake since the 4'x8'x2" was listed at close to $40 alone

since I have some 2'x8'x1" panels of blue dow at home

I now have enough materials to make four-six blanks to make boards up to 8' long all for $22.00

Personally its easier to just buy a molded Marko or an Akubird preshaped EPS blank and just start from there.

but if you get lucky there's no comparison in cost.

even if I paid RAC rates I would end up with two 3" thick by 24" wide by 8' long blanks

for around $60 and the cost of a roll of packing stretch wrap and a bottle of PU glue if needed.

its not for everyone

we seem to like it because its simple and clean if you use hotwire tools to do most of your cutting work.

a vacuum connected dry wall sanding block with paper and screens for the finish work

tmack1000 · August 8, 2009, 3:14am

We have been using XPS (Home Depot) foam for blanks for a few years with little problem. We do cut and glue and and therefore have the glue seams although really no big deal to sand with the right approach and equipment. All our boards have a vent plug for gasing. Additionally we "age" our blanks for 6 weeks followed by a in the warm sun to aid in gasing before glassing. We tell all our clients XPS has a reputation of delam/heat issues and therefore treat the boards like a child, ie. Do not leave in a hot car or sitting all day in the sun. However I have left my board(s) in the sun and in warm cars with no problems~ P.S. Yes that is a Paddle Board blank but it shows the process the best.

If you have any more questions let me know~

garyb · August 8, 2009, 7:15am

I guess you guys may have already come across this, but I use solvent free contact adhesive to glue my foam together. It is water based and I thin it with water slightly to aid brushing it on. leave about 30mins then press together, job done! When sanded it leaves no ridges, and it’s quick. As it is water based, it does not attack the foam.

In UK it’s called 'EVO-STIK solvent free Impact

it costs about £6 for 250ml.

Hope this helps

soulmanet · August 9, 2009, 1:09am

Don't do it....

soulnpower · August 9, 2009, 4:57am

Thanks Oneula,
I love this info! This is a very nice technique. Makes me think again. With the DOW on the bottom no problems with delam because no bubbles will break. I love the XPS twang too, I put a wooden stringer in the middle, the twang is still there when you don’t bend the XPS, it is the twang the pressurised foamcells give, also the reason for delams when they burst. Vents won’t help for pure XPS boards, the foam is air and water tight. with a layer of EPS the vent will work!
The main reason I use XPS is because it is extremely water resistant, one of my boards as a test I never repaired, even when the nose split open on the rail, only sanded off the sharp edges. After 3 years it gains +/- 200grams of weight when in the water, because of the hollow space around the ding, after the session it dries out completely again, only weight increase is the sand that collects in the crack. That makes an ideal travel board, no thinking, just surf it! That is why I don’t want to use EPS, when it gets wet and salty,
it will never dry again, salt attracting the water from the air…
I use expanding PU glue, the glue is water resistant, but the smell is poisonous, just like epoxy, but for me that is too hard to sand. PU too, but when used only inside the edges of the board, takes some planning and thinking when apllying it, I don’t sand any glue.
Please share your techniques and ask me for the details I forget,
together we can make the best and greenest blanks.
Keep the planet a good place to live.