Somewhere else in Swaylock land I mentioned getting some blanks from Ice Nine…well I have a little stash that will be getting shaped over this week and I will be dutifully reporting that experience.
I have been getting some very good news from sources that the foam is getting better and better. And by this I mean the stuff has some VERY IMPRESSIVE compression characteristics. So much so that the same boards that are normally glassed with double 4 oz and an optional stomp patch to minimize denting are…well, getting glassed with one layer of deck glass and coming back without dents.
I’ve heard of two different cases regarding this…one board that was taken to Puerto Rico, and the other ridden in CA then off to surfari in Oz and back…and the guy that went to Austrailia is a Big Mac (200 lbs.).
The weight blanks I’ll be shaping this week are the lightest weights (Fly and Bantam). So once I start doing some testing I’ll be back with some pertinent info. I will be weighing these blanks in with starting weight then weighing every single stage of production thereafter. This is something I was doing back in the 80’s while comparing EPS and Clark’s foam.
But if you can imagine…no denting with single 4 oz deck IS HUGE!!!
I’ve got one in glassing right now. I’ve heard the same stories. I’m fairly heavy footed and a double four is a disposable for me. They were urging me to try single four, but I just couldn’t accept it. So I went with double 4 S. I pretty much crush everything. I kind of like having my foot wells in there. My feet drop right into the sweet spot. As long as the glass doesn’t split over the stringer or delam, I’m good. Complaining about dents in the deck of your board has always struck as being like complaining that your new tires got scuffed when you drove them off the lot.
I just shape a bantam weight 93LB. There were some voids in the nose of the blank, about the size of an eraserhead, but Chris assured me that this is old news and the problem has since been fixed.
What I was impressed with was the break strength of the foam. The cut offs had about twice the break strength of EPS #2. I mean I got a lot of bend out of the cut off before it snapped. And when I glassed the board there was very little soak in to the blank…very easy to glass. I glassed it with 6/4 top and a 6 bottom. And the board feels bullet proof…I can’t squeeze a rail and make it squish.
It must be because it has a tighter grain than some of the other blanks. But it also makes you work a little bit slower, like EPS. If you get moving too fast you’ll pay with some tearouts. But it finishes out real nice. Overall it was good to work with, shaping & glassing.
Thanks for the input…now just think if you are putting out a stack of boards every week…how much $ did you just save your business? Add to this that the cane based blanks aren’t impacted by rising OIL prices.
Right now my focus is really centered on Ice Nine and EPS…White Hot has contacted me and we’ve had some pretty substantial interchange. I don’t want to pass judgement on any EPS suppliers out there…just suggest that active shapers compare the consistency and quality of premolded EPS to slab EPS and see if they find a difference between the two.
Personally I just want to say the Ice Nine guys are very progressive, well worth checking out!!
So these are my 2 ‘heart throbs’ right now…one poly and one epoxy…let’s face it, EPS is a different animal altogether, but if you can get an Ice Nine that is VERY light and doesn’t crush thereby breakdown and delam…well, you are just way ahead of the game. Esp. if you are inexperienced or afraid of doing epoxy.
Ice Nine had a large booth at the recent surfboard show in Del Mar. When I went on Sunday, I saw the shaped blank that had been out on display for the attendees to handle and lightly finger crush all day Saturday, and though the foam was slightly heavy, the blank was in amazingly good condition. If polyester prices rise, this blank could help those costs, ('glass too.)
Nice looking, even, straight stringer, good quality wood. Liked the stock rocker worked well for board being shaped.
The blank did not measure exactly as their catalog represented was off by about an inch in width. They are aware and fixing.
Now for the “interesting” part. The blank had a shinny slick surface that looked and felt nice BUT slide all over my racks. Tried to weight it down and weight slide off. Had to reverse tape like a glassing rack.
Planing was pretty easy not “sticky” like some blanks I have used. “Fluffy” foam with NO smell, i will let them explain. Able to cut at a pretty good speed, not “production” speed but “custom” speed, with minimal tearing.
Power sands nice, hand sands "normal". Blank got harder as I got deeper. Finishes with a nice tight look using only 60 grit.
Overall a very nice blank. These guys a trying to make a "better blank" and are putting a lot of time into it, impressive.
I shaped a 9’ “Indicator” out of the blank and will be “raffling” it off at my “AGUAZAR” this weekend. Highest bidder gets the shaped blank. You can glass it yourself or have it glassed. I just want to get reports on how it holds up etc. I have been hearing good things LETS FIND OUT.
Deadshaper my room is 7’3" wide with a 11" wide retaining wall shelf about 2’ high on one side. I am a big guy and it is a tight fit, efficiency?
Thanks for the feedback ACE. Regarding the shinny slick surface, that is a result of the aluminum molds and spray release we use. Other shapers have comment on it also. We have thought of a few remedies and have also gotten ideas from different shapers, which have had varying degrees of success. They are:
-The bottom of the blank is not quite as slick, so you can starting with a single pass on the deck.
-Blow the excess foam dust off the stand top prior to putting the blank down.
-A rubber surface on the stand top seems to hold the blanks better. We have thick rubber bands that some shapers have used.
-The reverse tape is another option.
-Ice-Nine can scuff up the deck with sandpaper prior to delivery if requested.
Are there plans to distribute your blanks in Hawaii?
A long time back I talked to someone from Ice9 about trying out some blanks over here and they told me they would get back to me with a couple to try, but they never did. I’m still really interested in trying some but need to find out how to get them to Kauai.
I like the look of some of the plugs, especially some of the guns.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated as my stock of Surfblanks is running low and I need to find a good hard blank!
Have you guys done compatibility tests with various types of epoxy? Any issues?
I shaped a 2# eps longboard, glassed with epoxy. Only thing is that the 2# eps still really sucks water when you get a ding. I’m only interested in using epoxy resin since I shape/glass in a densely populated neighborhood, but am beginning to give poly blanks a second look.
Howzit hand-shaper, I just happened to stop by Papa Sau's when the guy here on Kauai was talking to him about the ice 9 blanks. Sau might be able to help you get in touch with the guy here, he drives a new red truck and likes to surf Waikoko's.Aloha,Kokua
Thanks. I looked all through your website as well. The cane looks like a really nice product. The only additional question I have is whether xylene or denatured alcohol would affect the cane blanks. I ask because I saw that you want to avoid acetone exposure.
Any santa cruz/bay area distribution going on for us backyard/garage types?
Thanks. I looked all through your website as well. The cane looks like a really nice product. The only additional question I have is whether xylene or denatured alcohol would affect the cane blanks. I ask because I saw that you want to avoid acetone exposure.
Any santa cruz/bay area distribution going on for us backyard/garage types?
Pat
Hey Pat, Not to be a little bitch here. but why would you put acetone on a blank?
The one I shaped up I just built it like a regular board. I think the problem is putting too much resin in a hole (fin plug or leash plug) and letting it therm too much. I just used a little less catalyst, and a bigger fiberglass patch in the bottom of the box hole.