Need some advice. 4'8" XPS

[img_assist|nid=1063767|title=4'8"|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]

 

[img_assist|nid=1063768|title=4.8|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is my second build, i didnt have the money for another us blank, so i went to home depot and got 1 sheet of 2 in. XPS. The board is 4’8" x 22" x 2.75". its really flexy, so before i finish shaping it, i wasnt sure if i need to put a stringer in it? or can i just do a heavy glass schedule. like a 6+6/6. i’ve done a lot of research on here about XPS and the delam problems, so i know all that, i just want to make sure i dont snap the board the first time i paddle out… And im also not sure about to do for the bottom, deep single concave, single concave to vee?  Any advice will be greatly appreciated  Thank you.

My advice to you is save your money for a blank.

Heed the advice given by Resinhead.

i probably wont end up wasting my money to glass it, it was good practice though. but for a design like this, what kind of bottom would you guys put on this? big single concave? single to vee?

Hi Shipwreck,

Nice rack you got there!

I’m planning to build my own racks similar to yours.

I couldn’t figure out how to make the “U” part. Did you bend it yourself?

Hey shipwreck

 

Good on ya for trying to save money! needs a lot of work to get it surfable… why dont start with getting the rails and the deck right. then you dont need to go overboard on the bottom to start off with.

Try a flat bottom or if you have to put something into the bottom a slight single concave. Might as well glass it -surf it and find out what you can do better on your next one… (my first one I made looked like shit but rode pretty good! My mates called it the “magical f#ck-up”)

XPS is all ok when you know how to use it. (I have about 1/2 a dozen boards made out of it and all are still in good order, some 3 years old) it does need some extra loving care compared to PU.

good luck… but also take Resinhead’s advice… buy a blank learn to shape and measure as you go until your “eye” comes in.

Funny that you have those really nice racks, but don’t have real surfboard foam.

I would finish shaping it. Flat bottom or single concave about 3/8" deep. Your board is small enough to not be a huge cost for the glassing. This will give you some experience in glassing.

Cut a piece of 2x4 lumber to fit inside a piece of belt sander media and use that to finish shaping. Finish the foam at 60 grit then glass it. Make nice wide laps over the top and bottom and you won’t need a stringer. Take a little foam off the edges to allow for the added glass so you don’t sand through. You can tape off the bottom of the blank with extra layers of tape then run sandpaper over that to cut a little off to give you the added space. 

Glass it when the temps are going down, never when it is getting warmer.

If you do a nice lam, you can add a thick fill coat once the lam is set up and avoid going any further. That means very little sanding after the fill coat and no finish coat.

XPS is not supposed to suck water so no worries about pinholes. I have done a couple this way and haven’t had issues. I have 4 that are 8’ long and no stringer, but I do 2 layers of glass on each side. I have made about a dozen stringerless PU, XPS and EPS foam too, so you don’t need the stringer for strength. It helps to keeps the board from flexing when you shape and glass. Deck channels like the kind Stretch does will give you added strength if you want that, but it’s more hassle for glassing.

 

 

Thanks for the help

And I welded the stands myself so they costed me like 60 bucks, not too expensive

i welded the u part, 5 separate peices. and the u slides out and i have glassing stands that slide in so i dont get resin all over the carpet.

bending it will be really hard unless you have the right tools. 

the sheet metal i used is about a 3/16" or a little thicker, 

and the distance between the stands can be adjusted by putting a longer 2x4 in.

[img_assist|nid=1063907|title=stand|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]

[img_assist|nid=1063906|title=Stand.detail|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]

cool, thanks!

Looks like welding the U’s is the go. I was scratching my head about that. I was thinking either have a fab shop bend them up or make a tool myself to do it. Welding seems like the easiest solution for a one time thing.

I really like the “feet” on yours too.

I wish I knew how to weld, but then I’d be making all kinds of other stuff.

 

buy a mig welder, and a book and you can figure it out, its not hard. 

Actually I have an uncle who is a master welder. Actually, he’s a master metal worker and so was his father, who owned a metal fab company in Hawaii. I recently saw him and asked him to teach me, but he’ll be 93 this year and I’ll really need to make it a priority if I want to learn. He kinda said the same, just takes a bit of practice to make really nice welds.

I can’t remember if he said he preferred MIG or TIG. I think he likes the one that doesn’t have the auto-feed wire. He likes to use the rods. He has a nice little welder. He can weld anything with anything. My dad was a master machinist, but I never learned that either. We still have several tool boxes of stuff only a old machinist would know how to use.

 

Hey SC,

I just picked up one of these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

on craigslist for $50. It came with rods and a mask. I wired a 220 outlet outside my house and I’m in business for about $75.

There is lots of welding tutorial online but, my grandpa has the same welder and has been a certified welder since before I was born and he has been walking me through things.

 

thats a good welder, especially at that price, i have one of those in the shop too, its really better for thicker metal, be careful with pipe thats like 14g thick, you’ll blow right through it, i use a mig welder, and the max is 1/2in with one pass on mine. and the arc welder you got is for thick stuff. you’ll still be able to get it done if your careful. i’ve done a lot of arc welding before i bought the mig, the mig is so much easier to use. 

 

and replying to sharkcountry, a mig is wirefeed, and a tig is rods, tig welding is the cleanest looking weld, but also the hardest.

I would glass it 1 layer 4 oz bottom 2 layer 4 oz on deck, which should be enough resin and cloth to protect the foam. Most epoxy flex well enough under breaking pressure, which will reduce snapping of the wooden stringer. Especially in your case Its stringerless, thick and short so its harder to snap it in half.

Right on Shipwreck…

I was reading here: http://atomiczombie.com/ct-welding.html#welding about welding on bike tubes which is pretty thin steel. The guy recommends using 6013 at about 3/32 and only doing short stitches, not one continuous bead, to minimize heat and warping. Should I do something similar for the square tubing on the racks?

From what I gathered from various sources, TIG seems to be preferred by a lot of welders, but it costs more to the equipment.

When I was younger, my uncles would do a lot of arc welding, and acetylene/oxygen welding. Seemed like that was it. My uncle said the newer stuff MIG or TIG is just different gas. I didn’t think too many people do basic arc stick anymore. That’s what I was thinking about for starters, but my uncle is recommending TIG. He doesn’t like auto feed because it can clog the tip and then you have to spend money to get a new one. There was a lot of stuff he explained to me, but I figured that when the time is right I can get serious about learning. I also have a cousin who owns a metal fab company. My uncle told me he’s really good, and he’s only about 60-65, so I have more time.

But, then I’d be diving head first into metal crafts and board making would probably end. I’d love to build a bike, or even a car. Hell, I’d love to build a house. Maybe when I retire. I’ve talked to my cousin about building me a structural steel frame for my house. When he asked why I said to be hurricane proof. He laughed then said his garage is made from structural steel left over that he got from an old job. His garage will be standing long after the house falls down.

Chris, I’ve seen video where the welders will do spots, going all around to avoid the over heating. Eventually all the spots will become one solid weld. What I also remember from little kid time was that you have to learn how to use the arc welder because it can get stuck in one spot and your weld will be too fat or thick. I wish I learned more way back then.

this thread has definitely morphed!  I don't weld.  But my first job, other than a paper route, was working at a welding shop.  I used to arc weld there all the time - I still remember the feel of welding overhead with hot sparks down my back, and the boss yelling at me not to be a wuss and keep welding LOL.  I just didn't mesh.

my brother can lay down a weld that looks like a stack of nickels pushed over, the guy has the steady hand of a surgeon.   But kinda like shaping boards, he never made much money at it.

Nice racks.

Shipwreck, keep us up to date with your progress. I think you have something worth finishing, just take your time and try to finish shaping it right. I have boards that I stopped working on for a while until I figured out what to do. Rushing through always leads to problems.

I still have boards in half finished or quarter finished state. I have several that I messed up while repairing and am waiting for divine intervention to finish. Over here we call being late or going slow “Hawaiian Time”.