New materials-mushroom mycelia blank

Just thought this too cool not to post. Spotted it on AquaticApes forum. Interesting application used for blanks for boards but so many other uses as well it boogles a bit. I admit, I do have a bit of a soft spot for mushrooms…

http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/the-worlds-first-surfboard-made-from-mushrooms-is-almost-ready-to-get-pitted

The World's First Surfboard Made from Mushrooms Is Almost Ready to Get Pitted

I could see the HWS builders using that to grow internal frames from the inside.  I wonder how the stuff reacts to moisture and water?  

I heard that if you don’t wear a mask while shaping, you get a contact high and you’ll be trppin’ balls.

Messed with those mushrooms long ago.

What a trip that was!

HAHA!

Wonder what the weight comparison is. You might be able to make a nice molded board with this core grown into a vacuumed deck skin, then finish shape the bottom and add the bottom glass. I would think that water intrusion is a bad thing. Water intrusion seems to be a problem for organic cores.

Funny how we still can’t find a perfect substutute for foam. Balsa and agave come close (back to the future), but weight is not close, and water intrusion is a problem.

Very interesting DS. Thanks for posting it. 

The video is saying you add materials to the shrooms.  I would imagine that means that different additive fillers would produce different densities and different flex, impact, compression, etc.  

I was toying with the idea of using fine cork granules and powder, or wood dust to produce denser deck inlays or rails.  It would be wild to be able to grow a multi-density blank.  If there’s a surfing application it might appeal more to the fish and longboard hippies.  

Looks interesting. The little cabin they built did not need any studs in the walls. My question for Them is how would you shape the blank? if it can be done by using normal tools and skills Then they have over come the first problem. Now other problems are how does it hold up in use/ Does it have a flex? What about dings? What about being UV stable? Would the blank be compatible with all types of resins?
How do the mushrooms taste when sautéed with a little red wine and put on a nice NY strip steak? So many questions.

They say it biodegrades…whats the timeframe of that? Kind of kills the collectable aspect if in 10 years you have a cream of mushroom blank.

So when you get tired of the board you take it out into the woods with a couple of buddies and eat it?  Mike

Isn’t this just another way to produce a molded popout surfboard?     And, as was pointed out, biodegradable over what period of time?

PU degrades.

Quickly too.

It is STILL the industry standard.

Tell that to surfboards that I made FIFTY YEARS AGO, that are is peoples collections today.

I think the product will stay intact as long as you keep it dry. Once it’s in a land fill nature will run it’s course. The only problem is the fiberglass shell keeps it fairly water proof, and it’s original use is not covered with a waterproof shell. The product was developed as a packaging replacement, so using it as a surfboard core is anyone’s guess. If it works out, we’ll have another option to an oil based foam blank.

so then, you agree.

if glassed heavy, foam degradation isn’t that much of an issue.

that was kinda my point.

i helped a high school kid do a design project on this a couple years ago. it is heavy and the core has no structural integrity. i was really excited to try to make it work too until we got a sample and started cutting into it. if they could figure out a way to make the whole structure out of the mushroom bits it would be really exciting but as it is now the mushroom ‘foam’ is really only on the surface. 99% of it is oat husks pressed together. the fungal ‘foam’ on the outside holds it together. about the flex - if it flexes, it cracks…

really cool recycling tech for insulation but a long way to go for a structural application

 

I requested a sample to see if I can wrap it in hemp and epoxy it with super sap. Then I can listen to some Phish and get high while it kicks…

But seriously I did request a sample. I’ll report back with pics before and after my little bio-fiber composite experiment.

as a science fiction ‘head’

it is easy to agree with dr.thrillkill

as a shapeable blank the organic fill

must have finer grain than husk

of corn and fine sanding must be addressed 

if molding is not the primary motive.

grown in between pine panels is cool

but el raton would make a fine feast

of this stuff.Waterproofing failure would 

restart growth?

lotsa what ifs…

…ambrose…

lets build a car

or a solar generator

outa this stuff

surfboards are kinda beat to death

lets just build one good one that lasts 50 years.

…ambrose…

or lets just build a congressman

that works for 4 years.

Outa psylicibin mushrooms

save is the new post

clik post

http://tecniq.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/bio-based-alternative-to-traditional-surfboard-foam/

 

“The foam is produced in a patented process that utilizes converted locally abundant sugarcane biomass (certified GMO-free) provided by Corbion Purac that is polymerized by Synbra Technology BV and expanded into rigid foam by Synprodo BV”


Most commercial sugar cane was genetically modified in the 70’s and 80’s. There were many biochemists here in Hawaii working on this when sugar was a huge export for us. Crop yields, time from planting to harvesting, bug resistance, there were al kinds of mods done.

I’m sure that what is grown today has been affected by all the research done back then.

For sure, everything has its pro’s and con’s…

The same concerns could be said for the mushroom foam, or even Patagonia’s new Yulex wetsuit: “To hedge its bets, Yulex is experimenting with genetically modifying guayule plants to boost their rubber yields.” source: http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2005-12-26/high-hopes-of-a-would-be-rubber-baron

The only thing that gets me interested in the sugar cane foam is their so-called Life Cycle Assessment. In that document it should contain all of the supply details and “validations”. They also state GMO-free certification…