so this might be extremely absurd, but im just looking for any creative/useful input. let me preface briefly. after swayaholics i started thinking about random things and we have an old beater longboard and i saw another guy at scripps one time with a little window in his longboard just for the novelty of being able to see below and i started thinking we should put one in the beater longboard. eventually i was led to the conclusion that i want to shape a clear board and thought a hollow plexiglass board would be a pretty awesome concept. i was wondering if anyone knew about heat treating plexiglass or normal flexing properties of it (assuming i shape it in a method similar to paul jensen’s hollow wood boards) and about binding the pieces of plexiglass together and the overall strength of this possibility. any input would be great because this possibility has me really thinking and stoked on pure concept of a clear board. thanks a bunch guys. brad.
Don’t use Plexiglass it shatters too much, go for Lexan, absolutely bulletproof. You will need to find an oven that heats to 800 deg C to bend the stuff. Rails are going to be difficult though. I do know that you can get it in tubular form though.
Brad, you have a dream, pull it off and we will all stand back in awe.
Go big
Hicksy
Back in the 80’s I was on an IMSA roadracing team. We used to get Lexan windshields made at a place that made airplane canopies. You need to take a mold off of the board you want to use as a pattern, then make a casting from that mold which will be what they form the Lexan around. We made our mold from fiberglass on a wooden frame, so I don’t think the temps were that high, unless they made a mold from ours.
I too have been thinking about it.
Even did some online searching for lexan supliers and getting think pannels.
A hollow lexan board would be very cool.
Great for clear reafs 
Big Sur at SA was the first time I popped up and saw the ocean floor while
making a bottom turn. Very cool. A window into the ocean while paddling
would be great.
Search the archise for “lexan” as there was a thread on this a while back.
when i worked for hobie boats, the lexan windscreen on the powerskiffs was made in an oven on a wood mold w/felt attached to the mold(to prevent scratching). it takes expeirimentation and logging your cooking times to get it right…the material will fry easily if you don’t get it timed right. imagine…the invisible surfboard.
A cool concept indeed. Another possible benefit (borrowing from another thread), you would theoretically be able to see the facial expression of the kook who dropped in on you while you are in the proces of running them over. It might be a little unsettling in shallow reef breaks or sharky waters though.
One more thing, as I recall this stuff scratches and “hazes” easily so it would seem to be tough to keep your clear board really clear. Although a totally clear board with no stickers, stringers, etc. would be the perfect “soul statement” in this era of super hyped commercialism.
I think the real engineering challenge is going to be coming up with a wax that doesn’t compromise the transparent effect of your crystal ship.
Maybe a lexan body (top and bottom) and then you build the rails from wood and cork. it may look cool. Jack.
Booties with little suction cup pattern soles instead of wax. The hard part is getting the rail seam done right and the tolerance of the internal structure. But, with enough effort it could be pretty bitch’n.
do you happen to know about sanding it and if that hazes it? i remember working w/ lexan in an engineering class and using this epoxy glue type stuff that basically melted the lexan and you put 2 pieces together and it fuses it…dont know if im remembering correctly, but any ideas on bonding the lexan together would be helpful too! the wood rails might be a possibility but i was thinking perfectly clear so maybe staggering pieces of lexan and just sanding them down to a rail would work…but im curious about comprimising the clarity by sanding.maybe there is a surfacing type deal that would clear the haze…?
Lexan/polycarbonate is heavy stuff, very flexible in sheet form, has entirely different expansion/contraction than fiberglass/resin, foam or wood… be aware of potenital joining/bonding problems over large areas.
Thermoforming often works in conjunction w/vacuumforming.
Standard polycarbonate sheet is not heat-formable… but formable sheet is available (usually by custom order).
Standard Lexan polycarbonate sheet can be heat-formed with proper pre-drying. Lexan sheets can also be cold-formed under certain conditions.
Methylene chloride is the primary solvent for cementing polycarbonate to itself.
http://www.ipscorp.com/ind_html/indprdcts.html
[url]http://www.thermoforming.com/LexanTroubleShoot.htm
[/url]
thanks a bunch dale. been looking at prices for lexan, was wondering if there are any other materials that are as clear but maybe cheaper and not necessarily as ridiculously strong since it will only be supporting ~200lbs max and there will be ribs and most likely 3 stringers (except for plexiglass cause of strength) …
My dad used to work with the Plexi a lot and I imagine that Lexan shares some of the caharcteristics. As I recall the glue was a very thin liquid which did in fact sort of melt the substance and allowed it to be joined together.
As far as scratching, yes this stuff scratches and hazes very easily, so much so that frequent care would be required to keep it really clear, especially in a surfing application. There are two ways to do this: One is to polish like a bandit using something like the Novus system of plastic polishes (3,2, then 1), the other way is a coating which basically fills the scratches and “reglosses”.
By the way, the Novus stuff also works great on regular glossed surfboards, although I have only used it by hand.
Seems like a potential future project for Paul Jensen…(hint)
Maybe you two can bang heads togethor and figure it out.
They already do a see thru lexan kayak that is sold out here for $1000+ I think… Same concept though
Best of luck…
Hicksy,
ive been reading up and it looks like with a heat gun you can bend it where you heat it at, the only problem with that is, that i want my curves to be gradual, i dont want square rails i was wondering if you can heat it to a point where the lexan becomes so malleable that it kinda just drapes to whatever form you lay it on (w/o the mold catching on fire)? cause if so, i could just throw the lexan on top of a rocker i want and then gradually heat it at all places so it just forms to the rocker, otherwise im gonna be making a lot of small bends everywhere and i dont think that will turn out so hot thanks for the help again!
brad
Check out Barney’s board…
As for me, sure I could do it…
Anyone want to buy me the materials…???..
Free labor on that one…
Hmmmm…???..
re : attaching fins, leg rope plug / loops…
CAN lexan / plexiglass be drilled / routed into for fin systems…if not , can it be glassed onto ?
how about… a Ben Lexcen designed lexan winged keel fin on a nugget, made from lexan… you could call it …‘lex rock !!!’
hardy har harrrr [the westaussie late night attempt at humour… okay, now I’m off]
"chippy"
I reckon the clear board would look unreal if done right…I for one would LOVE to see photos of the finished product .
Go for it !!
chip:
pretty sure you can glass onto the lexan, but im thinking about trying to use an epoxy type of system to adhere it, trying to make it out of lexan and epoxy/adhesive type stuff only but we’ll see how long i can hold out on simply using screws to attach stuff :]
with lexan it is a good idea to use cork washers under any screws to prevent cracking. neoprene washers did not work as well.
Since the rails will be the toughest part, consider constructing as Paul J does his hollow boards. Make the lexan deck and bottom then shape your rails out of foam. Most of the board would be clear and the rails could be customized.