Eps epoxy builds take a bit more attention and time but if you want a light durable board the end product is really worth it. Glassing with epoxy is a little different and you have to work out some new techniques but a lot of people prefer it. There are a billion tips on here search for posts by Greg loehr
I’m ordering some of Greenlights new EPS blanks. Brian is a smart guy and seems to have come up with some good surfboard specific small bead stuff. I like his catalog too.
It would be nice to get a selection of test foam to test the different types.
There’s different conversations going on. If you’re a backyarder don’t make the same mistake I did and take the advice from pro’s swapping advice. The first board I did I must have made 10 mistakes. The 2nd board I made 2 mistakes. Just one was enough to make it a crappy board.
The thing is, you can get it right one time and then another time there’s some other variable you didn’t notice; moisture in the air, air temperature, how long the epoxy has been sitting in the container…
that’s why it’s a sh!t - I thought I’d got the hang of it and then I find myself waiting 1,2…4 weeks for it to harden.
Learning it makes sense if your building >5 boards… but if you’re only planning on 1 or 2…
Epoxy is not that hard to work with. I really can’t understand what the deal is. 1) get a good epoxy made for surfboards…something that mixes 2:1. 2) mix by weight, or volume…get a cheap digital scale, or automotive cups with gradient lines. Mix at 2:1…all you gotta be is approximate, its ok to be 100 gr / 55 gr off. 3) don’t glass when the temp is too cold. if it’s too cold…then get a space heater. if no heater, wait until the temp is about 65 or more.
Old shelf tired product will give you spotty results, but that will happen with old resin, old tape, old paint, old dirty fiberglass etc, etc.
I think the issue with a lot of 1 off board guys is that they get free product from somebody, or they recycles some old stuff, or they try to go cheap with product found on ebay, craigslist etc etc…All that product can be ok, but you have to know what you are getting into first. Eliminate the risk and buy the right products for the job. This is super important on your first boards. As you get the hang of it, then you can branch out and try to source funky deals. Remember there is a reason why all that risky material is out there for a super price?..somebody didn’t want to deal with it, and the potential headaches.
BTW- Greenlight uses great EPS foam. As I recall they source from WNC in San Diego. I use their foam for EPS boards, it shapes and finishes nice.
I agree with resinhead. epoxy is not that hard, but you do have to be a bit more patient, and a bit fastidious to get good results. It takes an extra step here and there (e.g. sealing blanks), takes longer to set up, longer before you should sand it. And you can’t glass with dirty hands or lots of dust. Its also not great for color work (in my opinion). But if you want a light and strong board, its a smart way to go.
I agree with the"head". It’s not that hard! I didn’t know WNC was still doing surfboard foam. I sampled a piece of their foam a few years back and it might be the best available. Small beads and tight. It seemed to shave rather than chunk. I don’t really know why the Boyz at Arctic even bother with EPS. A very small percentage of surfboards are EPS. SUP’s are a differant game altogether. Their email didn’t make it clear as to whether or not that 10 footer was Surfboard or SUP. Honestly Marko has got it covered.
from my experience epoxy is easier in a controlled environment, not so good in a backyard setup. really relies on a nice warm dust free environment. Always makes me wonder why guys won’t to use it over polyester in that type of setup.
And like keith was saying its not great for colour work. I’ve been trying for two years to mimic the results in polyester, but its just not the same. Cutlaps tend to bleed and the silvering of the cloth can look shitty when putting logos on after the colour lam.
First, thanks, an overwhelming vessel of information!
Really was looking for info on the “performance” in ride.
Surfing advantages of EPS over PU.
So far on my plan…
Made up my mind to stay with USB as they say they will cut EPS block to any of their PU blanks.
Plus for me and this project, as the 6-0R with little rocker change is my go to groveler blank, talk about comfort zone.
This photo (courtesy of one Matt Kinoshita) got me fired up, I think they could cut the outline and recycle on mine.
Next up???
I’ll wait for ride reports (I hope).
“from my experience epoxy is easier in a controlled environment, not so good in a backyard setup. really relies on a nice warm dust free environment. Always makes me wonder why guys won’t to use it over polyester in that type of setup”
I get good results glassing with epoxy in my backyard by using a tent. At least the epoxy does fine, my glassing “skills” leave plenty to be desired hahaha. I prefer to glass with epoxy because of the lack of smell. I can glass a board in my backyard and my neighbors don’t know anything about it
As a rule I Really love u.s. blanks but I am not a big fan of their molded EPS to date. I vastly prefer marko. Hoping u.s. Gets better EPS soon. Maybe their cut block stuff is better. Let us know what you think.
The stink or lack thereof.
The future?
Probably.
Right now I am still a Poly Nazi.
In fact, I am entertaining the idea of either vac baggin’ or hand lamming the first layer of glass, epoxy.
In both cases the seal is paramount, cuz…
Like I have heard, one pin hole = meltdown!
I think with the correct epoxy the bond would be good.
And I don’t think I am really, ah, the first.
Probably going to lose my “cool” neighbors so, it would be nice
for me to go slow with the epoxy as “I smell a change in the air”…
Old men complain too much…
I love to just wake up everyday, what’s better is a challenge, to provide the necessary stoke.
“Look at me I am old but I am happy” (Father Son, Cat Stevens).
i started working with epoxy on poly blanks in the clark days because i was working in an attached garage. now my garage is detached but still mostly only glass epoxy in there. very rarely i will do a poly. epoxy takes longer to setup (good and bad thing) and i still have a hard time with cutlaps. besides that i much prefer it, especially not dealing with the styrene, catalyst and acetone fumes.
i also much prefer an eps core product. i can get a weight same as or lighter than a 4 /4x4 poly but with an extra layer of 4 on each side. with a thin stringer, the ride is not too stiff. the light weight is great for small surf. typically bigger boards is still do poly, but i have an eps step up board and it handles bigger waves really well. i like the way eps dents under your feet, stays kind of soft. and you can throw it in the back of the truck, wack it with your shin, let the kids jump on it at the beach and it doesn’t ding. you basically have to run it into rocks to break into the foam with the extra glass and the ‘spongy’ nature of the foam. i also love having a block and just cutting out the profile i need instead of having to put together an order if just the right blanks ahead of time. I also like starting with a deck with no roll. when you cut your outline into a molded deck, unless your outline matches the mold outline, the thickness of the deck roll is not even . i like setting my own deck roll and starting out even. more shaping but i prefer it. i haven’t tried marko but have used construction grade block foam usually. i have used us blanks sled cut foam -it is really nice and the us blanks molded eps also - you can finish it really clean and don’t need to seal before glassing. i think i did a build thread with the us blanks eps molded foam. ill see if i can find it…
http://www.swaylocks.com/forums/us-blanks-2lb-eps-build
here it is … 4mm ply made this one kinda stiff…
i have switched methods since this. i now do a thin epoxy hot coat then a poly ‘gloss coat’ instead of sanding the lamination … getting similar weights…new method takes more time but less fiberglass in the skin 
I use only eps block for core, i have a skin réaction with pu foam, and imported molded eps blank cost a lot for no advantage, we have Good block foam in Europe. For big boards i let resin go deep in foam and use thick multiaxial glass. Boards ended heavy as poly but far stronger.