Was wanting to know what’s the longest one can go with no stringer. I’ve got a block of foam, and cutting the blanks out is easy enough, however cutting stringers is a pain as I don’t currently have the proper tools to do so.
Do you have a handsaw ?
Clamp a flat piece of aluminum (or straight wood) on the bottom and run a saw against it. - crude but effective.
I do. However cutting the blank isn’t the problem, i use a hotwire for that, its making the stringer that I’m having issues with. I cant find any wood already cut and planned down to what I would need. I have helped people do it, but like i said I don’t have the tools to do it.
I have gone stringerless on boards 6’ and under, but I have a friend who wants an 8’, was wanting to know if carbon fiber tape would work, or if its too sketchy at that length.
I have 8’ boards, no stringer. They are built from rocker slices, so there may added strength from glue lines. I glass heavier on these. Maybe 18 oz on the deck and 8 to 12 oz on the bottom.
This is 8’ long.
For stringers, I go to my hardware store and look through the redwood fencing. The have 1/2" x 6" up to 8’ long. I don’t bother adding a stringer anymore. So far, I’ve only had one stringer-less board break and it was an experiment that I channeled the foam on. I used a heavier foam, so I bored out quite a few holes through the foam, and it buckled right over a hollow area. Lasted several years and I rode in overhead waves a lot.
You can add rail channels to add strength. It will stiffen the board some.
If I was going to make 8ft stringerless board , I would use PU foam , epoxy resin , 1 x6oz Scloth on the bottom and 2x6oz Scloth on the deck and incorparate channels in the deck for stiffening .
Perhaps try 3" carbon strip wrapped around rails, from bottom edge onto deck, from nose to tail, then normal glass over this.
One reason I don’t use stringers in the blanks I make, is that I’ve had issues with the foam caving in around the stringer where I sit and where my feet push the hardest. This is even with 3 layers of glass on the deck. If you do deck channels and use a vee shape, the board will have a lot of strength. The rail channels add strength either way, so you don’t need to mess with carbon fiber tapes. I use a lot of glass to help keep the foam from getting pressure dents, but it also adds strength to the rails.
But, it’s all dependent on the size and power of the waves you ride. I’ve done lots of air drops and only had that one board break. But, I have lots of boards and I don’t use one board all the time.
Where are you at that you can’t by some 3mm or 2.5mm plywood?
G Loehr used to build super flexy longboards stringerless. I know it can be done.
I think that you could easily go 8-0 if the board is thick (3 inches?) and you use rail channels. Look up what Vulcan (Dane) does with his short boards and rail channels. Carbon rail wrap will help, but I don’t think that’s necessary for success.
The only issue I see going longer and stringerless is the blank sagging on the stands until it is glassed.
I would use a small adjustable stand in the middle (or one set for ‘up’ and another for ‘down’) and a double-check for rocker before glassing.
I did a 12’6" x wide x hotwire EPS with a glue line stringer this way without issues
(OK without rocker issues. There are always issues in my garage…)
What glassing schedule are you using for a stringerless longboard jrandy? Foam density?
The stringerless SUP got 7.5oz+4oz both sides and a 6oz carbon fiber stand patch under the traction. It had a sunken deck so in effect it had geometry similar to rail channels. I think the last surfboard got 6+4 both sides but it was stringered with no other fancy stuff. I am still cutting from my first 2x4x12’ block of 1.5PCF EPS.
EDIT: symmetrical lams are not my idea, I want to say I read about ‘Stretch’ doing it. This is also to test the edit feature for Huck.
Everyone is super helpful. I feel better knowing others have done it, just hadn’t seen any. And the approach will depend on what the rider wants, feels comfortable with, know I have several suggestions for him.
Thanks for all the help.
Usually we try to use solid pieces of wood, had heard to stay away from plywood. Has it worked okay for you?
This will be one board in a quiver of I think 3 or four. We live in S. Carolina, so the waves won’t be very big, unfortunately.
Wow, 18oz? You planning on driving over them?