I will built a Parabolic EPS Epoxy Surfboard laminated with S-Glass and if possible vacuum bagged or infused…
The vacuum thing left me with some questions, how does it work?
Well I know how the vacuum works, but I am not sure about how to laminate the board?
Should I just hand laminate one side and then put it in a vacuum bag and once it is cured just do the other side?
Or should I wrap the entire board with fabric and infuse the resin, but wouldn’t that infuse the EPS as well?
Another question is does the board deform through the vacuum process and will I have to press it into kind of a mould or is that not a problem?
As this is a uni-project that is completely funded by myself I have to keep the costs low, therefore I just wanted to know what kind of materials I definitely need
and if I possible could us a vacuum hand pump (I am not talking about one of this penis pumps more like one of these Kite pumps or equal whatever I can get cheap…)
Do I need a gore-tex valve?
Has anyone done some documentation on that or some photos that could help…?
dont pull too much vacuum on your pump. The density of your foam dictates what pressure will crush it, i have come across suggested vacuum levels in the archives in the past. They are there.
Do you have an area to work on your project at the Uni where they would have a wall vacuum connection? I am assuming this has something to do with engineering, and just about all engineering buildings I have encountered at a uni have vacuum supplied to each room. If this is the case then you just need a bleader valve and a vacuum guage to regulate your vacuum, and then all of the bagging consumables. I just vac’d a standard fiberglass lam and it turned out very light and very strong, but I am 100% sure that it will come out 10 times better the second time I use that method. Before you do an entire board, use some of your off-cuts to do tests with, such as determining at what vacuum level you will start to see deformation in the foam.
Also look into the WMD “compsand” thread. If this project also has a written part, you will be able to find some good info on bamboo/epoxy composites. Then you can claim you made a green(er) board, used a novel technique and materialsl… all things that will boost your grade. Good luck and post pics as your project progresses!!!
I wouldn’t even bother trying to lam the outside of the board with a vacuum bag unless you’re pretty damn experienced in glassing by hand and using vacuum bagging as a clamping technique. It’ll be an awesome way for you to end up with the most ripply lam you’ve ever gotten.
Not to discourage, but there are alot of variables and it takes a good deal of trial and error to dial them in. I’d recommend using the vac bag to assemble your blank, set your rocker etc., and lamming the outside of the board by hand. Once you’re TOTALLY comfortable using the vac bag to clamp, and lamming by hand, then think about going to the next level and bagging your lams.
btw…there’s lots of examples where people have done this before around swaylocks. In almost all instances, the people who have done this will tell you that the glass/resin ratio gains achieved by bagging lams are not really worth the added headache. Infusion on the other hand…or coil method (which of course, no one other than MikeDaniels really knows the inner workings of), are a different can of worms. Again though…not for the “rookie” in either case.
That’s good advise , check the wmd compsand thread . If your rails are on and you have a finished shape you should be able to free bag it. The only bagging I do is to put the skins on composites then hand lam the outer glass , never wanted to mess with peel ply etc to do the outer glass in the bag.
GWN is correct. In the WMD Timberflex method we only bag the skins to the blank. Even the backing is done hand lay-up. If you bag the outside you’ll save about 3 oz. in weight and leave yourself with a ton of extra work and materials and quite possibly a big mess. In the end the WMD method is easier and stronger. Only the Coil guys have the bagging process really dialed and they threw away dozens of boards to get it.
so far I was going to laminate 2 layers of 6 oz s-glass on the deck and 1 layer of 6 oz s-glass on the bottom straight onto the EPS.
the parabolic rails will be 1/4 inch thick each made out of 2 layers of balsa veneer and one layer of maple veneer i have to decide if that will be stable enough when i have clued them to the blank and completely shaped it what will not be till mid of January
at the compsand forum someone recommended using a sandwich skin I haven’t even thought of a sandwich skin resp. am not even quite sure what that is … I have to do some research on that cause it sounds interesting…
the idea with the vacuum i aimed to get a better glass resin ratio and remember it is also a uni project so extra work and some extra cost for a resin that goes into breather should not be the main issue well most importantly I still want to get the best working surfboard possible…
but after all that has been posted regarding vacuum bagging it seems that all the extra effort in relation to the little gain and high risk of messing all up is just not worth it…
thanx for all the great feedback so far keep it coming appreciate it
