Did the Surf expo show in Orlando Fl last weekend. Greg Tate ask me to check out Varial Blacks and buy a couple off the floor. Well By The time I got to the booth they were all sold The guy manning the both said he could have sold 50 more if he had brought more inventory. While Talking to a couple of shapers at the show most said that liked the blanks. However I did get one comment that when you shape them they give off a nest smell. Not sure if he was pulling my leg or not. Anybody have any comments on Varnial Foam?
Yes, it does put off an unusual odor.
Told it is not harmful.
Most wear a respirator while shaping it.
Shapes nice.
Has a nice flex to it for having no stringer.
Nice to glass with either Poly or Epoxy.
Lams similar to XPS foam, very little absorption.
I have never not once in my life, to this point, and probably never, will shape a PU blank because the whole red and orange and pink thing just confuses me. Besides I’m partial to Marko pressure molded EPS. But, having noted that, I’m interested in the Varial blanks. I shape mostly stringerless and I’m going through a foam stain phase right now and I’ve seen some of Matt Almonds work. So there you go.
BTW, thanks for trying Artz. Calling you tomorrow for rep number.
All the best
Give off a alcohol smell. Trick we used on the fire dept when we dealt with foul odors was to use a dust mask with a couple drops of vanilla extract on them. Worked great when working with the Varial foam.
Ok Vanilla extract any brand? Just kidding sounds like a good tip. How did you like the foam?
I was impressed with how fine the foam looked very dense looking. It also seemed to be fairly firm. top bottom and on the side.
I heard people talking near Eric Arakawa’s shop that it sent him and another well know shaper to hospital from breathing too many of the fumes from shaping them. I have NO idea where the truth is in this story but Varial blanks do off gas pretty hard when cutting on them…
I shaped one a couple of weeks ago & really liked the way the foam shaped out. I only shape poly & have been impartial to new foam techs. Had an opportunity to test out the foam & was impressed at how much it shaped out like poly. Very rigid too which was nice. The only criticism I have is that the blanks are not handshaper friendly. Since the foam has a consistent density throughout they blow the blanks very thick to accommodate a wide variety of rockers. Unfortunately this means a lot of wasted foam. Hoping they will get a bit closer tolerance blanks in the future to make it a bit more cost & time effective to shape. Otherwise you can just get the blank milled down to a closer tolerance to handshape.
From Varial:
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Isopropyl alcohol gas will be released when cutting. Cut in well ventilated area.
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Due to the high strength of Varial Foam, some internal tension exists in material. After the first side is cut, the blank may spring towards the side which material was removed from. For highest precision results, measure the rocker and secure the blank into the correct rocker positions for cutting the second side. After the second side is cut the blank will relax back into the natural rocker.
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No out-gassing of the foam after shaping.
Anybody know what the actual type of foam is?
How much do the blanks cost?
2.35 pcf is 25% lighter? Because there is no stringer?
Hmmm, rethinking going with varial. thx stoneburner.
At the 2016 Board Show I asked around about pricing and though I didn’t get an exact dollar amount; what I did hear was " More than Poly by quite a bit". It,s easy for a company like Lost or CI to get their hands on new technology. They are offered free blanks or a deep discount to use the product provided Varial can use their name in advertising. Take a look in the back pages of Surfer any given month and you will see what I mean. Lowel
If you want to know how much a blank is , call them or email , and all will be revealed .
If you have to ask how much…
Meaning??
The price is likely too high.
This stuff is PMI Foam (polymethacrylimide). Rohacell. I’m pretty sure. It’s a thermoplastic foam processed very weird. These guys are private labeling and CnCing blanks. You don’t mold this stuff really. Smells like canned cancer when you cut or machine it.
No I’m not like most on this site i.e. CHEAP. But I’m not going to add a cost to the bottom line that a customer will not pay for. I’m happy with the great blanks I’m getting from Arctic, Millennium and Marko. I’m not making boards out of insulation from Home Depot. 0ff course common sense and the bottom line is something an educated intellectual like yourself has Difficult understanding. Too logical.
Cost is around $220 a blank under 6’6"
Twice the cost of a US Blank, Arctic, Millennium or Marko. Surfers are cheap. I get $450—$550 retail for a 6’6" and under now. The average(and most are) surfer won’t pay an additional $120 for a board that they can’t tell any difference in when surfing. That’s not to say there isn’t a difference. Just that the Kelly Slater that they think they are when they’re at home in their bedroom looking at pics in magazines is not the same guy out in some shitty beach break trying to get air in whitewater close outs. If you know what I mean.
Intellectual? LMAO