I was thinking more like guitars, but in any case, I think that’s a good thing.
By the way, Greg you just solved the mystery (to me) of cuttin laps with carbon. Simple geniality. Thanks for sharing so much info here. Us home builders are really lucky to be taught by som many pros on this site. Blows mymind when I think about it.
I was thinking more like guitars, but in any case, I think that’s a good thing.
By the way, Greg you just solved the mystery (to me) of cuttin laps with carbon. Simple geniality. Thanks for sharing so much info here. Us home builders are really lucky to be taught by so many pros on this site. Blows my mind when I think about it.
You know being a pro builder just means you know a bunch of simple tricks. Like how to find the tape on an opaque laminate. That one was a Don Bowers … he has a million of them. One of the very best craftsmen I ever worked with. Hatteras local … went snowboarding with him last winter … fukin fast that guy. Great windsurfer too … and can friggen surf too.
I’m glad to share as many as come up.
Hey Greg,
I’m an ex - windsurfer, not a true surfer, I built my first vac.bagged windsurf slalom board in 1984…
I would like to build lightwieght kite boards that respond like surfboards, while also being strong…A tall order… But a fun challenge…
I have $400 worth of bamboo veneer in my house, that’s my commitment to your build method…
. You should see what bamboo looks like laminated on a wakeboard style kite-board…
The timberflex thread has been the most inspirational to me… And I thank you for that!
Cheers Kiterider…,")
It took me close to four hours to wade my way through all 11 pages of this thread, and all the related threads. After much research I decided to go with the pump that Resinhead bought (Gast DOA-P704-AA Pressure Vacuum Pump).
Happy fathers day to me…
[img_assist|nid=1043415|title=gast pump|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67]
I got it on E-bay for $160 (Buy-it-now). I know other people have gotten theirs for much less, but this was the only one available. I don’t have the patience to sit around and make sure nobody out bids me at the last minute.
Scott, you paid a fair price for a great piece of equipment.
I can’t wait to see what you do with it!
You’ll be happy with that unit. It’s quite, durable,it all fits in about a shoe box when your done, it sucks & blows…and it doesn’t spit out oil. Nice
RH … at your suggestion I picked one up for myself. Very nice piece of equip. I appreciate the input.
Hey! This is same Gast pump I use. Wow, I didn’t know they cost that much. They work great!
I did mine up in full Joe Woodworker stylee.
Cool thread!
So the only reason for the stringer in this build is to hold rocker during shaping?
I’m seeing quite a few servicable stingerless EPS boards, so the stringer does not seem to be needed for strength.
My boards are 5 axis machine cut from a rectangulat block so I don’t have issues with varying rockers from the same file (the way I do from surfboad shaping machines). You’re right, though, I had to build a rocker table because the shaped 2 1/4" blank is floppy like a wiffle board.
I’m just doing my 3rd Tflex, dispensing with parabolic stringers and using double sided tape to stick the rails on (I already had the rails cut off, but previous builds were too stiff with stringers so I though I’d do one without). I used black tape and was careful about getting it even at the deck - it akes for a nice pin line that will show on the bottom deck because I won’t veneer that (I find it difficult to hold subtle bottom curves with the veneer and things get sqirrely at the rails)
edit: correct spelling
Correction- the stringer is to hold rocker during the vacuum bagging phase, not during shaping.
Pretty much holds rocker all the way through but especially during the bagging. 1/12th poplar or bass only weighs a few ozs (like 3) so for me it's just an easy way to shape and glass and no dramas. It serves other purpose in there as well .... structure. Depends on a lot of factors though. Maybe your not A1 at shaping rocker and don't do many boards .... rocker bed doesn't seem like a bad idea. I've shaped my numbers and rarely shape the same thing twice ..... I'll use stringers. Nothin wrong with either.
I’m excited to try my hand a vacuum bagging. As I stated above, I
have a Gast pump. I ordered a vinyl bag online, and am waiting for it
to arrive. I also bought some raw maple veneer.
So here is my
dilemma. I spent a bunch of money already, and don’t really have the
budget right now to buy a new EPS blank or more Epoxy resin. I could either wait for some more pay checks to roll in, or just make due with what I have. I’m thinking of doing the later.
I finished shaping a PU blank a while ago, but have yet to glass it. Below is a photo of its current state. It is the white one on the
right.
I only have about 8 oz of Resin
Research CE resin, and 4 oz of hardener. I was thinking about bagging,
and gluing the veneers to the foam with the epoxy. I also have about
3/4 of a gallon of poly laminating resin, and 1/2 gallon of poly
sanding resin. I’m planning on laminating and hot coating the board
with the poly.
I know this is going to be heavier than the traditional Timberflex board. I’m not too worried about that. I mainly want to get some experience using the vacuum bag. I’m trying to guess how much glass should I use under the skins, and in the lamination?
Here is my schedule for bagging the skins, and laminating the board. Note, I don’t have much experience glassing boards. I came up with it based upon Greg’s WMD video, and all the comments in this thread. Please feel free to poke holes in my process.
I would use 2oz inside lam on the deck only and 4oz outside lam top and bottom and skip the rail glass.
I agree with Jesus. You also don't need add F in the epoxy inside a bag. Also, no need to let it cure after bagging. Just laminate when your ready. On a urethane blank this won't be a light construction but it will be tough.
Hey Greg.
I keep coming back to this post and thinking … “Yeah, aint that the truth ?”
I’m just starting a winged - kite-fish that will incorporate 2.4oz. Kevlar rail strips slightly tucked under the bamboo deck and bottom skins, as per my standard t-flex over core-cell construction…
I’ll post some pics. as well as specifics when I’m done…
I don’t want carbon on my core-cell rails, no way!!! Too Stiff!!!
I use a far more flexible epoxy resin in my skin to core build , , as well as Gorilla type glues,( where applicable) , with a stronger clearer UV resistant epoxy on the outermost surface…
I spend the extra money for these specific resins because I belive in their “location specific” validity…
I’m dubbing my construction : " Harmonious - Exo-skeletal - Reflex - Construction, or HERC…")
Cheers Kiterider…")
My post above was in responce to Greg’s statement above… Sorry…
.
This group needs a delete function…lol
We've worked on location specific structure for many years. Not something we ever brought to market just experiments. I agree that it seems more and more that t-flex lends itself to the concept better than anything previous. And I agree about the carbon rails too. I was an advocate of the perimeter frame concept ..... My latest board has me rethinking this. That and some recent conversations with Libtechs Mike Olsen.
Since everyone has posted pictures of their beautiful boards on this thread, I figured that we needed some pictures of a really f#%$'ed up board.
Everything started out ok…
My hose connection was working well. I added some mesh to improve the air flow.
But… I wasn’t able to get the vacuum pressure above 10 inches of Hg.
I could hear leaks coming from both the nose area, and the tail area. I tried plugging them with sealant tape, but that didn’t work. I tried spraying the whole area with Super 77, but the leaks kept hissing. There just wasn’t anything that I could do to fix them. Eventually, I just had to leave to go out to dinner. I left the pump running, hoping that things wouldn’t turn out too bad. About four hours later I turn off the pump, and pulled it out of the bag. The wrinkles in the veneer never were able to lay down flat, and left big air pockets. Epoxy had also leaked out from under the veneer, and gooped up the deck. It looks horrible now…
If things hadden’t gone so terribly wrong, then it really could have been a nice looking board.
I don’t think that it is worth glassing, since there are so many air pockets under the veneer. I have no idea how it can be salvaged. I guess that I should have done a practice run with my new vaccum pump before diving in head first.
The next one will be better.
I did learn one important lesson from this day: Kirkland baby wipes from Costco do an exellent job of cleaning epoxy off of your hands.