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Old    surfdad            08-28-2008, 8:19 PM Reply   
I got another wild hair and decided to try and build a board using Dow Blue and Ownes Corning pink. I hear from folks all the time that want to build a board, but don't want to use fiberglass or epoxy/polyester. I was thinking that a softop could be made from material acquired "mostly" from home depot, without special tools or equipment.

I also think this board can be made for less than $50 EXCLUDING fins. The fins and boxes alone can run this much.

The top will be EVA foam. It's commonly available in things like yoga mats. I think that I can get a sheet big enough, for around $10. The bottom will he a slick of PVC and I can find a 1/8" piece for around $8. The XPS foam is around $20 so that still leaves $10 for Gorilla Glue to affix everything.

The concept, so far:

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Old    surfdad            08-31-2008, 5:19 AM Reply   
I did the glue up last evening. It's not necessary to use two separate types of XPS, I just wanted to work with both types. The Dow Blue, in comparison to the OC Pink, is soft, easy to sand and pliable. The pink is more lively and I think would make good rail material.

In order to perform the glue up I scratched the surface on both materials, then spread a layer of Gorilla Glue on the Blue. I set the nose rocker at 2.5 inches and expect to have a slight amount of "recoil". I'll report the actual recoil amount after I take the weights off.

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Old    surfdad            08-31-2008, 5:30 AM Reply   
The reason for the two layers of XPS is to hold the rocker in. You can test it at home with some carboard and superglue. If you take just one piece of cardboard, cover the surface with glue and hold it in a curved orientation, it's pretty easy to deform and dependeing upon the amount of glue applies, the bend will undo. If you glue up two pieces, the curve tends to stay much better and deflection is much harder to achieve.

In effect, I've created a glue line stringer with a horizontal orientation.

Some cautions for this part. The Gorilla Glue (GG) is slippery as snot once it's applied to the foam. If you compare the top and bottom pictures you can see at the nose the top piece of XPS is back from the nose...it just slid backwards. You'll want to make sure that you are going to shape out any deflection, OR have some method to keep the foam in place, as the GG dries.

You don't need this much thickness in XPS either, I just used the scrap XPS I had laying around and two sheets of 1" or even less would be adequate.


Just to summarize:

1) Gluing up two pieces will give rigidity and will lock the rocker in place.

2) Any two types of XPS are fine.

3) Strive for final thickness when buying material. Total combined thickness of 2" is more than adequate.

4) During glue up, be sure your XPS doesn't migrate unexpectedly.
Old    surfdad            08-31-2008, 6:49 AM Reply   
Out of the "clamps", it lost just about 1/2" of rocker.

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Old     (konaking)      Join Date: Mar 2008       08-31-2008, 1:48 PM Reply   
Hey SD do you work ????????????
Old    surfdad            08-31-2008, 2:02 PM Reply   
Wo...w..o..r..k? What is this "work" that you refer to Konaking? :-)

Work I do, but apparently I don't get to surf anymore, the impellor went out on my boat again. I swear this is like the 15th one that will be replaced in the boat, the second for this engine! and it's only 6 weeks old.

Poor James wanted to practice a bit before world's and that isn't happening.
Old     (dennish)      Join Date: May 2005       08-31-2008, 2:16 PM Reply   
Super Sanger to the rescue!!!!
Old    surfdad            08-31-2008, 3:04 PM Reply   
Thanks so much Dennis, I appreciate the pull! Same time, same place?
Old     (dennish)      Join Date: May 2005       08-31-2008, 3:10 PM Reply   
as always same crew
Old     (rallyart)      Join Date: Nov 2006       08-31-2008, 10:50 PM Reply   
I'm following this with great interest. My kids can free ride on our Prop but I'm too heavy and unskilled to get the ride without a rope. (Not to mention that I lose 100# ballast when my kids get in and I go out.)
My wife vetoed another board and got a foil instead, so if I can put something simple together I may yet catch a wave.

That's a lot of impellors. There has to be a waterflow cause, or the pump case is trashed.
Old     (hawaj)      Join Date: Aug 2005       09-01-2008, 5:23 AM Reply   
"My wife vetoed another board" Ouch
poor Art I hope you can catch a wave soon its awesome!

Yes Jeff there is something else wrong in whole system than impellors, 15 is too much!! Rather visit other boatservis. Or there is bad cincidence in construction of boat and how you use it - probably impeller dont like when you ride sinking only on one side for long time - probably James side - there is not enough water flows thru etc. Unfortunately most boats are not constructed for wakesurfing. Better luck next time.
Old    surfdad            09-01-2008, 6:29 AM Reply   
Thanks Art, I know that I get a ton of emails from folks saying the same thing - I'd love to build one, but I have no place to laminate. There are only three steps left, shaping the rails, gluing the slick on the bottom and then attaching the EVA deck skin. The last part before it can be ridden is the fin system...I'm going to try and see if I can figure out a cheapy method, but nothing's come to mind yet.

I hear you guys on the impellor. Surfin247 has recommended that I get a brass housing to replace the plastic housing. The folks over at TO.com suspect that there is something that is restricting the flow and "lunching" the impellors.

The last...I want to say 6 times, but I'm just guessing, the impellors goes as we are at the dock and backing away. Is it possible that it's just starved somehow and then the impellor's vane's get ripped off as we start it up?
Old    surfdad            09-01-2008, 7:27 AM Reply   
Back to the build. I'm going to use an HDPE film for the bottom. McMaster has just about anything you could want in plastics. They sell a .03" film for 2.80 a foot. I'll need 5 feet, so that would translate to $15. I'll keep looking for a cheaper source.
Old     (hawaj)      Join Date: Aug 2005       09-01-2008, 12:56 PM Reply   
wrapping heat shrinkage foil come to my mind, but it can maybe distort geometry of the board.

Ok so what about Uliboard?

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wow Ulis got somehow big now :-)
http://www.uliboards.com/
Old     (hawaj)      Join Date: Aug 2005       09-01-2008, 1:13 PM Reply   
I got it, there one longboard probably made from Polyethylene foam which you can run over with truck and nothing happens. Its Tom Morey design. Good idea.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=157 037359



OT: I also came to this crazy Air Lubricated concept
http://360guide.info/feel-good/tom-morey-and-air-lubricated-surfboards.html?Itemid=63
Old     (hatepain)      Join Date: Aug 2006       09-02-2008, 9:39 AM Reply   
Sanger needs to sponsor James so he can get a V237 to shread behind. Then he wouldn't have to worry about breaking down!
Old    surfdad            09-02-2008, 9:52 AM Reply   
That would be cool! There just isn't that sort of money in this sport. I buy all of James boards and he's "sponsored" :-) A good deal is a discount of $25 per stick...which is why I started making them, I'd go broke paying $400 per variation.

The 237 is a nice boat, Judy and I were just talking about it being time to get a new boat and I think the 237 is at the top of the list.

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