PU or Epoxy with a Stringer

[ric_vidal]

Good glass job won’t help soft foam, salteen. In other words your FCS aren’t coming through they are staying put, your tail (foam/glass) is collapsing around the columns.

Ask ’em if it’s just an epoxy laminate or full epoxy. Lots are done with epoxy laminate but have polyester filler, you can work out if/where the value lies in that statement.

No point using carbon without epoxy as you won’t get the full benefit, trust me I’ve done a (poly) patch on a deck and it still dented.

Bit like the Frymewires thread. You want a light board, a strong board or what (or a ‘creased’ board ).

Most of the devil is the foam and that is where you are going to get some weight and longevity or not.

And yep, a lot will still depend on what the deck is glassed with as there are all the combinations...

4 + patch (various lengths), 2 x 4, 6 + 4.

Ever considered how much difference there really ISN’T between some of those combinations.

Reminds me, read an interesting theory about how to make an almost dent free deck... sort of works on the same principle as the FCS column... alas, for another day.

Sorry mate, not much help but there are so many variables to consider that only you can answer.

[longbum]

your still gonna get the board sinking with just an epoxy laminate if its sinking now, I'd be questioning the glassing and foam in your board now.
I ride boards that are only glassed 1 layer of 4 top and bottom, and my plugs don't crack and I'm 90kgs.

I'd stick with the PU mate, just get some extra skirting around the plugs if ya have to.
If ya love the board, why change it ??

[macca202]

just been browsing around the ads on this site, are the 'SLX' webber boards similar to the kind of epoxy board you're talking about, or are you talking about an epoxy layer or something...?
sorry, i know f-all about surfboards.

[pinhead]

I think the plan is to use an EPS core with a raditional wooden stringer, give it a coat of Q-cell (or similar, but not sure why), then laminate with epoxy. He was talking jibberish to me about carbon rods through the blank... anyone know what that's all about, or heard of it before?

Anyway, how does the above manufacture sound?

Sounds good to me - I'd assume he's using a well fused EPS blank 28 kg m3 or above. If the blank is that density you'll have no trouble with fcs plugs. If it's lighter you could get the new heavy duty FCS pugs that come with a high density foam insert. But I'm guessing it'll be the higher density stuff - I assume you're going six ounce on the bottom for the channels. The board will turn out lighter than a PU board but just as strong - I reckon youll love it.

The q-cell seals the blank so it doesn't suck resin and gives you a nice smooth surface if it's being sprayed. The carbon rods - I have no idea how that's gonna work.

[ric_vidal]

Only prob is that I've got to send my current board to be copied

now this IS going to be interesting

[Nick Carroll]

I think the plan is to use an EPS core with a raditional wooden stringer, give it a coat of Q-cell (or similar, but not sure why), then laminate with epoxy. He was talking jibberish to me about carbon rods through the blank... anyone know what that's all about, or heard of it before?

Hi salty, you know they can use epoxy resins on PU blanks and it works just fine.

Epoxy resins are definitely superior to polyester -- they flex instead of cracking, they're not water-porous and thus don't break down as easily over time, and the chemical bonding structure is much sturdier.

But there's still only a limited number of good quality surfboard epoxy resin suppliers in Oz and they've been struggling to meet the dramatic increase in demand over the past couple of years. You'd want to make sure LM had a v good handle on the product.

Re six channels and parabolic rails vs centre stringers, I haven't had a 6 with parabolics but a gut feeling tells me they might not be a real good mix, the centre stringer weight and anchor has always felt right to me in a 6-ch, and a parabolic's flex wouldn't be consistent through a 6-ch's rail line. Might detract from the 6's lethal straight line drive. Could be wrong, I'm gonna see if I can get AB to give it a shot and find out that way.

Re carbon rods, see Firewire's exo-carbon blank set-up which I believe they want to lease out to other boardmakers. Thing is sick beyond belief.

[ric_vidal]

And Ric, you sound pessimistic. Should I be concerned for the welfare of my favourite stick, or are you referring to the ability to make an exact replication? You’ve now got me concerned. If it’s a case of the latter, I assure you that I’ve spoken with the Todd at LM and he’s got all the dims from the original board, but has asked me to send it to him so he can get a feel for the rails and overall volume distribution.

Me pessimistic just a realist...

No you should not be concerned for your stick. However, I doubt it will be replicated, especially given the channels it just isn’t that easy. Imagine copying a 3D shape (creased has got nothing I tell you)

It’ll be hard to know anyway, salty given it will probably be a different weight, especially if changing materials. And as Nick said, polyester is porous and breaks down with time/water.

Firewire images - http://forum.realsurf.com/forum/viewtop ... &start=250

[Beerfan]

Epoxy resins are definitely superior to polyester -- they flex instead of cracking, they're not water-porous and thus don't break down as easily over time, and the chemical bonding structure is much sturdier.

But there's still only a limited number of good quality surfboard epoxy resin suppliers in Oz and they've been struggling to meet the dramatic increase in demand over the past couple of years. You'd want to make sure LM had a v good handle on the product.


I'd probably be interested in a board made this way ( PU foam, epoxy resin ). You then have the choice of making the same board, but having it lighter, with more "throwaroundability" and more ding resistant, or, you could have the same board with a bullet proof glass job, but still the same weight as the PU original. But the epoxy resin, like nick says, is hard to get the good sh&t, and is temp sensitive. When UV catalyst is available, it makes it harder to look at epoxy. UV catgalyst means you can take your time