I bought a pack of pool tiles for $20. Not sure how durable they'll be but felt real comfortable on first outing today.



They're 20mm thick so I've shaped depressions under the feet and shaped the pads to fit.
And I thought I had an answer to short and wide versus long an narrow today. This board is about 90l, 2.45m long and 55cm wide, my mate was on a much wider shorter board also about 90l he was faster than me once planning but I got on the plane first! Turns out he's 10kg heavier and was using a slightly smaller sail, so doesn't prove anything.
But I do think the longer straight section between fin and mast track helps early planning and improves ability to stay on the plane when wind drops. I didn't detect any negatives, except being a bit harder to gybe, the board gets up on it's tail and trims nicely. This board is also a bit heavier than I normally make them, because I used up the last of my 24kg wave board foam. Can't say I noticed that on the water, but carrying it to the beach was a different matter.

All of this thread invasion, is just to say, I think imax is on the right track.

I used to get the pool tiles from Clark Rubber, but there's no store in Mandurah any more so I got them online.
www.ebay.com.au/itm/253519920492
These aren't pool tiles though, they are called "camping, gym mat" so they are thicker and softer, fantastically comfortable ride. But for a standard board with no foot depressions built in they'd be too thick.
Easier to look for 1cm thick tiles.
They do shape well with a right angle grinder, and cut with an electric jig saw. I use a "v" cutter in a router to shape the non slip grooves.
I used just the one tile for the board.

Maybe you can paint the deck to match?

I don't why more boards aren't orange or yellow..they are the complimentary colours to the blue water so they really zing when on the water.

Hi IMAX, you can use a clear epoxy resin which has advantages of no paint but clear filler coat. The last wave board I built with d cell sandwich with kevlar and 4 oz. S glass and carbon kevlar deck patches, double d cell hell patches (makes a hugh difference on slalom boards to sail hard.
Recently have kona wave that have extra layer of foam and its spongy in chop - similar concept to decrepit.

I haven't worked with cork before. Another process but Squeegee bog (thickened epoxy) into the cork before you glass so it doesn't soak as much resin.
Keep up the great work

decrepit said..

515 said..
I haven't worked with cork before. Another process but Squeegee bog (thickened epoxy) into the cork before you glass so it doesn't soak as much resin.
Keep up the great work

This sounds like good advice and worth trying. I'd experiment with how much Q-cell to add. Too thick and it doesn't stick real well and is harder to spread out. Too thin and a lot of resin will soak in.

The reason i used cork under the feet is because it does soak resin . Makes for a super strong and hard surface . Cork is porous all the way to the other side . If you hold it up , you can see thousands of tiny light pin holes . Quite crumbly and fragile . Until saturated . I dont think it would be a good medium unless saturated . I only used it because ive got heaps and ill use less glass over it . Ill only use one additional layer of 4 oz under heels . Win some , lose some , probably losing more . Sets like concrete though .
There could be better cork quality but the better and denser the heavier it would get . The stuff used on booms is different , its bonded with rubber and is much tougher , and heavier .
Overall , cork ? Not the best , heavy , fkn tough !

Gluing on rail sandwich material . 3 mm HD EVA .

IMAX yes understand cork and resin which was kinda similar to cormat vacuum deck sandwich. I guess I was lucky with cheaper exotic layers at wholesale for myself years ago and now US exchange rates sux so new material costs increase.
Your board build is looking good.
Cheers

WillyWind said..

Imax1 said..

Making foot strap plugs , big ones . 16 mm x 41 mm x 86 mm long . lots of options because im not exactly sure where the straps should be .
At a cost of weight , 340 gm for 8.
I could shorten the 41 mm depth to 31 mm . It would save 25 % weight . I do like the idea that if i strip a thread i can just use a longer screw .
Bloody over-engineering again , thats why my boards are heavier than normal . Oh well , so am i .


1 mm step in middle so they will hold on a bit more , not that that is going to be a problem because ill be glassing over them .

Hi Imax,

What material you are using for the inserts? Teflon? how well does epoxy/fiberglass adhere to it?

Polyethylene. Resin doesn't stick to it . That's why I made an undercut so the resin locks onto it . And ill glass over the top .

Foot plugs and mast track in .



Fin box hole ready , also with HD expand foam lining .




Top of fin box also filled with foam .
Marked and excess cut off . Hole stuffed with a bit of foam . Makes it easy to glass over .



Small plates screwed to ends of box . I do this so i can push box down hard and flush to board level .
Its not normal , but i find it makes things easy .



Ready for insertion .
Bottom of box hole taped off flush with deck .
Pour some Q Cell thickened resin in hole .
Push box into hole and all excess resin pours out the top filling all voids . And that was just enough tape to catch it all . I only needed about half as much as i poured .




Wipe up excess , tape square .
Done !


Next , fill fin hole with foam and sand everything perfect ready for glassing.

Smooth as a baby's butt .
Ready for glassing .

If you need inspiration for the artwork...

forum.windsurfing.nl/viewtopic.php?f=35&p=7440160#p7440160

NelsonFoils said..
If you need inspiration for the artwork...

forum.windsurfing.nl/viewtopic.php?f=35&p=7440160#p7440160

Wow !

First layer of 4 oz glass with carbon innegra patches under heels over fin box and nose . 12 oz glass patch over mast box , ( so i can see where it is ) .
Will be doing both layers at once 4 + 6 oz on bottom . Then 4 oz patches over foot plugs , 4 oz from in front of mast back and 6 oz over total deck at once.
Its a bit strong in layup as its going to be my all too commonly used light wind basher , so its got to be tough .
Wont bore you with pics on the rest of the glassing .