Odds and Ends

Other things going on -

I have a new surfboard inbound.  The shaper is going to put the canard inserts in and needed to know what fins I had.  I thought the canards I had were angled - nope - dead flat.

So he needs to install angled inserts.

Robby had already finished his session when I pulled into the parking lot yesterday.

He is on a tiny front foil now - 475

Ridiculous!!!!

Kalani is building these boom boxes in his spare time now -

And La fixed Prayot's Larrabee stash pack.

My machine can't sew through layers this thick.

Garage Works (Mobile) 7/1/2026

After parawinging, I fixed the Hybrid 4.3 D line 

Took about 20 minutes to get the 1/4" tubing squeezed in to the back hole.  It was easier to do this one since I had done the 5.7 previously.

Kalani tried the 5.7 today and THANKFULLY the tube did not pop out or move.  

Garage Works - 1/23/2026

I worked on a couple of different projects this afternoon.

First up was getting the starboard finbox on the Firewire Machadocado to get tighter.  This finbox had the Wolverine fin loose yesterday, and when I fitted this fin set, the same thing was happening.  The looseness was lateral.

I used a strip of aluminum duct tape placed on the outside wall of the finbox and "done"!

Nice and tight now.

Then I sanded the entire surface of No.43 to make sure the next layers of epoxy would adhere.

I placed the tape dam, mixed up a batch of slow hardened epoxy, and used a new batch of International Orange pigment.

And this is the color I was going for.

I let the first coat get tacky, then mixed another batch of epoxy, this time with fast hardener, and more pigment.

This second coat really filled in the color to be nice and solid - similar to No.39

Tomorrow morning I'll get a last fill coat on to the bottom deck.  That'll have the first rough sanding happening Sunday morning.  I'll get through to 120 grit, clean the board of dust, place the labels and get a clear sealant coat on one side.  That'll have Monday seeing the other deck get clear coated, Tuesday the fine sanding and plugs day.  Then Wednesday as the final clear coat day.

Thursday I'll get the deck pads on, then the board will sit for a couple of days to get all gelled together.

It'll likely be next Saturday morning when this board gets wet for the first time!!!

Garage Works - 6/15/2024

I'm slowly getting this repair job done.  I had to go to Fiberglass Hawaii to get more pour foam (2lb density).  As you can see I got it all mixed up and poured in.

I meant to get the excess above the bottom deck shaved off - but there's been wind...

Garage Works - 3/23/2024

I got a bunch of stuff done today.  First I got delamination repairs on Duke's prone foil board completed.

He is only paying me $40 for the repair (he's having a baby soon with his girlfriend - I figured he'll be buried in diapers soon so I'd give him a break) - so I got it to functional, not perfect.  These XPS foam board with the perforated deck skins are weird, and they are even weirder to fix. 

I then cut out the templates I've had lying around.  These are No.33 and No.36.

And I transferred No.36 onto the glued up blank I made from the offcut.

And I got Noe to show me what she wanted fixed on her Laser.

I got the scratches/dings filled.  I'll sand them down tomorrow and maybe throw on a fiberglass patch for good measure.

Noe has already sold this boat to a KYC member - we are just trying to get it ship shape!

Garage Works - 3/17/2024

The ocean took some tax today.  I hit bottom trying to get out (three times) and I think the leash knocked off one of the Minx diffusers.

I took all of the three remaining diffusers off and epoxied them back on along with the spare that came with the kit.

I hope the epoxy that came with the kit is good stuff.

And speaking of epoxy, I got the mast track block installed on Matt's board tonight (falling temperatures are more important if the temps are up in the daytime).

I'll get the top polyurethane blocks installed tomorrow.  I may also hit Fiberglass Hawaii tomorrow to grab the pigment and carbon for the upcoming lamination job (which I should be able to get to this week in the evenings... depends on the wind which right now is forecasted to increase).

I didn't take any pictures, but I got these two foils patched up.  I knew better...

And last but not least, I addressed the scratches that were on the DW190.  There is a chip on the trailing edge that I couldn't completely negate.  The deep scratches are also still visible.

But overall not a bad tuning - this thing should be in stealth mode now.

This is the bottom surface.  You can still see the deep scratch and the chip on the trailing edge.

That was actually a lot of stuff happening - it went by quick though (I guess that means I was having fun).

Garage Works - 3/16/2024

I checked on Duke's board this afternoon - still moist.  I figured I'd go ahead and take off the carbon that had delaminated from the top deck.  I'll add some cuts to the foam so when I fill it and add the laminate, the repair will hold and will not delaminate (as quickly).

I also went ahead and cut out the delaminated areas on the bottom.  I had actually considered just adding resin and see if the repair would hold - but I realized I'd have to make the cuts into the foam here as well (to slow down the delam).  I just cut it out also.

Once this board dries, I'll get the carbon on - just not sure when that'll be (needs to be dry).

Garage Works - 9/3/2023

This is Roland's Hyper 190.  It was pushing salt out of a hairline crack along the fuselage/front wing interface.  I'm going to put some carbon fiber and epoxy over the cracked area to get this back into riding shape.

Here is one of the hairline cracks.

And this is what it looked like after I sanded to below the crack.  They were actually pretty shallow, so this should be an easy fix.

Garage Works - 8/22/2023

Here is Ken's H800 with all the scratches filled in.

Just after these pictures I went ahead and used the solid black paint marker and covered the red glaze putty.

I didn't take a picture of the final (for today) product, but it came out a lot better than when I first got it.

Garage Works - 8/21/2023

And after Marlon left for classes - I went into the garage to get No.32 closer to the finish line.

There are carbon patches in the foot well areas (that you can't see them under the top sheet).

I got the top sheet laid out, the footstrap slots cut out, and the laps dialed in.  I used 22 ounces of epoxy to wet everything out - which was a little more than what was needed - for the excess I used the roller and placed it on the bottom deck as a pre-fill coat.  Side note, I used 19 ounces for the bottom deck.

Tomorrow I'll sand the new laps, laminte the rail tape, and drill the holes for the leash cup and the vent plug.  After that, it's add the logos, place the fill coat, sand-sand-sand, then spray on the finish.

I also started the repair on Ken's Cabrinha H800.  I'm actually thinking about using this foil for the race on Saturday...

More sanding.... oh - what - fun.

Mast Repair

I emailed Kyle and he said to use urethane adhesive to fill the cuts after cleaning the frayed material away.

And I did just that.

The repairs went pretty quickly - and I think they turned out well.

I can see and feel the repairs, but I actually like the fact that they are on the mast - just like cool scars!!!!

I'll write more about this in the next post, but I actually think the mast moves through the water better than before.  That probably just me thinking the repairs help shed any potential low pressure points by introducing just enough turbulence.... but who knows???!!!!????

I glad it's fixed!

Garage Works - 3/12/2023

I'm trying to get these repairs out of the garage -

Here's Matt's board with the new foam spliced on.

Here's the outline of the template he was trying to get onto the board when he reshaped the nose.

I cut this out already but didn't take a picture.  I'll use the surform to get it foiled out, sand it out and then glass it.

On Jim's SUP foilboard, I sanded the middle layer that I had laminated yesterday, added a fill coat this morning, sanded that lightly to scuff it up, and then laminated the cap sheet on.  I'll get the fill coat on, grind open the tracks, sand everything, and spray on a clear coat.

I'll probably have this one done on Tuesday.

Fixing the 9m Drifter

I was testing the 9 and 11 meter Drifters last week to make sure the bladders were still holding air.

The 11m held its air, but the 9m wasn't.  It was apparent that the leading edge around the valve seams was letting go.

I stopped off at Hawaiian Watersports and got a few valve traps.  This is way faster than using adhesive.

I tested this one and it held.  But the one next to the inflation valve let go.  That's a task for tomorrow.

Wing Repair and Board Prepping

Yesterday while I was using this wing (Takuma RS 6.1) the leading edge bladder popped.  Today I went ahead and fixed it.  You never know what you are going to find when you pull a bladder.  The pop sounded small and noncatastrophic - and it even took a little bit of time for the air to completely come out - so I figured I got lucky and this hole was small.

And small it was.  I had this patched in no time.

And I went ahead and inflated it and left it inflated.  It's at my office - I'll check on it in the morning.  I'm thinking it should be good to go.

I also decided to sell the surfboards I'm not currently using.  Those would be the Firewire Sunday (shown here), the Firewire Greedy Beaver, and the Toots 7'4" Asymmetric

The proceeds from selling these boards will go to the Ocean Rodeo Glide AX wings I'm saving up for and to pay off the Firewire Seaside and Beyond.

I'll post more pictures tomorrow of all the surfboards moving around (bought and sold).  There is also a swell that is inbound - surfing tomorrow!!!