Garage Works - 4/14/2024

Yesterday had some stormy weather forecasted so I skipped the dawn patrol and focused fully on finishing Matt's light wind wing foiling board (No.35).

I did some light adjusting on the edges of the tracks, sprayed the entire board with a couple of layers of clear coat, and got the vent plug installed.

Here's the signature block for future reference - 6'6" x 20.5" x 3.75"

And just in time - Matt swung by to pick the board up.

I think he was more stoked than I was!

I told him to bring the board back once he figured out how he wanted the deck pad laid out.

On to the next one!!!

Garage Works - 4/13/2024

Besides Foil Driving this morning, I got some last second epoxy fill on the low spots.  I also took La and Noe to Kailua to get presents.  When we got back the epoxy had hardened and I sanded the board.  It's done!

Tomorrow I'll spray the clear coat on - it'll be in lifts so there won't be any weird bumps that I'll have to go back and sand (I'M DONE SANDING).  Then after that is done, I'll drill the vent hole and install the plug.  Matt said he'll try to get over here midday tomorrow.

And after some more tweaking of the Foil Drive unit and the Spitfire 960 positioning, I think it's finally good to go.

I went ahead and sanded off the old 960 mark and wrote in the new position for the mast and the base unit.  It basically came out to 2.5 cms up from the Gen 1 FDA+ mark.  This setting has the lift a nudge on the progressive side and an ever so slight back foot pressure (which I really can't seem to get rid of actually).

I may try the SK8 950 next time - using the correlation it looks like it'll be pegged to the front of the track.

Garage Works - 4/11/2024

This wasn't in the garage, but it was something that would have been done in the garage...

I set up the Ezzy Flight 4.0 and the North Mode Pro 4.8 with harness lines and front leash attachment pigtails.

The 4.0 looks true to size compared to the North 4.8

And I got through the 40 grit sanding on Matt's board.  I want to place some more epoxy in a few spots, but as long as I do it in the early afternoon, it should harden in time for me to keep going through the sanding regime. 

I'm still debating about which board to make next - new Foil Drive prone board with the long tracks, a new wing board (also with long tracks) - up in the air right now

Garage Works - 4/8/2024

There was wind today, but I was really tired from all the winging recently and also work - I went home and took a nap.

When I got up, I hit the garage and sanded down the recent work on No.35

This got the board ready for the final fill coats. I went ahead and got a primer coat of epoxy on the logo decal.

And after dinner I figured I'd get the fill coat on one side done.

And here is the bottom deck all done.  I opted with just 7 ounces of aluzine instead of the previously calculated 12.6 (at 2.1 ounces per foot).  

This was the perfect amount of epoxy with near zero waste.

I'll open up the tracks tomorrow and get the top fill coat on.

After that it'll be sand-sand-sand-sand-wet sand and then spray.

I'm guessing this should be ready to get to Matt on Thursday.

Garage Works - 4/3/2024

And Marlon and I beat Noe and La home - so I hit the sanding right away.

I got the top all done.  This is the board after I wiped it down. 

This build is actually going really smoothly.

And here is the bottom.

Such a really nice hydrodynamic shape

And Matt wanted the tail block just exposed carbon - done.

Now for the wow -

I got the carbon tape racing stripe on also...

This looks so sick in person!!!

I went beyond this - I just got back in from the garage where I added a fill coat to get the carbon level with the surrounding board - and then a second fill coat to get further ahead on fill the low spots.

Tomorrow I'll try to get the fill coat on the top deck.  I still need the decals from Helen before I can do the final fill coat.

Garage Works - 3/31/2024

I told Prayot I'd help him fix a friend's Auntie's house and also help pick mangos....

I skipped the dawn patrol and I think it was completely worth it (and not just the mangos - I like helping kapuna).

After I recovered from that work, I went ahead and started sanding No.35.  I decided to sand this one outside - it's bad enough I have white epoxy dust all over the garage... to have green also would be too much.

The above picture is of the bottom with half sanded.  I got through sanding the whole bottom, then Matt stopped by to see the progress (he was off island for a couple of weeks - the last time he saw it was before it was laminated).

Below is me starting to sand the top.  By this point I was losing light so I called it quits (and went in to the kitchen to wash all the mangos).

Tomorrow I'll finish sanding the top deck, then I'll laminate the carbon stripe down the middle of the bottom deck.  While I'm using epoxy, I'll also get a few of the low points filled (and hopefully that will cut down on subsequent fill coats/sanding/fill coats/sanding.....)

I asked Helen to print some more vinyl cut decals for this board.

This one is coming together nicely!!!  Might be done by next week (there is wind coming....)

Garage Works - 3/30/2024

And I got home in time to get the pigmented fill coat on the bottom deck.

Tomorrow will be a sanding day.  And maybe a carbon stripe laminating day.

Garage Works - 3/29/2024

I decided to get one of the pigmented fill coats onto Matt's wing board this evening.

This is two batches of 7 ounces of epoxy with 1 ounce of lime green pigment.

Matt wants a brushed carbon look where the carbon shows through the pigmented fill.  This is actually the first time I'm trying this so I get to learn something on this build.

Tomorrow after the dawn patrol, I'll get the fill coat on the bottom deck.  That will set me up for a rough sanding in the evening.  I'll see how this will come out then.  If everything is good, I'll get the labels placed where Matt wants them (he may come over to see where the board is at and hopefully bring some stickers he wanted on the board).

Garage Works - 3/25/2024

I worked on No.35 this afternoon.  I started out by sanding the laps and routing out the slot for the SUP handle.

I used Gorilla Glue to get the handle set in place.

I taped up the handle slot and then placed the innegra layer.

Innegra layer up close.

I placed the carbon patch over the area where the rider's knees and feet will go and then draped over the nose to tail sheet.  I got the relief cuts made and got the epoxy mixed.  First pour was 16.5 resin + 6.6 ounces of hardener.  I needed a second pour and used 5.0 resin and 2.0 ounces of hardener.

And here it is all laminated up!

I'll sand the bottom laps and get the transome fill coat on.  Matt wants a pigmented fill coat on the top and bottom, so that will go on after the transome clear fill.  After the first fill sanding, I'll then laminate a carbon strip on the bottom that will double as a racing stripe.  That will need another laminate coat, followed by two fill coats.

And before the final fill coats I'll need to get the labels and the stickers he wants put on.  Definitely a few extra steps on this one.

With the wind coming up, it may be next week before this one is finished. 

Garage Works - 3/24/2024

I finally decided to get off my ass and start the glassing process on No.35

Here is the bottom laminate.  There is a patch around the box and a nose to tail sheet.  Matt wants a racing stripe, so I proposed to use carbon tape for the stripe.  That'll go on after the pigmented fill coat.

And here it the bottom deck laminated.  This actually wasn't so bad... it went pretty fast.  Using the pre-installed tracks has made this portion of the build a lot simpler than it used to be.

I used 16.5 ounces of resin and 6.6 ounces of hardener.

Tomorrow will be lap sanding, routing out the slot for the SUP handle on top and installation of the handle.  I'll do this earlier (when I first get home from work).  Then in the evening when the temps go down, I'll get the top deck laminated.

Garage Works - 3/19/2024

La and Noe were out when I got home - so I immediately went to work on the projects in the garage.

I sanded the carbon I laminated onto Duke's board.

Then that lead to a fill coat

And a touch up to the repair on the nose

At this point I think I took the polyurethane block on No.35 down with a planer - but I'll write about that when I get to the picture.

I came back to Duke's board and got the carbon fitted to the delam section.

And I got a cap sheet on - both layers epoxied on with 3.5 ounces and 1.4 ounces.

I'll sand the edges and add a fill coat tomorrow.

Duke reminded me there is another ding under Prayot's sticker - I'll have to get to that after the bottom deck work.

While I was cleaning up in the garage, I pieced together the offcuts and this looks like it'll be the blank for No.35 (which is going to be a purpose built Foil Drive Max board, or a slightly narrower version of No.25 - either will have the 16" tracks).  The Foil Drive board would be more interesting as I am planning to have a cutout through the center (nose to tail) to get the Foil Drive unit closer to my foot, while leaving thicker sections on either side for some volume (think catamaran).

If I go with a modified version of No.25, I'd be building it so I can put the smaller foils on it.  No.25 is pegged and I'm not really able to get any of the foils smaller than 1000 sqcm on it. 

I also cleaned the Evolution Cedrus mast.  It goes together nicer now.

But I did find this crack on the adapter end of the mast.  It is detectable on this side, and there is another slightly less noticeable one on the other side also.  I'm going to keep my eye on this..

And this is what I actually started on first when I got home.  I used the Makita battery operated planer and I got the polyurethane block leveled off with the top deck.  I also took the opportunity to clean up the shape a little more.

I was looking to see where the SUP handle would be located to balance the board with a foil attached.

I think I will try to get the bottom deck laminated tomorrow.

Garage Works - 3/9/2024

I hit the garage this afternoon - I feel bad for ignoring this custom board order, but that last batch of repair orders and all this strong wind... what can I say.

Anyways - I got the sanding completed and I also measured out where the mast track box will go.

Here's the board where it currently stands -

Matt came over to check out the progress.  I asked if he wanted any shaping tweaks and he said none.  I'll cut out the slot for the track and the polyurethane backer tomorrow.  I can also get the track block installed.