Second to last fidgeting

After sanding yesterday, I cleaned up the fin boxes, placed the worm screws in and took a look-see.

I saw small, narrow channels of "shiny" - areas not hit by the sander.

Instead of more sanding (and risk of oversanding), I placed a gloss coat on (bottom first).

Tomorrow I'll do the same to the top and fill in the void around the leash plugs.

Thursday will be vent and pad install day leading into...

Friday and the liquid christening!!!!

If I had to shape this board over again, I would thin the tail out more and increase the exit rocker.

Any how - one step closer!

Almost finished...

Sanded the board today.

I think I am going to squeegee one last coat of epoxy onto the board, just to get a gloss coat on, instead of living with the matte look.

Those steps will slow down the christening, but what are a few more days for a project that will last for a long time (remember the glassing schedule - 2x 4oz on bottom, 2x 4oz on top of the bamboo and a layer of 6oz all with epoxy resin - bullet proof).

I also have to fix a small slip up with the leash plugs, add the decking pads (front and rear foot only - either monster paint or wax in between), and the last step will be the vent (since the core is EPS foam).

If I can put the time I want to into the board this week, I should be surfing MEGASHREADZILLA on Friday morning.

A-LO-HA!!!

Hot Coated!!!

Took the board home today to work on it.

I used Posca pens to hand draw on the "E Ku I Luna A Hoe" - the original laminate got washed out - colors from the inkjet were not bold enough to stand out against the avocado colored blank.

Had to throw on another trident - because tridents are cool, tridents are symbols of seapower and I like tridents!

Hotcoated the bottom and the top. Used Resin Research CE epoxy resin (UV inhibitors added in with an optical clarifier - it's blue instead of clear like the old 2000 resin).

The hotcoats setup decently - darn shame I have to put the sander to it... But with the boxes to break free, and the leash plugs/vent still to put in, to the sander it shall go. Anyways - a high grit matte finish is best for fluid dynamics (fully developed water boundary layer - same trick dinghy racers use, but by the hand of a sander with a sheet of 1000 grit stuck on it).

Here's where I get to remember why glassing and sanding are the easiest ways to screw up a home built board...

E Ku I Luna A Hoe!!!

Top Laminate came out GREAT!

Oh yeah!!!

Even the corners at the tail (notorious for floating off the blank) stayed put.

Nice!!!

Next up - cleaning up the laps; routing out the fin box holes; epoxying in the boxes; placing patches over the boxes; cleaning up the boxes; then hotcoating; plug installation; rough sanding - fine sanding - final sanding; curing; riding -

Megashreadzilla should take to the waters off Southern California to wreck havoc on unsuspecting silly-vilians and watermen of lesser abilities (watch out kooks) in about 2 weeks...

I can't wait!!!

Making boards is a great way to out-wait no swell days and general blahness.

Aloha!

Top Deck On

Cleaned up last night's bottom laminate. The bottom deck came out beautifully. The rails and especially the nose left a lot to be desired.

After the lap cleanups, I went and bought some 1/4" Red Pin Striping tape from Autozone. $4.99

Placed the tape on and then got the fiberglass ready. 2X 4 oz again - with a little less than an inch on the laps. I cut a lot less relief cuts on this one - seemed to work better.

Mixed up 24 oz of resin research epoxy and BAM - right on the MONEY - not a drop wasted!!! As much as I dread glassing, I figure I'm starting to get a gut feel for it.

I love shaping. I love sanding - even over and over again - nothing like seeing the shine come out of something after sanding with progressively finer sandpaper. But I do not love glassing. Of all the things that could go wrong with making a board, this is where all the risk is in my humble opinion. Polyester is probably easier and less hassle, but the stigma that comes with EPOXY - high tech, etc. just keeps drawing me back. Oh, and no spidercracks. I hate spidercracks. I hate spidercracks more than I don't love glassing.

We'll see how it all turned out tomorrow...

Bottom laminate

Well -

Inspired by all the awesome surfcraft I was exposed to all weekend, I was driven to get my projects back underway.

I went straight for the big one - glassing Megashreadzilla.

I actually am going to trying placing the fin boxes in after the laminate and before the hotcoat on this board. I'll still use patches to brace the Futures boxes on the side fin positions.

The laminates didn't show up at all - relatively speaking. I thought for sure yellow on a green background would work. I'm chalking this one up to the subtly excuse (although the only time I am arrogant is when I surf - pretty ironic).

The bottom deck (2X 4oz glass) went on surprisingly smooth. The rail wrap is going to require some cleanup before I laminate the top layer though - but don't they all - or at least that's what I like to think.

I am getting to the point where I consider myself to be a decent shaper - but I would still classify myself as an amateur glasser. And my stubborn streak of exclusively using epoxy is just another way of me making it harder on myself (although epoxy is far superior to all but UV activated poly).

Anyways - Enjoy! Tomorrow: rail cleanup/red pinstriping and top laminate

Bamboo top deck laminating

From 4pm to 10pm yesterday - prepped the blank and laminate for the bagging operation.

I would have just left it after the bagging but the pump controller was not cutting off at the right vacuum level. So I had the go take the family home and go back to work.

Despite all the rigmaroll, the operation was a success!!! There are a few spots that will need secondary touchups (particularly the nose- the curvature of the nose area and it's distance from the vacuum port made it challenging to get it to completely stay down), but that should be an easy day during lamination.

Next up - automotive store for some pin striping tape!!!

Hoo-Yah!