Garage Works - 10/7/2025

The surf was tiny and the wind was onshore - I kept to the garage.  Besides, I really need to finish this board so I can get it put through its paces this weekend.

I resanded the patched areas and faired everything in again.  I filed the track box fill (where the router took too much).  Then I wiped the board down and taped up the perimeter.

I used 7.5 ounces of ProLink epoxy for the last fill/seal coat.  I got the rails and the bottom deck coated.

Then after a few hours, the epoxy was pretty much hardened.  I taped up the bottom perimeter and then mixed up another 6 ounces of the Pro Link.  I got the top deck and the rails coated. 

Tomorrow I'll sand the board - top, bottom and rails through the whole regime.  Then I'll get the vent and leash plugs installed.  I'll try to get through all that shortly after I get home from work tomorrow.

Once the epoxy placed in the leash and vent plugs hardens, I'll sand those down and then spray clear coat on the bottom deck and the rails.  This is where I start to question whether I'll have enough time tomorrow...

Ideally I'd then get the top deck sprayed.  Then Thursday morning I'll place the deck pads and let those set for 24 hours.  If I can get all that done in that schedule, the board will be ready for use on Friday.

The forecast is kinda shifting a bit - but Saturday afternoon looks to be the point where the tradewinds return.  So I've got an extra day or so....

And with the crappy conditions, I'm actually getting to rest my body from the nearly non-stop foiling (parawinging and Foil Drive-ing).  I actually need this break!

Update - I headed back to the garage after dinner and got the plugs installed.

Measured out position on the board and drilled out the pilot holes.  Switched to hole saw bits and got the openings drilled in.

Used about 0.2 ounces of epoxy to set these two plugs in place.

Today's work got me ahead of planned schedule.  Wednesday should be sanding and clear coat spraying.  And Thursday will be deck pad application.

The trades look to be solid on Saturday - I'll likely head to Hickam to get the foil positions dialed in on wing, then try parawinging it!!!

Garage Works - 6/22/2025

I got this sewing machine for Father's Day, but today was the first time I plugged it in.  I also organized the feet and other accessories.  I'll have to practice on it a bit later - need to finish No.41 (as Miles is asking for a board to be made).

Speaking of No.41 - yesterday I sanded the top and bottom - and for the most part there weren't any real surprises.  It wasn't perfect - there were still some low spots, so that meant another fill coat.

I taped up the board for a bottom deck coat first.

You can see some of the low spots.

I used Pro-Link for the bottom fill - that won't be hidden by deck pads so it's worth putting it on the bottom.

And this evening I found some time to get the top deck coated.  I used regular aluzine epoxy for this coat.

Tomorrow I'll sand both sides through the sanding regime, then place another fill coat on the side of the trench I hadn't gotten to yet.  After that hardens, I'll get the leash plug and vent installed.

This one is getting close to anointment!

Garage Works - 5/16/2024

It was onshore winds again today from the Kona Low (located about 600 miles north of the island chain).  It was also raining pretty steadily - so I really didn't feel like going to the beach.

Instead, I sucked it up and set out to move the bar forward on the garage projects.

I sanded the caps on Marvin's boards and sprayed clear coat - those were done.

Then I started what I dread on the builds - sanding.

Here I'm sanding the top deck.

Here's the bottom deck.

There were a bunch of low spots.

I taped the top deck off and mixed up 9 ounces of Pro-Link epoxy to use as the second fill coat.

Tomorrow I'll get a second fill coat on the top deck.

Marvin came over to pick up his boards and we talked about Foil Drive board design.  He looked at No.36 and thought to was a prone board.  At 22" wide, this one can pull triple duty - wing, Foil Drive and prone.