Garage Works - 11/30/2024

I spent the evening getting the top deck laminated.

I sanded the inserts down and got rid of any burrs.

Then I sealed up the insert holes with surf wax.

Then I laid out patches where my heels and knees will go.

The cap sheet was falling short so I had to splice the last foot.  I opted to put the splice at the back since my foot will never go that far back.

And here is the board all laminated.  Whenever I place footstrap inserts in a board, I have to pay more attention to getting the laminate tight against the board/insert.

This effort this evening keeps me on schedule.  I'll likely sand laps tomorrow and get the first (of possibly four) fill coats on.  If I'm lucky, I could get the second coat on in the evening (just have to start earlier in the day).

I'm thinking with all the sanding, filling, sanding, filling, logos, filling, sanding and then spraying I'll have to do before I get the board outfitted, it'll be next weekend before I get this board anointed.

Garage Works - Thanksgiving

I have a really long weekend - I managed to take Friday and Monday off.  And with that comes the opportunity to get significant headway on No.39

After we got back from La's cousin's house (Thanksgiving), I went ahead and got started on the next steps.

First off was trimming the basalt oversheet.  I also wanted to check if I have enough to laminate the top deck... not quite with a single sheet (I might still splice the overlay...).

Then trimming the lap and cutting the relief slits

To laminate the overlay, I initially used 13.3 ounces - then I added another 4.2 ounces to laminate the box cap sheet (way thicker longitudinal carbon)

This one came out tight!

I marked the t-nut hole in the cap sheet and added the remaining epoxy to the front and back edges of the cap sheet.

Tomorrow I'll start by sanding the laps, then I'll settle on the footstrap positions and route out the foot strap insert slots.

I'll glue the reinforcement blocks in place, wait for the glue to dry, then route out the foot strap insert holes.

I'd like to get the inserts epoxied in and then I'll work out the laminates.  Whether I laminate the top deck depends on what else I end up doing tomorrow (Foil Drive-ing on the dawn patrol, and if the wind comes up parawinging in the afternoon).

Worst case - I laminate Saturday morning.  If that's the case, I should be adding fill coats Saturday evening.  If I keep to this schedule, I should be riding this board (wing and Foil Drive) later next week.

Garage Works - 9/29/2024

La was helping out with some races at KYC - so I had time to get some work done on No.38

I started out fairing the track block and getting the boxes set in with epoxy.  And then I got the bottom deck laminates all trimmed.

There's a carbon spine on the blank, then the top to bottom basalt layer, and finally a carbon cap sheet over the block.

I used 21 ounces of epoxy for the bottom deck lamination.  And to make sure I didn't have any off gassing bubbles, I attended to the board while the epoxy was hardening.

After a few hours, I tested the lamination to see if I could sand it - yup!  So I went ahead and laminated the top deck.

Here's the top deck with the laps sanded down and the under layers staged.

And here is everything laminated.  I used 19 ounces for the top deck.

Nice and tight!!!!

I'll sand this again when I get home tomorrow and maybe get the first fill coat on (and if I get it on early enough, I can probably get the opposite side filled as well.  Norm wants this board all white - so that is a thicker fill coat (with white pigment).

Garage Works - 6/22/2024 - Round 3

After dinner - I went ahead and got the top deck laid out and even laminated.

I used 4.8 ounce carbon fiber with an overlap where the glue seam is, and patches of residual basalt to provide near total coverage under the nose to tail basalt layer.

15 ounces of epoxy and I've got myself a laminated Foil Drive board.

Tomorrow I'll sand the laps and place a fill coat with pigment.  This one is getting close.

Garage Works - 6/22/2024

I got a bunch done in the garage today.

First thing this morning I laminated the bottom deck of No.37.  I pulled back the basalt cover sheet and the carbon reinforcements, then poured the epoxy to get into the track slots (so everything is chemically bonded.

The basalt is halfway between carbon and fiberglass - so it goes in place pretty easily.

And after I came back from winging, I also sanded the laps - so now it is ready for the top deck lamination.  Before I go to sleep tonight I'll cut out the carbon and basalt so I can laminate tomorrow morning.

And I sanded the first fill coat on the big SUP foil board mast track.  I then got the second fill coat on.

I'll do the final sanding on this tomorrow morning, then flip it and get a new SUP handle installed.  Then this board will be ready to get back to Uncle Joe.