Garage Works - 6/15/2025

Also on this 2025 Father's Day, I got lots of work done on No.41

After the epoxy fiasco yesterday, I got everything sanded and fixed this morning.  I'm glad the fiasco happened, but this board will be stronger now.

And this evening I was able to get the top deck lamination epoxied on.

The hard part is done!

A little lap sanding tomorrow, label stickers get placed, and a fill coat will go on.

The next day the other deck will get it's fill coat.  Sanding on Tuesday.  Secondary fill coats if necessary.

Plug installation (maybe Tuesday night) and Signal Window up on the nose.

Final fill coat on Wednesday.  This board will definitely be anointed by this coming weekend. 

Garage Works - 6/14/2025

I installed this parawing harness hook onto the NSI parawing pouch belt.  It works well!  I'll try it out on the water next time I go parawinging.

And I got a lot of work done on No.41

This is the carbon strips I'll apply to the bottom for stiffening.

And here they are installed.

I sanded that laminate smooth and then prepared to place the bottom on.

The first batch of epoxy cooked off a little quick - and I may have ruined a few areas of the bottom laminate.  I'll check tomorrow - if I need to I'll sand of the bad spots, and relaminate.

If I knock this out in the morning, I should be able to laminate the top deck tomorrow as well.  With all the extra work going into this build, it better perform well...

Garage Works - 5/31/2025

And after I got back from the beach, I got the urge to get the projects in the garage forwarded a bit.

First up was placing fill on the dings on Stu's big wing board.

After that work, I tweaked in the shape on No.41 - at the nose and around the track box.  Then I mixed more epoxy to fill the track perimeter, and saturate the first layer of carbon.

Then I mixed more epoxy to get the two carbon layers saturated.

Here's the board while I was getting the carbon situated.

And here it is post epoxy placement.

I make sure to hang around while the epoxy is initially hardening.  I want to make sure to flatten any large air bubbles that usually form if I glass during the day.

I'll place the fill coat over this work later today.  I can't push forward until the tracks are open.

Garage Works - 5/16/2025

I was going to parawing this afternoon - but I figured I should get some yard work done first (which would give me an excuse to "rinse off").

I got the yard work completed (and actually a bunch of it) - but then it started to rain hard.  The wind was also gusty and shifting - I figured I should stay back today, get some more rest in and get some progress on the projects I have in the garage.

First up was inspecting the wing I got Brenda to fix.  You can see the dacron patch on the leading edge.  This is where the rear stabilizer brushed up against the wing yesterday. 

I also spent some time filling and sanding said stabilizer - it's better than new now.  I am going to give the SK8 750 another shot when the wind comes back next week.  I think I need to bring it back in the tracks a 1/4" and then it might be dialed in and I can really do a comparison against the AFS foils.

I sanded all 5 areas on Bill's board.  I also trimmed the carbon patch for the underside ding.

I got more fill on the repair, and then laminated the carbon patch under peelply.

Then I went ahead and got another fill slurry on the top deck dings.  I'll sand these tomorrow and get the carbon patches on.

I may also be able to get the pigmented fill coat on tomorrow as well.

And lastly - this came in the mail today.... the Team sticker for 2025!

Fun times!!!

Garage Works - 4/20/2025

Instead of dawn patrolling this morning, I went ahead and got the board repairs in the garage forwarded.

I trimmed the slot in Roland's board so the mast track reinforcement block would fit.

Then I laminated a layer of fiberglass at the bottom of the slot.  And I went ahead and got the block epoxied in place.

While that was hardening, I sanded the big board and got one last fill coat in for good measure.  I'll sand this tomorrow and open up the tuttle and the track slots.

After that, this one should be done.

And after the winging session, I found myself back in the garage.

I used the small Bosch electric planer and got the corners faded in and the lip on the tracks removed.  I used the sander and took down the remaining high points and got this ready for laminating.

Nicely faded in

Same lamination schedule I've been using recently.

And here it is all laminated.

I'll drill in the bottom deck signal window tomorrow.  I'll also sand the edge of the carbon and fill the signal window and the drainage hole Roland cut into the tail.

Then there are the fill coats, sandings, cutting open the tracks, footstrap inserts on the top deck, signal window up top, sanding, filling, sanding, and clear coat.

Probably will be done by next weekend.

Garage Works - 4/11/2025

I took the day off today (so I can whittle my use or lose down), and decided to get some progress done on some projects.

First up was adding fill to level out the slot for the track block on Roland's wing board.

Then I figured I should fix the 142 rear stabilizer.  This is the undamaged side.

Here's the tip that had a chunk missing from it yesterday.

After I got the carbon laminated onto the stabilizer, I went back to Roland's board.  I used the electric planer to get the foam leveled, so I can use the router to clear the foam.

Since I had all the tools in use, I told Prayot to bring the board he has queued up so he could get the thickness dialed in and the track box routed out.

And here is the stabilizer ready to trim. 

I already got it trimmed and sanded.  It could use a thin layer of epoxy to fill some transition lines - but other than that it came out nice and I even got the other scratches filled and the trailing edge tuned up.

I'll test it first - if it runs quiet and doesn't behave funny, I'll probably just leave it.

Garage Works - 2/16/2025

Worked on some repairs today.

I got a second layer of carbon on Norm's front foil tips repair.

I also got the leash plug and signal window sanded and filled on Marvin's foilboard.

And I got No.34 back from Kalani - small patch required.

I'll have to do a fill coat on the front foil repair tomorrow.  And some sanding.

Garage Works - 2/3/2024

This was yesterday's work in the garage.  I laminated a thick chunk of carbon fabric where my heels/knees will go, and the innegra mesh underneath 4.8 ounce carbon fiber nose to tail.

The carbon underlay is 8.9 ounce fabric - I always have concern over saturating this fabric...

Here is the result of nearly 23 ounces of epoxy pushed into the multiple laminate layers.

And the whole thing was still pretty darn light.

I'll sand the laps and make a determination of the fill coat (pigmented is the call right now).

Garage Works - 2/2/2025

And when I got back, after cleaning up and putting things away, I went ahead and laminated the bottom deck of No.40

Since yesterday was surprisingly productive, I figured I should keep the momentum going.

I placed a carbon strip almost nose to tail, and two additional patches on either side of the track block.  Then a cap sheet nose to tail.  That would be 4.8 ounces on the areas with a single layer, and close to 10 ounces where the patches are.

I applied 16.8 + 5.6 ounces to get everything saturated.  I might have an issue underneath the bag weights - the strips I used had some residual epoxy on them so it wasn't conforming easily.  Hopefully the weights pushed them down (so I won't have to sand and patch).

Since tomorrow is a rest day, I'll get the top deck laminated.  I'm thinking of keeping this one clear instead of pigmenting the fill coat (but I still have a couple of days to think about it).  This would be in keeping with the modelling after No.34

Garage Works - 1/26/2025

And while La was sewing upstairs, I worked on my current project.

I sanded the epoxy and the track boxes flat.

Then I taped the boxes and cut out the reinforcing cap sheet (thanks the La for letting me use her rotary cutter - I'm going to have to get one of those.

And here is the patch laminated on.

This is an 8.9 ounce patch - pretty thick as far as laminates go.

I used 4.9 x2 ounces of epoxy.  The first 4.9 ounces went on the wet out the carbon.  Then I added the second batch to make sure everything was saturated. 

I'll sand the edges to feather them in.

I'll go back and add another fill coat - this time just enough epoxy.

Lastly I'll route out the slots and fit test.

If I work on it tomorrow, I should be finished by Wednesday. 

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 - 11/28/2024

Getting ready to laminate No.39

I'll get the bottom deck laminated this evening.

Garage Works - 11/2/2024

Here is the Ezzy all repaired (thanks La!!!)

That was fixed yesterday.

Today I reminded Marlon the Takuma foils are his now.  To make me feel better about him taking these out and using them without me around, I rounded off the shark teeth winglets.  I should have done this when I got these foils - now they are less likely to cut...

And I showed him how to set up the foil on the board - including the foil angle of incidence.

Then I went ahead and prepared the crushed wingtip on the SK8 950 for the carbon patch lamination.

I'll start laminating the different layers on to the wing tip tomorrow (when I also place epoxy into the longboard I'm fixing for Greg).

I don't mind doing this for other people - but I get frustrated when I have to do it on my own foils.