Garage Works - 4/22/2025

I spent a little time this afternoon working on the repair boards.

Here are the tracks opened up on Roland's Orca board.

And here are the tracks opened up on Uncle Joe's board.  I only need to sand and spray clear coat on this one and it is done.

And I have been researching the parameters to try and get better prints from PETG - this driver holder actually came out really nice.

Behind it is a whistle - but it isn't as loud as the description made it out to be.  Going to have to print out a bunch of the other one I printed so the downwind crew can be all whistled up (for safety).

Garage Works - 4/15/2025

This was work from yesterday.

I got Duke's board repair done.  When I was sanding the repair down, I couldn't isolate the sanding to just the repair.  So I ended up painting the area around the repair.

This was the big chip. 

And this was the chip in the tail.

Then I sprayed paint onto the other side of the board to make the board look more symmetric.

And I went ahead and opened up the big Starboard Peanut board.

I'll have to fill this gap.

After I took this picture, I went ahead and place a layer of fiberglass and epoxy on the bottom of the slot.

I also trimmed more fiberglass to epoxy into the bottom of the reinforcement block - this board is big and the foil is going to apply a large moment arm to the board.  And I can't use carbon because this board may be used with a Gen2 Foil Drive Max.

I'll add carbon over the top of this block - but using it underneath would have killed the signal transmission.

Garage Works - 4/9/2025

Roland and I are bartering services.  I am installing a new mast track on Roland's favorite wingboard - and in return he is installing a cutoff valve on my house water line.

I got to work on measuring where the track box will go,and marking out the cut line.

And today I routed out the void where the new block will drop in.

I always get fascinated by what's inside a board.  The foam was wet (so I'll have to let the board dry before adding new foam).

Maybe this weekend I'll add the new foam. 

Garage Works - 2/1/2025

Yesterday morning I got Scotty's barracuda back to him, so that meant the rack was open again.

When I got back I got to work on No.40

This board is going to be a shorter/wider version of No.34 - that board has proven itself to be incredibly versatile, so I wanted to make a version to compare against No.39 (which are the two shapes I've focusing on recently) 

I started by skinning the top and bottom and started bulk removal at the nose and tail.

The tail bulk removal is driven by the track placement.

After using the planer I shifted to the Surform, dragonskin and then sanding screen.

I got through the rough shaping pretty quick.

Here's the bottom

And here's the top

I left the board alone for a bit (did some other work) - but instead of not coming back to it for a day, I looked for the discrepancies and got to them with the surform and sanding block - so I ended up getting the secondary/fine shaping done also.

I then broke out No.39 and did some calculations on track placement based off of placement on that board.  I marked it out and then kept going.

Here is the slot all routed out.

And the track block dry fitted

This is just before I opened up the Gorilla Glue...

And here it is with the glue curing.

I don't think I've ever gotten a board through these stages this quickly before...

Now I feel compelled to see how fast I can get it laminated.

Garage Works - 6/9/2024

I've been enjoying naps in the afternoons this weekend - so I actually skipped out on foiling today (naps are also a cool activity that I thoroughly enjoy).

What I did instead was get a few projects moved forward.

This one was from yesterday evening - I got the new to me 90cm Project Cedrus Aluminum mast sealed up.  I used the JB Weld Marine Weld this time - mixes up nice and think to minimize running and the set up is conducive for that as well (5 minutes).

I'm looking forward to using this mast when Foil Drive-ing in bigger surf to keep the foil in better water (deeper to avoid the impacts).

Today I started work on the board (Uncle Joe's) I was asked to install mast tracks in.

I measured out where the centerline is and marked up the foam reinforcement blocks to the 90mm spacing.

Then I used the blocks to mark up the cut lines.  I hemmed and hawed but finally broke out the big router.  Cutting this slot out was a pain in the ass.  There were footstrap inserts and the SUP handle to cut through.  And then there was the tuttle box - royal pain in the ass.  But I did get through it all.

The next step was to place pour foam into the routed hole, but I'm going to have to use epoxy and fiberglass to cap the SUP handle and the tuttle screw holes first (I'll do this tomorrow). 

Not wanting No.37 to languish with all this other work going on, I got it through the 80 and 120 screen grit sanding.  This step is best to do in strong sunlight to see the lines and try to get everything lined up.

After that is when I took my nap and then made a run to Kaneohe to pick up Noe (who has been racing in the Summer Sailing Series).  After we got back, I wanted to get the router work with the straight bit done.  I asked Marlon to man the vacuum and we got the slot for No.37 routed out.

This is a really good (high tolerance cut) slot for the track block.

I am debating whether to use Gorilla Glue in one step, or to use two steps and epoxy a thin layer of fiberglass on the bottom, then epoxy in the block.  This track block is different than the 16" version I have been using - figured I give this brand a try (15" track).

I'm leaning towards the Gorilla Glue (non-expanding) option since the tolerance is tight on the cut - and there is zero chance for exotherm burns.

Garage Works - 5/5/2024

And after Noe's concert, taking care of the lawn and returning Marvin's extension ladder - I made time to further No.36

I started by routing in the slots for the footstrap inserts.  Then I sanded the inserts and dry fitted the inserts.  And then I epoxied in the inserts.

I used 3.5 ounces of epoxy and 5 scoops of milled fibers and 3 scoops of thiksil.  After placing epoxy into each of the slots, I had a about a half an ounce of mixture left. 

Tomorrow (if I don't wing or Foil Drive) I will laminate the bottom deck.  

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 - 4/22/2023

After getting back from Kailua and eating the Agnes malasadas, I worked in the garage for a bit.

I got the bottom deck fill coat on.  I even got a second layer of epoxy over the decals (so I can sand over them).

I kept an eye on the epoxy while it hardened - and then I turned my attention to Kalani's SUP Foiling board.  The boxes were moving and the deck has some delaminations.

Cracked HD foam...

After a lot of routing, I got all the bad stuff out.  The new reinforcement block now fits.  I'll put this job on hold until I get the syringe I ordered.  That will help me get epoxy into the delaminated spots.

Garage Works - 4/8/2023 Part 3

The last thing I tackled in the garage today was cutting out the slots for the mast track reinforcement blocks on both No.30 and No.31

I really need to figure out how to hook up a vacuum to the big router... there was foam everywhere.

I did not keep pace with the schedule I wrote about earlier - but I think the time dialing in these shapes was time well spent.

I almost want to get No.31 laminated first - I've built many of these short foil boards that this would be a warm up for me for No.30 - its been a while since I laminated a board longer than 5'.

We'll see what comes up after I get the blocks set.

Garage Works - 11/20/2022

I routed out the bottom deck handle and the mast track reinforcement block this morning.

I gorilla glued in the handle (it isn't structural so it doesn't need to be epoxied in - and the laminate will go over it).

I put carbon and innegra at the bottom to keep the block/finboxes in place.

I'll rout out the finbox slots tomorrow - then it's on it laminating.

Garage Works - 11/16/2022

I got the slot routed out for the footstrap inserts done yesterday afternoon.

I also got the bottom all measured out.

I'll either get the bottom routed out today, or epoxy in the footstrap inserts.

Garage Works - 8/15/2022

I decided to truly take a break from surfing/foiling today - so I used the time to get these two prone boards advanced.

First I routed out the slots for the reinforcement blocks.  Then I cleaned up the edges so the blocks would fit in snug (not too tight - need room for the fabric).

These first pictures are the carbon layers added in.  I use offcuts from the bottom laminate from previous boards (this stuff is not cheap - I try and use all of it).

On these boards, I did something different than previous builds.  I broke up what would normally be a combined step into two separate ones.  In the single step version of getting the fabrics wetted out and then placing the reinforcement block immediately after, the top fabric usually pulls.  Even though this part of the board is never seen in the finished product, I still wanted to do it so the fabric doesn't pull.

This first of two separate steps was to wet out only the top part of the fabric that would stay above the routed out hole.  I placed saran wrap over the fabric, placed the blocks in place to hold the fabric in place and added soft weights to help keep the fabric down.  

The next step was to add some more fabric to the bottom - this is scrap innegra (even more expensive than carbon fiber), then I wetted out the bottom and sides of the hole, added a layer of epoxy thickened with Thiksil, and then placed the block in.

I filled the gap with some straight epoxy (flows into the gaps easier), then covered the blocks with saran wrap and placed the weights on the outer edges of the blocks.

The next step on these will be to rout out the finbox slots in these blocks.  Then I'll flip the boards and rout out a thin layer of foam on the top deck where my left heel goes - I'll press on a thin sheet of divynicell.

From there I'll laminate on the top deck fabric, then flip the board and epoxy in the finboxes and laminate the bottom deck.

There's more (a lot more), but these prone boards get done faster than the wing boards.