TooMuchEpoxy wrote:from what I understand, unless your REALLY REALLY GOOD. Hand shaped foils just won't work, they'll be uneaven and make it very difficult to ride. ...
Shaping Will be difficult, but the sense of accomplishment when finished
is Well worth the learning curve.
** if Ya use straight taper lines at first, (ie--no compound curves), on the
airfoil, then the shaping can be done with a hot-wire & 3lb density foam.
Ya can get +- 0.010 tolerances on the
thickness that way if you cut 1/16" thick aluminum airfoils for the root and tip.
** first thing i would try is to make a mold of am existing foil lay-out; if you
got t buddy that has one. If you PM me, i'll tell you how to build a cheep PFP
mold; it's how designers make prototype plaster molds for one-off's. if your
careful then Ya can get 15 - 20 parts out of it.
** shaping a male can be done with the use of a multi-ply plywood. the more
lamination's the better. just past your airfoil on the ends and follow the glue-lines
of the ply for your shape. Any deviations will show up like Rad !!
** Materials ?
Use a good grade of glass then put down a 50K carbon uni on the top & bottom
of the airfoil. Carbon uni can be had on the roll for about $30 a pound, which would
be enough to build 30 Hydrofoils. By then you'll be getting good at it.
** Any Really "Good" grade of Epoxy will work, West Systems is the cheaper of the
ones that will work.
Without getting on anyone's case. I didn't have the money for my first board...
so i built my own---three times till i got one that worked.
The current state of the art in prosthetic's were designed by an engineer that
had two perfectly good legs. I broke both the ones they made for me,(one 80ft up
a rock wall & the other in the middle of lake Mohave while kite boarding), so i build my
own now !
The Hang glider that got # 4 in the world on in ACRO...
Yea i built that one also, (i blew up my First try) & had
to toss a parachute, to save my Ass !
I got Better at building frames, kinda quick after that !!
The point i'm trying to make here is :
Don't Let Some Idiot with the Creative ability of a Friken Slug
try & talk you out of building your own S**t !!
Once again --- the sense of accomplishment is Well worth
the Learning curve !!!
Bille