Base/ edge/core material.

[Onthewater860]

What are people using for base material? How about edge material.
What are people's thoughts on cores? Bamboo, pine, Other woods, high density foam?

[plummet]

Bamboo base and edge material with a foam cap in the top. Bamboo is a bit heavy but very robust. It can take the hits. I've smashing into boulders so hard I've been thrown meters. Board is still sweet. Every now and then I touch the edges with a dab of resin when they need it.

[Onthewater860]

Strait bamboo base or glassed? How's the bamboo to work with?

[plummet]

Nah carbon then bamboo then foam then carbon.

[handy]

for the edges, if you can get some ABS, that s still the best material for the job.

[downunder]

Have a look in here. This was discussed so many times:

http://boardbuilders-forum.1077691.n5.n ... 34i40.html







I have no idea why on Earth would anyone use the ABS, but each to his own...Every single board on the market is the PU.

The core can be anything, duno, a marine ply. There is no base, we are not building snowboards or skis Single core is sufficient.

[TomW]

Hi Plummet,

Nice mutant.
Can u describe your build process in more detail?
Looks like from bottom, carbon lam ( or a finished carbon sheet glued on? ) bamboo, ( thickness? ) , bamboo extra pieces on rails, foam on deck ( what density, how thick), then carbon ( weight of cloth).
Are you bagging it down onto a rocker table? Any concaves or anything special on your rocker? Is your rocker symmetrical? ( doesn't appear to be)

How does that board carve compared to a real surfboard, can you get any drive in it?
I've been on strapless surfboards for 4-5 years ( lost count) and recently demoed a Shinn Monk for 2 separate sessions back to back with my quad Evo rip-off. The TT just dies in the carve turn, I get it that a TT is going to do that, but after all those years on a surfboard it's amazing how bad a TT feels in turns.
What else have you tried before you settled on the 5 fin setup?
You think this is best?

[rynhardt]

What are people using for base material? How about edge material.
What are people's thoughts on cores? Bamboo, pine, Other woods, high density foam?

I'm planning a new board. Stringer and edges will be ABS, mostly because it bonds well to epoxy with minimal prep, and it suits my workflow.
Core will be foam, because it's light and easy to work with.
Core material has less effect than your layup schedule, despite what the marketing hype is trying to sell you.

[Onthewater860]

What's your typical lay up?

[plummet]

Hi Plummet,

Nice mutant.
Can u describe your build process in more detail?
Looks like from bottom, carbon lam ( or a finished carbon sheet glued on? ) bamboo, ( thickness? ) , bamboo extra pieces on rails, foam on deck ( what density, how thick), then carbon ( weight of cloth).
Are you bagging it down onto a rocker table? Any concaves or anything special on your rocker? Is your rocker symmetrical? ( doesn't appear to be)

How does that board carve compared to a real surfboard, can you get any drive in it?
I've been on strapless surfboards for 4-5 years ( lost count) and recently demoed a Shinn Monk for 2 separate sessions back to back with my quad Evo rip-off. The TT just dies in the carve turn, I get it that a TT is going to do that, but after all those years on a surfboard it's amazing how bad a TT feels in turns.
What else have you tried before you settled on the 5 fin setup?
You think this is best?

Cheers man. Are you the guy making those sweet channelled vanguard style boards? If so those are incredible boards.

To answer your questions.

I do a complete layup at one time vac bag and mechanical press. The means all layers a bonded with a chemical bond at one time.

From memory here is my layup bottom to top

200gm carbon plain weave at 45
200 gm carbon uni at 0
3mm bamboo ply
4m herex foam. tapered Can't remember the density. its high 80-100kg?
5mm v -lam bamboo rail
200gm carbon uni. 3 x 100mm stingers 1 at 0 and 2 diagonal fin to fin.
200gm carbon plain weave at 0/90

Rocker is symetrical 60mm on the rails and 55mm centre. With the exception of a 70mm "kick" at the front.

For a start I have ditched the thrurter and settles on quad set up and settled on one fin at the front. That is my final configuration. Does it turn like a surfboard? No. It is slower to turn and cannot pivot anywhere near as fast as or tight as a surfboard. It wont rival your strapless sb for ultimate wave performance. But that is not what I want. What does it turn like? more like a longboard surfboard I guess a lazier bigger arc. It is certainly far superior than a standard TT. I can and do get sweet sweet tunrs and carves on the wave face. The extra piece of bamboo is so I can radius a the rail to make the carve and rail to rail transition more surfboard like. It does work and makes carves incredibly smooth. As an example it eats the OR mako for breakfast for carving on the wave face. It really is nice.

The main reason a TT feels incredibly bad to turn is because of the fin to back foot distance. With an SB you foot sits smack on your fines and you can drive that turn pivoting around the back foot and fins. The further away your foot is from the rear fins the worse that drive becomes. so.... My evil plan was to subtly move the fins forward up the board closer to the rear foot. It worked and I have way better drive on the wave face with the fins closer my rear foot. But with a mutant design you can't run too much rear foot bias or backwards riding will be compromised. That is also the reason I ditched the rear thruster. it was too far back and inhibited my turning radius. I also discovered with the quad I didn't need any extra fins. I can hold some incredible pressure on some pretty steep and lumpy faces.

Why don't I ride a surfboard you ask. I'm not a surfer and don't need a paddle surf sensation. Also boosting primary and wave riding is secondary. So I want a board I can boost on in the first instance then wave ride on the way back in.

What don't I like about the board? Its too stiff. The next board I will dial back the carbon. Its too power hungry. Its great on those 25+ knot days with monster swell. Buy gets a little boring sub 20 knots. The next board will have more concave to create a flater water line and more efficiency. I'm also going to make the tips a tinsy bit more square edged for better load and pop for boosting.