Paipo Board Blank Material

[jbw4600]

Here is what I built my board out of. http://www.whitecap.com/shop/wc/76109 It cost about $50.00. They also sell different thicknesses. I cut it into three pieces two are 2' x 6' and one is 2' x4'. So I can build 3 boards with a blank cost of $16.66 each vs $80-$100 for one regular surfboard blank. The only disadvantage is that you have shape your own rocker. There are White Cap Construction stores all over the US. There are some other companies that sell EPS sheets, but I could find any other than White Cap in the SF Bay area.

[krusher74]

There is a guy over in the pacifica area with a cad blank shaping machine (cut most blanks for there and the santa cruz area), if you can design you board in CAD, he will cut it out for you.

[soulglider]

cnc guys down her wont cut the looser, bigger cell insulation foam. but will only charge a nominal fee for their foam. i got a cut blank for $70 3 years ago.

[jbw4600]

Actually this isn't looser big cell foam. It is 2 pound foam just like regular EPS blanks and it is pretty hard. But I enjoy making them by hand. I haven't even used a planner yet.

[nomastomas]

I love the simplicity of your approach JW. I gonna have to try the 2lb construction EPS myself, if its different from the Lowes/Home Depot insulation EPS, which is probably more like 1.5lb density EPS. At 3" thick, you could probably go as much as 2-3/4" NR with a 36g sanding block and a little elbow grease. A Surform with a "Microplane" blade cuts EPS nice without tearing like a standard Surform blade. Doing railbands with a sanding block is do-able, but not as easily as with a planer with a grit barrel (regular planer blades have a tendency to tear the foam unless you make slow, shallow passes). Rail bands are cut wider in the center and taper in width at both ends, like facets on a diamond. With a planer, you open up the cut as you go towards the middle and then close the cut as you pass the middle and go to the end. With a sanding block you have to apply more pressure and/or make more passes in the middle and progressively less at either end to achieve the same results. Belly boards, using reasonably-priced EPS foam, are a great introduction to surfboard construction. Low cost, very manageable, most tools readily available, and without the noxious fumes of polyester resin. Installing fin boxes requires a router and a jig, unless you use the old school FCS single plugs that only require a hole saw. Is that what you used?

[jbw4600]

I made several sanding blocks. A couple are 24 inches long. I used 20 grit and 36 grit. I used them to make the rocker and thin down the top of the board. I made some shorter blocks with several different grits. I used the shorter blocks to do the rail bands. It worked pretty good except where I tried to scoop the deck by the nose, it is a little irregular. I have access to a planner (I used it on my wood board.). I might use it next time. But I am worried about it making a mess even with a ShopVac attached. I don't a have very good work space. I bought a FCS Fusion jig ($70) for the fin boxes. I was going to use a Probox jig ($30), but some people said they can leak.

I'll take a bunch of photos next time.