Saturday 29 August 2015

Board Building Project - HD Creeper 48 - Stage 8 - Clear Coat, Pads & Non-skid

Time for the final clear coat, sanding and non-skid.  I will keep a matt finish which shows the weave when wet - just like the finish on fins.  My non-skid was late night inspirado and I already don't like the waistcoat looking front - this will change down the track.  Also had a bit of trouble with the non-skid fisheyeing over to 1200 finish underneath - another experience for the memory bank.  This will be the last clear finished board I do, opaque sanding coats are so much quicker to finish.

 Clear coat, none under the pads to save weight.

 
 Clear coat tail.

 
 Wet and dry of the clear coat.
 
 Wet and dry finished.

 
 Pads and non-skid finished.

 
Hull sanded.

 
 Nose clear coat.

 
 Finished tail.

   
Ready to Rock.

Board Building Project - HD Creeper 48 - Stage 6 & 7 - Hull & Deck Lamination

Deck is bagged(200g Twill carbon, 130g plain glass + patches) and initial sanding is almost finished. Next up is to fill a few low spots I should have filled before glassing but couldn't be stuffed, then a finishing coat for polishing.

I glassed(2 x 130g plain glass + patches) the hull old school(not bagged) and everything was sweet until some gassing of the dcell combined with some crimped glass to form a few bubbles.  Yet more repair work.  The newer surfboard glass(130g) seems to use smaller glass bundles(and have larger openings in the weave) which leaves more resin on the layup table.  I think the layup might have been on the dry side as a result which doesn't help.  I probably should have glassed the hull on the board then feathering the 2 layers around the rail would have been easier.

There are a few tricks I tried for the hidden (under carbon) inserts which worked well.

 
 Deck Laminate Vacuum Bag

 
  Mast Track Bagged

 
Tail Bagged

   
Unwrapping fun!

   
  Deck Weave
 
Footstrap Insert Plugs revealed

Footstrap Insert Plugs sanded flush

Footstrap Insert Plugs flicked out

   
  Deck lightly sanded (sacrificial glass layer on top.
 
  Deck Sanded

   Deck Sanded

 

Sunday 16 August 2015

HD Creeper 83 - Sneak Peek

Here is a sneak peek of my latest board build. There will be more detail to follow...

Its an 83cm slalom which is a bit of a Frankenstein with bits inspired by this and that.

The final design is a development of this design I was working on almost 3 years ago - http://whitelionwindsurfing.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/board-building-project-hd-s82.html

 
HD Creeper 83 Cad Model - Perspective

 
HD Creeper 83 Cad Model - Plan and Side Elevation
 HD Creeper 83 - Toolpaths

  HD Creeper 83 - Mowing Foam

 HD Creeper 83 -Foam Side

Monday 10 August 2015

Board Building Project - HD Creeper 48 - Stage 5 - Inserts

Foot strap inserts, track, box and breather base are in.


 Marking out the fin box.

   
 Fin box router template.

   
 Routed Fin box on hull.

   
 Fin box trimmed to deck line.

   
 Fin box flush with hull.

   
 Foot strap inserts dry fitted.

   
 Edge of foot strap holes chamfered for glass wings.

   
Inserts fitted and glass wings taped flat.

   
 Goretex vent base fitted.

   
Tape removed and filler applied.