Topsheet with a vac table? Can it be done?

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falls
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Post by falls »

completely unrelated to the process, but that is an awesome looking board!
Don't wait up, I'm off to kill Summer....
SleepingAwake
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Post by SleepingAwake »

Will need to thinker how to do just a topsheet coz I normally don't do everything in one go.
Why not just in one go?
Also, if you don't mind, why 2 inlets on the right hand side?
to extract some resin from the resin rich area around the resin feed line once the board is infused.
do you recommend flow media for an infusion?
There are different ways to do it. The advantage for me is that I take a board with a finished surface out of the mold (I like the raw look with the fabric print trough, not for everyone though). But all the other guys I know build their boards with a flow media on top, but they don’t really have less trouble than I have…
i thought the issue would be getting epoxy between the core and the base (for skis) and the edge and vds rubber would be an issue to fix.
Yes this will be an issue, but making a ski or snowboard with vacuum infusion is certainly possible. But if you have a press at hand it will deliver better results! Let me put it that way – I manufacture a lot of parts with vacuum infusion at work, but I built my skis wetting out by hand and pressing in vacuum.
The only advantage I can think of compared to a press is the cleaner process where you don’t have to mess around with tools full of epoxy…
yes, it's a fg but what kind of like E glass, S glass, biax, triax, quad...? Smile
Biax E-glass and UD flax lengthwise. So it’s a triax layup. The board is with 1.9kg pretty light (I broke this particular board when I had some pretty bad impacts after high kiteloops, but I broke my knee as well… :? And the new version has an optimized layup, weights the same and is stronger. I’m working now on a version which is even stronger and MUCH lighter).
What we can't see on this photos is how the bindings inserts are made
Inserts embedded in epoxy/cotton mix. I cast them in the unprofiled core to make sure the hardpoints are perfectly flush. Basically the same story as for the rails – works a charm!
... but that is an awesome looking board!
Thanks!

If any more questions, feel free to ask!
Cheers, Reto
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chrismp
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Post by chrismp »

If you're talking about the white areas on each side of the finished board, that is the core shining through. Looks like he used a foam core with flax stingers from bcomp.
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dbabicwa
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Post by dbabicwa »

Thanks Reto

Cool thing this inlet, cheers. What does flax do? How heavy? I suppose it's light...Looks like you're CNCing your core?

The 5mm foam sheet 2400x1200 is about AU$150. Less for a bamboo. Way to expensive when you add all consumables et.al for building a board.

I use a bamboo as core and Paulownia as top layer. The top layer keeps the rocker and concave in. Glass is minimised, so is epoxy.
The board is indestructible, clocked +200 hrs than sold it.

If I could find a bamboo supplier or China direct, that would be a game changer. but than, I wouldn't be doing it in a laundry:)

This is the topsheet with a PU premade rails:

Image

Image

Image

My work here:

http://www.facebook.com/ShinaiBoards

and here:

http://www.skibuilders.com/phpBB2/viewt ... sc&start=0[/img]
SleepingAwake
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Post by SleepingAwake »

What does flax do? How heavy? I suppose it's light...
Natural fiber which can be used as reinforcement for composites
Looks like you're CNCing your core?
Nope, done by hand with several jigs and a router
I use a bamboo as core
why the heck bamboo? it weights a ton...
The board is indestructible
Somehow i manage to break a lot of things which I think off they're indestructible ;)

here our facebook page, not so up-to-date though: https://www.facebook.com/FFC.Kiteboarding


Cheers, Reto
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dbabicwa
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Post by dbabicwa »

Cheers

will ask around for a flax, I don't expect to find it tho...:(

That fb cover photo of yours looks like a sand bar on Point Walter, WA? :)

Nah mate, a bamboo core makes 2450g board. But weight and look is a personal preference. Like you said, not for everyone.
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dbabicwa
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Post by dbabicwa »

Ok,

so back to the topic.

One suggestion from a local shaper is to wait for epoxy to tack a little, maybe even applying a bit of epoxy on tacked surface and than doing a hand layup with no vac or anything.

Would anyone agree with this? Is a tacked epoxy a way to go? Do we need to wet out both, a topsheet and core?
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