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Messages - Beasho

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1
Random / Re: Wacky PV stuff
« on: March 05, 2024, 12:14:02 PM »
This is interesting.  Can you provide any links to:

1) Sources for buying these cheap PV panels
2) How to rig these systems up
3) What type of batteries you would recommend

I realize this is a complete 'Start-Up' list but that is where I am / would be.

2
Random / Re: Vision Pro
« on: March 01, 2024, 03:23:13 PM »
I haven't been using Chat GPT to edit my write ups but I like it.

What I did ask Chat GPT was how to make a surfboard, or explain in simple terms airfoil lift theory.  It's interesting when you can find errors.  It had decent advice on making surfboards but suggested it should weigh 25 lbs.  Bad Chat GPT!

Then with the airfoil theories it also had errors on the explanation.  Which comes back to why you have to know what you are asking it about.  Otherwise it can be off by 5% to 10% but I suspect those errors will go down. 

3
Random / Re: Vision Pro
« on: March 01, 2024, 02:55:07 PM »
Here is the chart of Total energy consumption for the United States. 
  • 80% still Fossil fuel based
  • 88% Fossil fuel + Nuclear

If there is any hope for the United States it is that the total energy use has only grown from 22.6 TWh to 26.6 TWh from 1991 to 2022 over 31 years. 

This represent just 0.54% growth per year. 

As cars, and houses, and buildings get more efficient the demand is NOT going up.  Despite a larger population.  This is what will allow room for renewables to grow as they get cheaper and displace the foundation of fossil fuels.   

From:  https://ourworldindata.org/energy-mix

4
Random / Re: Vision Pro
« on: March 01, 2024, 02:47:30 PM »
Before we count out OIL here is a worldwide perspective.

Solar is barely visible.

Consider this.  1 Barrel of oil contains the energy equivalent of 25,000 man hours of labor.  That works out to 0.3 cents per hour, or 13 cents per man week.

$80 a barrel for 12 1/2 man years of labor.  You can't get cheaper than that and its why 'we' are addicted to oil.  This is the single greatest contributor to our quality of life in the United States, and the world.  It is why humans stopped enslaving animals for transportation and farming.

Then there is this:  Ammonia production (the Haber-Bosch process) consumes ~ 10% fossil fuel energy in the United States (alone).  90% of this Ammonia is used as fertilizer to grow the food that we eat.  It is estimated* that these fertilizers are used to double the food produced on earth.  Meaning that 4 billion of the 8 billion people on the planet consume food made from fossil fuels, and otherwise would starve.  From another perspective 50% of the molecules in every person were created from and powered by fossil fuels.
 
*From Michu Kaiko Quantum Supremacy 

Energy Mix: https://ourworldindata.org/energy-mix

5
Random / Re: Vision Pro
« on: March 01, 2024, 02:25:29 PM »
I'm all in favor of renewables, for electricity, but digging a little deeper shows this graphic.

I suspect Hydro Power in the US has been pretty static, Solar was non-existent 20 years ago but only represents 3.9%.  It looks like wind has contributed to the growth of renewables the most, since it too is likely a new entrant.

6
Random / Re: GPT 5, Sam Altman, What's coming
« on: February 17, 2024, 05:03:10 PM »
Worth a quick edit.

Hollywood SAG was worried about Chat GPT's infringement on their writers.  Holy Schnockers!  Lookout!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs9gdpJ865o

7
Foil SUP / Re: Foil Videos
« on: February 08, 2024, 07:16:35 AM »
Kai Open Ocean foiling:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7XupqFOFSg

Is this just Back to the Future. 

I just built a 10’ x 23” board and IT CATCHES EVERYTHING: Big waves, tiny waves, wind chop, no-wind chop @ 10’ x 23” x 5” @ 153 liters 14 lbs 1.8 oz (6.4 kg) with pads and strap. 

I made this board for the ocean in and around Pillar Point, Mavericks, California.  Because of the reef, and currents the chop and surface is terrible even when there is no wind.  I wanted something that I could stand on 95% of the time and be fast enough to catch big long period waves.  Then I took it out in one of our smaller “No-Winder” conditions and it worked great.  Catching open ocean 18” – 3 foot swill with NO wind chop. 

Session 3:

https://youtu.be/EK57KHP1PNo

8
The Shape Shack / Re: Wetting out S-Glass Efficiently
« on: January 24, 2024, 10:42:38 AM »
. . . . . Incidentally, I think your glass work would go much better if you wore a tie. A bow tie will stay out of the way.

Ok!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW6oDH3TCuo

9
The Shape Shack / Re: Wetting out S-Glass Efficiently
« on: January 23, 2024, 07:27:36 AM »
An old master windsurf builder once told me, to not think of vacuum bagging as removing excess resin.

The wet out table is where you get the resin ratio right and light weight results.

Guys who pour buckets of resin on the board and think vacuum bagging will remove all the excess resin, will never reach their potential.


. . . I use rolled, not folded plastic, stretch it tightly . . . . wrinkles screw up the process. . . . .

For fiberglass, I wet it out and then squeegee the shit out of it until it looks almost dry.

Then bag it. I think of bagging as a way to get glass and carbon to consolidate nicely that would be too dry for a conventional wet layup.

Thanks for these!  They Improved my results immediately. 

One thing that helped was adding pigment to the epoxy.  When its clear it is hard to see where it has saturated the fiber.  I am going for an orange finish (likely spray paint), so adding tint as a base to the fibers both glass and kevlar.  My board building amigos add black to add to the S Glass for a similar reason, and to see where they may be sanding too deep over EPS foam. 

I am going for LIGHT in the ends with the 2.2 oz Kevlar.  My 3.7 oz S-Glass Tail came in 32% over forecast, but my last 2 laminations have been nearly SPOT on.  One more panel to go.  Should come in ~ 13.25 lbs.  Add a bit more for paint, then trim but 13.5 lbs is within sight.

This is going to be pretty light for a 153 Liter, 10 foot x 23" board.

10
The Shape Shack / Re: Wetting out S-Glass Efficiently
« on: January 20, 2024, 10:03:24 AM »
Because I took so much time last night (and almost cooked my resin taking my time to wet it all out) the ratios came out very good.  Roughly within 2% of expectations (granted I cut off a little bit of wetted material).

The bottom is done, covered with S Glass and Carbon.  Top deck patches on the nose and tail remain.

11
The Shape Shack / Re: Wetting out S-Glass Efficiently
« on: January 20, 2024, 09:07:55 AM »
Wet peg video was interesting,  don't see how it would work for the main surfboard lamination, but maybe for adding layers in the feet area.

Good to catch up again.  Yes that board is still going 'strong'.

Meanwhile, when I am making my boards I tend to do them in a quilt like fashion.  Meaning 1 or a couple parts at a time.  The Nelson strategy is interesting because he wets out all pieces in one shot. 

Here is how I applied the CARBON deck patch on my Bumblebee.  This was the 3rd layer on top of 2 Tri-Axial layers below.  I would add the nose and tail patches later.  I wet the carbon out on Wax paper (I would rather use plastic).  The translucent nature was helpful to get the purest wet-out ratio and see dry spots from below.  I then used my own roller, but underneath the wax paper so no accumulation of resin.  I cut the material near to size and then trim the edges . . . 

https://youtu.be/-loa8tuCuSY

12
The Shape Shack / Re: Wetting out S-Glass Efficiently
« on: January 20, 2024, 08:56:38 AM »
I do everything the Nelson Factory way.

The only improvements over their way I’m doing…

Black plastic gives a better wet out visual than clear plastic. Also gray plastic works better too. I don’t use any clear.

My table is designed to staple the plastic sheets tight over the 4 ft wide ends. End 2x4 gets replaced once a year. It ends up with too many staples in it eventually. This is much faster in production than tape.

Roller gets replaced once a year. It gets too heavy eventually.

Well you have to include Part 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDnRk31yW-o

13
The Shape Shack / Re: Wetting out S-Glass Efficiently
« on: January 20, 2024, 03:23:01 AM »
When you roll the cloth onto the roller, it does a good job of leaving excess resin behind on the table.

What does this mean exactly? 

I have been struggling to find a good plastic to serve as a base layer for the lamination phase.  Too thick (4 mil) and any crinkles in the plastic bugger up the smoothness (see the picture above for the thick stuff).  Too thin, like automotive painting plastic, and the whispy nature of the plastic allows it to float around, flip over and get in the way.

I did use this Wet-Peg sandwich approach with thicker 6 oz carbon to great effect, but the S-Glass is more troublesome.  Last night I did a 1/2 lamination of the bottom of my 10' Skunk Works foil board and it took 3 hours from first batch mix until I got the board in the vacuum bag.  Thank G-d I was using slow cure, and split up the original 200 gram batch into smaller cups. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06-0Vxs_9nY

14
The Shape Shack / Re: Wetting out S-Glass Efficiently
« on: January 19, 2024, 02:28:00 PM »
DW:

1) What ratios do you expect?

2) Do you use heat to decrease the viscosity of the resin for wetting?

From here:
https://entropyresins.com/how-tos/vacuum-bagging/?utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=Entropy%20Brand%20-%20TM&utm_content=134931312677&utm_term&hsa_acc=4776136476&hsa_cam=11087231982&hsa_grp=134931312677&hsa_ad=589832087716&hsa_src=s&hsa_tgt=aud-924956566053%3Adsa-820650217362&hsa_kw&hsa_mt&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs7iJi8XM_AIVMjWtBh2MaAzKEAAYASAAEgLeTvD_BwE

"The fibers in a laminate contribute to its strength more than the epoxy. To achieve the greatest strength with the lowest weight, take steps to reduce the ratio of epoxy to structural fabric (up to a point, of course). A typical wet lay-up, without vacuum bagging, is limited to about a 50:50 fiber-to-epoxy ratio. Vacuum bagging compacts the laminate so fibers are thoroughly wet out for a fiber-to-epoxy ratio as high as 65:35. Fiber-to-epoxy ratio is affected by:

  • Vacuum pressure
  • Epoxy viscosity
  • Epoxy cure time (time under vacuum, before gelation)
  • Perforated film pattern and hole size



15
The Shape Shack / Wetting out S-Glass Efficiently
« on: January 19, 2024, 11:08:13 AM »
When wetting out fiber with Epoxy Resin there is an ideal ratio of
    • 60% by weight fiber
    • 40% by weight of resin

to achieve maximum strength to weight in a hardened matrix when dry using a Vacuum bag.

I have been able to achieve this ratio with Carbon.  Wetting out the carbon on a table, using more Resin than necessary ~ 120% the weight of the fiber, and then vacuum bagging.  The end result comes out very close to 60% fiber / 40% resin. 

When I am wetting out the S2-Glass I am getting more like 45% by weight Fiber and 55% by weight Resin. 

I am wetting out on a table, with plastic.  It seems like the S Glass doesn't wet out as easily, sucks up more resin, but maybe just takes more time to spread.  Then the Vacuum is NOT taking out all the expected Excess resin.

Any Advice Appreciated.

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