Simmons SUP - First Build Thread

[surfcowboy]

Here goes nothing, my first build thread.

This first batch of pics are the unboxing shots for those of you who may never have gotten a CNC'd board. (I hadn't.) It's cool to see it from Shape3D to the stands. I blurred the paper order just to protect my anonymous shape donor.

Otherwise, this is the start of the 7'6" X 29" 91L first build. I'll post more pics later, when I can. The status today is that the blank is sanded and spackled and I'm working on art and paint. I also have some new tool templates to post so I'll try to get that up later.

I've been taking my time and have learned that patience is key. That is said over and over here and on swaylock's but I can't stress it enough. I'm trying to remember that I'm learning to build boards. That's the outcome, not the actual board and that helps. For instance, yesterday I took 3 hours just making templates and practicing putting in handles on scrap foam. I'm really digging the process.

As to budget, with this being the first and having to buy some starter parts I'll be around $600-$700 in materials, but I had a lot of the tools. This is not a cheap way to get a board, for sure. I'm assuming that when done, if you billed me at my standard professional rate this Simmons will have cost about $15,000. lol

If you're wondering, my shape donor has asked to remain anonymous but the design is really L41's S1. It should be forgiving and fun and is a great first shape to tackle. I'm proud that I've managed to get it smoothed out while not sanding all the "good" out of it.

Enjoy and I'll post more soon.

[Biggreen]

That's absolutely badass, cowboy! And your pics are great! Love the thinned out rails! You have a terrific looking shape. And hey, you never count your time. It's a labor of LOVE....just make sure that's what you tell your wife. And the next will cost half as much. Please keep us posted and keep the pics coming!

[TallDude]

Shape'm Cowboy!
You're on your way dude. Time to get that shop messy. The back yard works too. Sometimes when the blank sits around, because you don't always have time to keep it moving forward. It can get dinged up because the eps dents easy. In case this happens, here's a little fix to keep in mind.  http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,19994.msg196691/topicseen.html#msg196691 

[Biggreen]

Thanks for that, TD. I missed that one. And the carry in and out before glassing is the most dinged up my boards get often times. I'll put that one to good use.

[magentawave]

Okay man, got my popcorn ready...

[surfcowboy]

I've been making decent progress but really geeking out on little stuff. And Then there that work and life thing that we all have going.

I've made a new routing template for using my ProBox install bit to set FCS leash plugs. I'll post that up.

Also I took an evening to get my graphics going. I'm using my vinyl cutter to mask my paint and putting on some gfx. So many small things to learn to do. Lots of test cuts in scrap foam too.

One weird thing is the handle placement. I put my fins and boxes on the tail just for weight and the balance point is way far back. After studying some pics online, I'm cheating it up a few inches and if it's a little tail heavy I'll live. Balance point was like 6" back from center and so I split the diff.

I've got a rock and roll show tomorrow (Cheap Trick outdoors!) and then I'll probably shoot to get,paint and routes done Friday night so I could glass Sat. Fingers crossed! The GoPro is on so pics are still coming. I'll also video some of the routing as that's never captured it seems.

[supuk]

Personly I always leave the handle till very last and just put a patch over it, there is nothing worse than spending all that time building the board and then have it not balanced. Do like you said and sit the fins in and any deck pad or tail pad on there and get it perfect! it only adds a small amour of time to do it after glassing

[Biggreen]

Personly I always leave the handle till very last and just put a patch over it, there is nothing worse than spending all that time building the board and then have it not balanced. Do like you said and sit the fins in and any deck pad or tail pad on there and get it perfect! it only adds a small amour of time to do it after glassing

Yeah, handle off balance is a PITA if you have to carry your board any distance. I wait and install mine with the last layer of glass.  I'd think twice before fudging it back toward center. And of course, you must take into account the overall feng shui of your project. 

[magentawave]

Good idea and I'm going to remember that when I make my board! (I'd lay the leash on the tail too.) Do you do the leash plug and vent after glassing too?

Personly I always leave the handle till very last and just put a patch over it, there is nothing worse than spending all that time building the board and then have it not balanced. Do like you said and sit the fins in and any deck pad or tail pad on there and get it perfect! it only adds a small amour of time to do it after glassing

[supuk]

yes i do them all after glassing and fill coat it just make glassing a lot simpler when you don't have to worry about all the extras when you are doing big boards

[surfcowboy]

I'll live to regret it I'm sure but they're in and clean so there's that.

I chose progress and at this weight I don't think the balance will bug me much. I've been toting around 26lbs.

I'll have pics up tomorrow. This thing is still fun. UK, I see why you guys do this.

[stoneaxe]

Okay man, got my popcorn ready...

+1

[surfcowboy]

2 - prep

Ok, so here are some shots from the final sanding and prep (and my crazy garage.) It's so hard to call it "done." That's the thing that I learned from this stage. Sanding is wild, EPS goes so quickly, I moved to higher grits and beyond taking down the rough ridges, I did the whole thing with 150 and 220. 220 yielded a finish that took the spackle really well and looks great under the glass.

If you're home building, afternoon sun and shade is your friend but in the end, I put some work lights on my benches. (Next build I get them up about 5 inches.) Note my shaping stands are a chrome kitchen cart that has worked out nearly perfectly. I have other stands but these are just too good and are on rollers. I padded the handles and checked them for level and it's pretty awesome.





Here's a couple of sealing the blank. (Note: For a single board, you don't need the big tub. A little goes a long way.) Also, True Value hardware has a good white spackle these days.





I'm gonna flow out a couple of updates here tonight so stay tuned.

[surfcowboy]

Ok, what I learned routing this beast. Templates are good. The difference between "clearly backyard" and "semi pro" is having a good template or jig. I know this now as one of my templates has one area to freehand and it was the one thing that was even a little off. (Under the pad, sure, but I try to keep it clean lol.)

I put in 2 FCS leash plugs spaced so that I can have my handle without stick on plugs. Then I placed a goretex vent (from Fiberglass Hawaii) that has a replaceable plug. I got shipped the FCS handle with the vent by mistake but I really wanted a deck vent as I just don't trust the underwater plug. (Probably paranoid.) The extra trouble will hopefully be worth it. The handle is the $8-$10 Futures model.

Ok, now, to the pics. First up is my template for cutting & routing leash plugs in. Note that in the shot of me routing there's now a new hole in the template as the one I made first was a bit too small for the FCS plugs. The holes without the built up mdf are for keeping your hole saw bit from skittering across the surface and ruining your glass when you're trying to put in a plug. Tape this down, mark your depth and you can rock.

One note, your ProBox install bit works great for these FCS plugs with a jig as shown. Super clean. Thanks Larry.













And now for the vent plug. Make sure you pull out the vent plug and tape off the top well. This is my technique.











Next, route the handle with the home-made template that I posted about in the other thread. Seemed to work ok, the corners were hard and I had to freehand them (working on that) but the lines were straight and that was worth the effort to build it.

I offset the handle about 2 inches from the carbon strip, but I'm a little concerned about cutting the strip out around the vent plug. I don't want to lay glass over it and grind it off as I don't think I can get the 3" stripe to lay smoothly over the plug without cutting it out. I'm thinking I'll slit it and just let the excess stick up til after the resin sets a bit and then trim it with a razor. We shall see.

A note about epoxy. The long kick time is great as you can mix up one batch and do all your inserts without drama.





Ok, ok, so this is a little out of order. Note the vent plug still out.









These things suck up some resin. I had to flow over the flange a couple of times and it still had dimples I'll fill right before glassing over it.



When talking time to build this thing, I have to note that I've probably spent the better part of 2 days of time (16 hours) on templates and jigs and tools but it's made the actual work way easier. I was so concerned about routing into my perfect new blank and in the end, it was a non-issue. It's really not worth the chance of free handing and ruining the prep in my opinion.

Starting from scratch, this board will probably take me $1000 in tools, consumables and materials ($500-$600 on the board materials. I had a lot of the tools & consumables already.) And I'm going to roughly say 60-100 man-hours, but the time on the next one will probably drop to less than half that with the next going down even more as I learn each step. Materials cost is probably stable as I won't likely buy in bulk ever.

Again, I can't say it enough, if you are doing this to save money, it really only ever works out if you consider making all your boards. I'm committed to building a quiver of things and experimenting on myself and I have to say, as a hobby, building these things is really fun. Once I'm over the push to get this one done, I'll probably leave a project in the garage to goof off on. (I have some lumber glued up for more handplanes now.)

There's been a ton of "measure 8 times, cut once" on this build. It's been 4 weeks so far and I'm still havng fun. If I make it through the sanding, I'll be doing another I'm sure.

Again, thanks to all of the guys here for helping out and to the pros encouraging us backyarders.

[magentawave]

Cool, man! Glad you're digging the project. And just so you know, deck plugs are full of water all the time too.