First 14' SUP Race Board Attempt

[PauHanaTX]

Here's my first go at a 14'er


1 LB EPS 16'x47"x40" for $475.00

Hot wire cutter router

Hot wire cutting shaped balnk for carbon stringer
 
Longitudinal cuts for carbon stringers

view of blank gluded back together after inserting carbon stringer

view of foot well showing carbon stringers

glassed with ugly resing tint...oh well.

Finally done!

Ready to race.

foot well

[PauHanaTX]

A few more notes.

Final weight with pad came in at 28 lbs.  Which I was happy with as I was targeting sub 30 pounds.  I used 1 lb EPS.  As you can see in the first photo, I purchased the entire block of foam for $475 bucks and only used about $60 worth of it.  So the price was right.  My total cost was about $500.00 including pad.  The stringers were 4"x13' carbon tape that I routered into the blank after hot wiring into three pieces.  It stiffened the blank up nicely and didn't add too much weight.  It did jack my cost up and I'd probably go with a cheaper method next time.  My layup was double 6 oz on the bottom, double 6 oz on the top with an additional 4 oz patch in the foot well.  Tough my foot well sides are a little tall, i think they add an "I-Beam" effect to the boards overall rigidity.  I attempted a resin tint for the first time and it came out a bit ugly...oh well. 

Shape was a swede shape with the widest point about 8" back from center.  Width is 28.25" by 14' long.  thickness is about 5.5" in the foot well and about 7" towards the nose. 

Time trials.  I really have nothing to compare it to besides my friends 14' Bark Expedition and it's quite faster than that.  On my three mile circut I knocked about 5 minutes off my previous best time so I'm stoked.

So, lots of foam left ?

Big mahalo to Troy for all the help.  A second set of hands is key.

[Six Feet and Glassy]

Dang.  First try?  Unreal!!! Almost makes me want to try a board myself.  Almost.

Can't wait to see your second attempt!

Aloha!

[Wazza66]

Mate great job, looks fast and stable.

I am a fan of resin tints as they are easier to repair if you use a simple colour.

Now post some shots of the board in action.

Waz

[Surferden]

Thats an incredible first board! setting up to shape and make a 16ftr DW board, what did you paint the board with?

[PauHanaTX]

I used Resin Research Epoxy and added the epoxy resin tint to the glass job.  The red tint runs about $20 for a 4oz jar (from Fiberglass Supply).  I used less than half of it for the whole board.  I prefer getting the color in the glass as opposed to painted color on the outside that chips plus it saves you 1/2 a pound or more in weight.

- Dave

[Bald Brother]

Nice board! And, I love the look of the resin tints.

[Velasco]

How did you do the finish coat on the board?

Did you polish it?

I can't get my RR to look that good...

[PauHanaTX]

To tell you the truth, I got lazy and really wanted to get it in the water so I skipped on the last step.  The epoxy gloss coat came out clean enough that I didn't bother with properly finishing it off.  I'm an old polyester guy and I've never finished off an epoxy gloss coat.

I'd guess that I'd start with a 200 grit (dry), go to a 300 grit (dry), go to a 400 grit (wet), go to a 600 grit (wet), then a polishing compound.  At least that what I'd do on a polyester gloss finish.

I'd check on swaylocks to see what the proper steps are for an epoxy finish with RR.

Dave

[Rockbottom]

Used resin research quite a bit.  I like it for the finished properties, but the workability takes a bit of getting used to.  For a sealer/sanding coat, I prefer either MAS or Greenroom epoxy.   They both flow like a high grade polyester, and any brush strokes are soon gone due to the low viscosity.   The "Additive F" seem to help, but RR is really too thick for a  sealer coat IMO.

[PauHanaTX]

I agree, though only my first attempt with the RR and Additive F, I didn't get the smooth brush finish that I'm used to getting with the polyesther gloss coat resin that has the wax and leveling agent pre added.

I have to admit that I think I was being too "weight concious" and didn't mix up enough resin/additive F so I was struggling getting it worked out.  That might have caused some of the unevenness.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm never going back to polyesther.  Epoxy is so  superior, I just need to get used to the longer working time and such.

Dave
 

[Pierre]

Congratulations, it's a beautiful shape and glass job!
Do you think carbon stringers are so important for such a board?

[PauHanaTX]

To tell the truth I don't know.  The blank seemed a little floppy when finished so I went ahead with the carbon stringers and it stiffened it up a bit.  Being my first one, I wasn't sure if a stringerless 14' was doable.  All the photos I could find on the web showed stringers.  It was pretty easy to cut/router and glass them in, so aside from the $50 bucks for the carbon tape, I think it helped me sleep a little better.  I'd have to make one without to really compare the two.  This winter I'm going to make one, thinning down to 27.25" from 28.50" but I think I'll still put some sort of stringer in it.

By the way, entered my first race with it a few weeks back in Austin, a 3-mile sprint at the Head of the Colorado Pumpkinhead Classic, and won.  Not bad for a 47 year old semi-fat guy.

[yellafella]

Did you seal the blank with anything?

[Six Feet and Glassy]

Hey Yella,

See my reply to your other post...I did seal mine with lightweight spackle.

Ken