Author Topic: Sourcing wing board blanks California  (Read 4987 times)

JohnnyTsunami

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Sourcing wing board blanks California
« on: December 10, 2021, 09:08:04 AM »
I’m looking to shape a board in the spring using a vacuum to make a super light board to my specs. (5’0”, 75L and under 10lbs with inserts). I think a wing board would be way more forgiving than a short board in many ways.

I’d need an EPS blank or two at least 5’ long, 5” thick and 26” wide.

Surfboard blanks are around 100$ and the vacuum and all the gear would put me under what a new wing board costs and future boards would be sub $500 to build myself, I would hope.

Does anyone know where to source this? Maybe get a giant SUP blank and cut it in half? All the blank companies in CA have nothing thick and short. Gluing two blanks together would add a lot of weight I would think.

Greenlight surf supply has them but they are located in NJ and shipping is $300.

I’m not too far from Santa Cruz, CA.

I know a lot of folks had boards made by a certain famous winger in SF, and Clark makes them in HMB, but I don’t know where anyone gets blanks!  ???

flkiter

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2021, 10:00:10 AM »
Look up an EPS foam supplier and order a billet. They'll cut you the sizing you want. Or find a local shaper to get on their orders. Getting in with foam suppliers these days is really hard.

Dwight (DW)

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2021, 10:20:51 AM »
Until you’re ready to buy this much at a time, you’re better off paying high surfboard blank prices.

You can use foam sheets from Home Depot, like all the other home builders. That foam will 1 lb rated, but actual weight of 0.75 lb/cu ft.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3H-UfRnY1P/?utm_medium=copy_link




juandesooka

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2021, 10:33:24 AM »
Option 1: get a billet like dwight has.  Buy or make a hotwire.  Once you make one board, you will no doubt want to make more.  Or find a group of friends to share cost, make multiples. Or sell blanks, as there will be others in same boat as you.

Option 2: glue smaller chunks.  I don't think it adds much weight.  Glue options vary, some use wood glue, but I have found gorilla glue optimal or a little cheaper, pour foam.  You have to rough it up first for bonding. You have make sure to use enough glue that it has a strong bond, but not so much that it causes too much expansion.  Weight and strong clamping mandatory to ensure it doesn't get air gaps (buddy had terrible fail in gluing with not enough glue, bad bond, leading to internal delam and massive water ingress...ugh)(I've glued a bunch of franken blanks without problems).   

JohnnyTsunami

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2021, 11:40:26 AM »
Thanks for the tips. Wow, I didn't know you could get giant blocks!

Looks like maybe getting a US blank for Pearson Arrow for a 12' SUP and sawing it in half would be the best way to go outside of ordering a giant block - garage space is severely limited. The surfboard blanks seem to thin and wouldn't stack well to glue together.

If anyone on this forum is in the area and is doing this themselves, PM me and we can go in together on it.

randomfoiler

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2021, 12:35:33 PM »
I’m looking to shape a board in the spring using a vacuum to make a super light board to my specs. (5’0”, 75L and under 10lbs with inserts). I think a wing board would be way more forgiving than a short board in many ways.

I’d need an EPS blank or two at least 5’ long, 5” thick and 26” wide.

Surfboard blanks are around 100$ and the vacuum and all the gear would put me under what a new wing board costs and future boards would be sub $500 to build myself, I would hope.

Does anyone know where to source this? Maybe get a giant SUP blank and cut it in half? All the blank companies in CA have nothing thick and short. Gluing two blanks together would add a lot of weight I would think.

Greenlight surf supply has them but they are located in NJ and shipping is $300.

I’m not too far from Santa Cruz, CA.

I know a lot of folks had boards made by a certain famous winger in SF, and Clark makes them in HMB, but I don’t know where anyone gets blanks!  ???

is this in your area? https://markofoamblanks.com/pages/contact-us

juandesooka

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2021, 12:44:18 PM »
Looks like maybe getting a US blank for Pearson Arrow for a 12' SUP and sawing it in half would be the best way to go outside of ordering a giant block - garage space is severely limited. The surfboard blanks seem to thin and wouldn't stack well to glue together.

I have taken a too thin blank and glued on a long thin piece to get it right thickness. I have also glued on nose pieces where blank is just barely thick enough other than for nose rockers. Both things that may be sketchy but seemed to work.  There are people online who have created entire blanks from half foot offcuts for recycling purposes! As long as you are pigmenting it or using carbon, it's invisible anyway.  Just don't use epoxy to glue it, makes shaping a nightmare....the options I recommended earlier are both PU foam, so are shapeable. Still a hassle to get it perfect, but not as bad as super hard epoxy.

PS Santa Cruz being a major board shaping location, for sure someone local will have blanks.  You may want to get on Backyard Shapers and Hydrofoil Board Builders on FB, both will have local tips for you

« Last Edit: December 10, 2021, 12:53:54 PM by juandesooka »

PonoBill

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2021, 01:12:33 PM »
If you make a hotwire setup then blanks are simple enough to cut. You need nichrome wire which you can buy on Amazon. Generally, I use 26 gauge, a variable power supply, and some ways to hold the wire tight. The easy way to slice blanks off a big billet is two people and some templates made from masonite or whatever is handy. With a good template and a steady helper you can rough our the profile of the blank including rocker in one shot. Drill holes in the template and hold it in place with nails you push into the foam. Simple wood handles for you and a buddy to hold and you just slice off the blanks. takes a little practice to get the speed, tension, and amount of power just right, but no biggy.

I also have a big C-shape I cut out of plywood for vertical cuts. Templates again, and it helps to have a spring on one leg of the C to keep the wire tight.

Last, but not least I have a sliding frame I can use to refine the thickness.

You can do a substantial amount of the shaping with hot wires, including adding bevels. Templates are your friend. In a pinch I've glued together blanks from blue or pink construction foam, but it's heavy. And be careful of what glue you use. Really strong glues make shaping difficult. All you need to do is hold the stuff together until you get the glass or carbon on.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2021, 01:16:01 PM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

SUS4Life

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2021, 03:59:06 PM »
I'm also looking for eps block(6'x2'x6-7") too and I'm in LA area.  I email Mako foam last year about eps block, never got a response.  Might have to stop by Mako and see what they offer. 

surfcowboy

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2021, 08:43:28 AM »
Hey guys, I buy 5"x4'x8' sheets of 1.5 lb EPS in Los Angeles from Foam Sales. They will sell single sheets (I pay about $50 to pick them up.)

There are industrial foam suppliers all over CA since it's used in so many industrial uses here. Don't buy from Marko unless you want a blank. They do make great blanks. But it took me 2-3 calls to find a supplier and I was sorted.

Def make a hot wire cutter. You can shape most of a wing board without dust.

Anyone in LA DM me for info and if you wanna split an order if we are close by each other. I need someone to make me start another board lol.

Hdip

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2021, 10:45:01 AM »
If you make me a wing board I'll buy another wing. Is that motivation enough :)

2muchfun

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2021, 12:14:00 PM »
Contact Kirk at L41 in Santa Cruz. He has shaped a few foil boards and might be
 able to help you source a blank for your project.

surfcowboy

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #12 on: December 11, 2021, 02:48:25 PM »
Hdip, this 5'2" is gonna be pretty sweet for you if you'll let us give you a lesson.

Leland has my blue SUP right now. Making a ton of boards is my plan to get all my friends winging and foiling.  :D

I need to message you about this hybrid travel wing/prone thing I'm envisioning.

JohnnyTsunami

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2022, 01:05:12 PM »
Hit a few dead ends, but just wanted to update this for others in my shoes.

Pearson Arrow is a distributor of US Blanks in Santa Cruz. US Blanks doesn't have any wing board blanks, but they can do a custom block of whatever dimensions you need of any foam. Not sure on pricing, etc. or if a large block is much cheaper than a custom cut one - but I'm going to find out the hard way.


surfcowboy

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Re: Sourcing wing board blanks California
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2022, 06:33:09 PM »
Hey man, don't buy a block of EPS from a blank company.

That's like buying propane for your house by buying the little camping bottles.

If you're buying a block, buy it from people who sell blocks.

Here's where I got my 5"x4'x8' sheets to make wing boards. It was less than $75 at will call.

https://foamsalesgroup.com/

There are places like that all over SoCal from SD to Bakersfield. Kalama, Dwight, Fletcher Chouinard and more all buy block foam or sheets from industrial suppliers. Choose your weight, build a cheap hotwire and go!
« Last Edit: January 25, 2022, 06:38:14 PM by surfcowboy »

 


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