Flotoma Snowboards

[sammer]

Painters plastic won't stretch as well, it's too thin, and will need to be pleated if you've got any high areas.
Stretchlon is pretty nice stuff, although I've had some issues with it stretching until it pops in the past. I did over stretch it so was probably my fault.
I've used regular 6mil vapour barrier quite a bit in the past. With lots of pleating.
You'll get better, even pressure with proper vac film (stretchlon 200-800) than you will with regular poly.
I would recommend buying decent sealing tape. If your not using heat the regular gray stuff is fine.
The width of the plastic shouldn't make a difference unless you're buying a bunch as in can be folded to fit in a small box.
Most of the nylon bagging films are meant to be used over and over but you have to keep the epoxy off them or they're trashed.

sam

[nistler]

Got back from the hardware store couple minutes ago. I picked up some rubber and metal washers for my vacuum connection to the bag. Tested it out on a ziploc bag and it looks like it works great.


Also got my materials from snowboard materials yesterday.

Base will look good with the tropical hawaiian theme on top.


Edges, VDS, and inserts. Kind of bummed because the inserts don't have magnetic tops so Im not sure how I'm going to find them. What do you guys do if your inserts weren't magnetic?


Topsheet didn't come with a peel off layer (thought they did) so I'll just put some packaging tape over the top.


Im going to go over to a woodwork store tomorrow and get some poplar for the core.

[nistler]

When taping the base and topsheet, is it ok to use masking tape? I've only seen people use packing tape or the vinyl sheet stuff

[the.quass]

I used builders plastic from the hardware store for my first build. IT worked ok but was hard to work with and get a good seal.

I used contact to do the base of the board. It's the stuff you use to contact books. Its cheap and easy to apply as it's wider than the base.

DC

[falls]

Don't use masking tape especially with heat. Get the contact/vinyl application tape/sticky backed plastic whatever you want to call it.
You can use a magnet to find the steel inserts in the board. Small round rare earth magnets should work.

[pmg]

I don't see any reason to tape the base. All there will be is a superthin layer of cured epoxy which is grinded away on the ski service easily.

[nistler]

So this stuff will work? http://www.amazon.com/Con-Tact-Brand-Cr ... s=con-tact Kind of wierd they have a white one that is 9 feet for $7 then they have blue 24 feet for $6. I think the only differnce is that is it blue.

@pmg I also have to cover the topsheet so I might as well just put it on the bottom too.

[MontuckyMadman]

The pressed and heated tape is harder to remove than grinding the epoxy.

[gav wa]

What size inserts did you get? Those don't look very deep. What dimensions are you making your core?
If your inserts are good quality stainless steel then magnets won't find them. You will also need to melt some wax into the inserts as those look like they haven't got anything filling the threads eh? You don't want to fill them up with resin during layup.

[nistler]

What size inserts did you get? Those don't look very deep. What dimensions are you making your core?
If your inserts are good quality stainless steel then magnets won't find them. You will also need to melt some wax into the inserts as those look like they haven't got anything filling the threads eh? You don't want to fill them up with resin during layup.

They are 7mm. First time I looked at them I thought they didnt come with any protection from epoxy, but they actually have a clear plastic cover on top. Good idea with the wax though.

I bought my wood for the core today ang got 1/4" poplar (dont even need to plane it down to size). It should of cost like $10 but the guy screwed up and apparently a board with the dimensions 1/4" thickness, 9" wide, and 7' feet long is 4 board feet so the cost was $37 for 2. Then I found out 1/4" was only 6.35mm so the inserts might stick out a little. But then again, .65mm is barely anything I dont think that will really matter.

[vinman]

It matters. Decreasing your core thickness by even .1 makes a difference in how stuff your core will be. I can usually feel a flex difference a around .3 mm when hand flexing.

Not only that but you run the risk of having your inserts press into your base.

The glass and the topsheet might save you on this part.

[nistler]

It matters. Decreasing your core thickness by even .1 makes a difference in how stuff your core will be. I can usually feel a flex difference a around .3 mm when hand flexing.

Not only that but you run the risk of having your inserts press into your base.

The glass and the topsheet might save you on this part.

I'm kind of hoping for a somewhat flexy board too. Flex and rocker will make it a lot more fun then the board I have which is cambered and a little stiff.

[MontuckyMadman]

You will have to gind down the inserts before layup. I dont think i have ever seen a board with any part that is 1/4 inch the thickest part.

[nistler]

You will have to gind down the inserts before layup. I dont think i have ever seen a board with any part that is 1/4 inch the thickest part.

Are you saying they aren't usually that thin? My boards going to wide (i have size 13 boot) so that will make it stiffer. I only weigh 140-150 lbs too.

[gav wa]

I've just recently done a board with 6.6mm at the bindings, down to 6.1 between the bindings. Put 680 gram/meter glass and a little carbon fibre in it. The board is just on the soft side of medium flex.
You will want a decent amount of glass in your board with that core, and don't thin it any between the bindings. It should be workable but that is about the thinnest you will want to go.
With a vacuum press the longer inserts are more likely to show up as rises in your topsheet than as bumps in your base. They are too high though, you can get away with about 0.3 higher but not 0.65mm.