Paul, Not to discourage you from building an epoxy board (I think that's cool). But if cost is your primary consideration, its probably not the way to go. I too live in the Houston area and have been faced with expensive shipping costs of Clark blanks. However, when you consider that 3 blanks fit to a box (typically) the cost per blank for shipping drops to around $33. The last time I checked epoxy resin is three times more expensive than polyester resin. And, as Noodle previously stated Styrofoam requires more layers cloth and resin. So, you will actually end up spending more to build board using one of Fry' blanks. If you think you don't need three blanks, you may consider encouraging a few friends to put together an order together. This is what I often do. Or, as anyone from this site will tell you; once you start building your own boards you won't want to stop. So, purchasing three at a time is not a bad idea. Good Luck, Thomas Noodle - Are you getting your E.P.S. blanks from Henry Fry in Pasadena > TX.? I am wanting to try to shape my first board but the cost of getting a > Clark blank is a killer. I can get a blank from Henry alot cheaper. 2 > questions on epoxy. 1. Is it alot different to shape the E.P.S. as opposed > to a poly. blank? Do you use the same techniques? 2. I have never glassed > a board and I have heard some nasty stories about epoxy. Is it difficult > to use? Thanks ahead of time.>>> Do you live in the Houston area? Thanks again, P.V.
Great point I have not really thought about it like that. Maybe in the future if you need someone to go in on blanks, we could help each other out. I like the idea of lowering cost as much as possible. Thanks, P.V.
>>> Great point I have not really thought about it like that. Maybe in the > future if you need someone to go in on blanks, we could help each other > out. I like the idea of lowering cost as much as possible.>>> Thanks, P.V. Paul, I had not planed on building any more boards for myself this year. But, I had thought about building one for a friend of mine. So, if you are interested I can be counted on for at least one. I also, know a guy in your neck of the woods (Woodlands) who also likes to build boards. He too might be interested in getting another blank. If you would like to discuss this further, you can e-mail me directly through the board I posted in the Board Archive. Look under the Gun section, at the bottom. -T
>>> Noodle - can you not cut EPS with a hand saw when cutting the outline?>>> Thanks, P.V. I'm sure a hand saw would work fine, but I've never tried it. -Noodle
>>> Paul,>>> I had not planed on building any more boards for myself this year. But, I > had thought about building one for a friend of mine. So, if you are > interested I can be counted on for at least one. I also, know a guy in > your neck of the woods (Woodlands) who also likes to build boards. He too > might be interested in getting another blank.>>> If you would like to discuss this further, you can e-mail me directly > through the board I posted in the Board Archive. Look under the Gun > section, at the bottom.>>> -T One can buy very light,probably about 1 pcf, EPS foam in Home Depot atleast in Florida. The best foam to use is EPP: Expanded polypropylene as it is truly resilent and comes right back so pressure dings are about non existent.Though it really comes off in chunks probably worse than EPS and is more difficult to get thing to adhere to it. It is more chemical resistant than EPS and one might get away with polyester resin though I have only used epoxy. As an alternative consicer Arcel - it is 65%EPS and 35% polyethylene and is much more resilent than EEPS but not as much so as EPP but things adhere to it better and is otherwise very similar to EPS but tougher and pressure dings are less of a problem because it is multiple impact while EPS is still considered single impact. All of these things are well known in the packiging industryyI have gottne several free samples of EPP foam and am on my second board. The first one takes water really bad as I did not use fiberglass cloth. Hope the second turns out better.
Hey Noodle a quick question for you if you may. Is there a viable way to thin out epoxy? Thin it enough to spray? Maybe just enough to get a thinner coat? Thanks
I haven't heard anything from poster known as Noodle for quite awhile. You might try reposting under general forum.
My .02 - you'll likely have a hard time getting epoxy thin enough to spray. As for general thinning, there are at least a couple of solvents (Xylene and Acetone) that will work but they all seem to affect the material properties of epoxy in a negative way. At least one good source has posted on the internet that heat is the best way to thin epoxy without affecting the strength.
Also keep in mind that some of the solvents may affect the foam itself. Acetone for instance, melts EPS on contact.
Noodle - can you not cut EPS with a hand saw when cutting the outline? Thanks, P.V.
Paul, Not to discourage you from building an epoxy board (I think that's cool). But if cost is your primary consideration, its probably not the way to go. I too live in the Houston area and have been faced with expensive shipping costs of Clark blanks. However, when you consider that 3 blanks fit to a box (typically) the cost per blank for shipping drops to around $33. The last time I checked epoxy resin is three times more expensive than polyester resin. And, as Noodle previously stated Styrofoam requires more layers cloth and resin. So, you will actually end up spending more to build board using one of Fry' blanks. If you think you don't need three blanks, you may consider encouraging a few friends to put together an order together. This is what I often do. Or, as anyone from this site will tell you; once you start building your own boards you won't want to stop. So, purchasing three at a time is not a bad idea. Good Luck, Thomas Noodle - Are you getting your E.P.S. blanks from Henry Fry in Pasadena > TX.? I am wanting to try to shape my first board but the cost of getting a > Clark blank is a killer. I can get a blank from Henry alot cheaper. 2 > questions on epoxy. 1. Is it alot different to shape the E.P.S. as opposed > to a poly. blank? Do you use the same techniques? 2. I have never glassed > a board and I have heard some nasty stories about epoxy. Is it difficult > to use? Thanks ahead of time.>>> Do you live in the Houston area? Thanks again, P.V.
Great point I have not really thought about it like that. Maybe in the future if you need someone to go in on blanks, we could help each other out. I like the idea of lowering cost as much as possible. Thanks, P.V.
>>> Great point I have not really thought about it like that. Maybe in the > future if you need someone to go in on blanks, we could help each other > out. I like the idea of lowering cost as much as possible.>>> Thanks, P.V. Paul, I had not planed on building any more boards for myself this year. But, I had thought about building one for a friend of mine. So, if you are interested I can be counted on for at least one. I also, know a guy in your neck of the woods (Woodlands) who also likes to build boards. He too might be interested in getting another blank. If you would like to discuss this further, you can e-mail me directly through the board I posted in the Board Archive. Look under the Gun section, at the bottom. -T
>>> Noodle - can you not cut EPS with a hand saw when cutting the outline?>>> Thanks, P.V. I'm sure a hand saw would work fine, but I've never tried it. -Noodle
>>> Paul,>>> I had not planed on building any more boards for myself this year. But, I > had thought about building one for a friend of mine. So, if you are > interested I can be counted on for at least one. I also, know a guy in > your neck of the woods (Woodlands) who also likes to build boards. He too > might be interested in getting another blank.>>> If you would like to discuss this further, you can e-mail me directly > through the board I posted in the Board Archive. Look under the Gun > section, at the bottom.>>> -T One can buy very light,probably about 1 pcf, EPS foam in Home Depot atleast in Florida. The best foam to use is EPP: Expanded polypropylene as it is truly resilent and comes right back so pressure dings are about non existent.Though it really comes off in chunks probably worse than EPS and is more difficult to get thing to adhere to it. It is more chemical resistant than EPS and one might get away with polyester resin though I have only used epoxy. As an alternative consicer Arcel - it is 65%EPS and 35% polyethylene and is much more resilent than EEPS but not as much so as EPP but things adhere to it better and is otherwise very similar to EPS but tougher and pressure dings are less of a problem because it is multiple impact while EPS is still considered single impact. All of these things are well known in the packiging industryyI have gottne several free samples of EPP foam and am on my second board. The first one takes water really bad as I did not use fiberglass cloth. Hope the second turns out better.
Hey Noodle a quick question for you if you may. Is there a viable way to thin out epoxy? Thin it enough to spray? Maybe just enough to get a thinner coat? Thanks
Hi surferbbrian -
I haven't heard anything from poster known as Noodle for quite awhile. You might try reposting under general forum.
My .02 - you'll likely have a hard time getting epoxy thin enough to spray. As for general thinning, there are at least a couple of solvents (Xylene and Acetone) that will work but they all seem to affect the material properties of epoxy in a negative way. At least one good source has posted on the internet that heat is the best way to thin epoxy without affecting the strength.
Also keep in mind that some of the solvents may affect the foam itself. Acetone for instance, melts EPS on contact.
Thanks John, all good info, I ordered some additive F and will look into the heat aspect. it sounds like anything else will be a bit sketchy.
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