new kite boards( carbon cevlar

[cyclone]

1.2kgs is doable, but for production boards they will need to be heavier or too many will break/warranty leading to a bad reputation or going broke, it would be bad business.

You could safely work off 450gsm cloth weight (3x150gsm in 0 +-45 triax) UD carbon top and bottom. 120x40cm board = .96sqm total laminate area top and bottom.
In reality you need more resin than the optimal 60/40 fibre/resin ratio so you get a perfect finish, no pinholes etc.... by using gelcoats, filler resin, or paint filler etc etc... so in reality it actually works out to be more resin than fibre by a considerable, variable amount depending on the construction -use of paint, gelcoat etc...

So the only way to get a board finished at 1.2kgs naked, strong enough for production is like SQ has done it using prepreg over nomex and little inserts and finboxes and no finishing work like paint.

But im sure SQ will agree, its pretty much impossible to sell them like this coz people want their boards to look pretty, let alone get a high price due to the expensive materials and heated molds. im sure he doesnt care what it looks like though, only how it rides

[vietkiter]

I bought a few demo boards from Nick on Ebay. Heres a ebay link to it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 3643535663

Claim to be 4.5lb with Dakine Vario straps and pads.

Someone can also ask Nick directly: nick@squallboarding.com[/quote]

[not annonymous]

4.5 pounds with straps and pads/no fins sounds about right for a Squall board, that's more like 2.04kg.

My own foam 120x39 with a whopping 21oz triaxial cloth layup top and bottom with wrapped rails (42oz of glass on the rail) comes in at just a hair under 5 pounds (<2.27kg) complete with everything including fins.

Nick told me he's now using corecell for the core but he's done some boards with divinycell and the boards we made together were 6lb polyurethne foam cores. I know he is doing the laminate in "one shot" with one of the bottom glass layers wrapping the rail and the rest of the layers flashed out on the rounded rails and then sanded down to the rail. When you look at the pictures of his boards you can see the edges from the wraped layer showing through the deck laminate. If you get hold of one of the Squall boards and look closely you can see a clear line on the rail where the flashed-out layers don't quite meet. I think he's using 3 layers on the top and 2 on the bottom, not sure what cloth weights for each layer but the total top laminate is 18oz/yd cloth at most, it might be 14oz.

The construction method Nick is using is pretty close to what I taught him though not the way I do a foam board now. In the boards we did together we used a much heavier layup (at least 4 layers top 3 bottom, 6oz glass cloth) and the rails were shaped sharp with a slight flange at the seam so that the flashed-out top and bottom layers were in full contact with each other.

[CaymanWind]

I bought a demo board on ebay. Arrived with a corner broken off. Nick did offer to replace it as an insurance claim but it would have cost more to send it back and forth to the States than I paid for it. Also, for the layman beware! The footstrap screws sent with the board are way too long and the inserts are not capped. ie holes in the bottom. I was disapponted in the finish of the board. Nick added fins to the board and did not seal the holes. I have now added a carbon fiber and a glass layer to the bottom, fixed the corner with carbon fiber, sealed the fin holes and sanded a much smoother finish into the board. I am just about to spraythe topcoat now. It is a bit heavier but substantially stronger.

[sq225917]

southbasin: just for the record the menu was:

120 x 40 cm 10mm nomex core 6mm a/f hex spacing. this was rebated along the entire edge of the board for a lap seam, shaving off about 30grams from the flat panel. 270 grams

6x stainless over abs outer inserts 100 grams.

6 layers of carbon, 3 layers top and bottom, 150gm/m2 intermediate modulus uni pre-preg per side, as cyclone says just shy of 3m total,
420 grams.

2 layers of film adhesive 200gm/sqm2, 200 grams.

1 top coat layer of 2 pack sp-system gelcoat about 250 gms.

no rail inserts, it was lap seamed, a lethal 1.5mm seam around the edge of the board, no fin boxes were used at all but i did patch over the fin area, under the heel contact points and a short strip running over all the footstrap inserts, 2 layers for the heel and insert maybe adding 50 grams max.

270+100+420+200+250+50=1290grams.

take away any resin that was taken by the absorber during the 2 piece cure, mainly excess from the film adhesive used to bond to the nomex, and the small amount of shaping that was done post build to make the seam edge round rather than a 1.5mm knife edge and you have a board that came in at exactly 1204 grams it was of course weighed several times.... with glee i might add...

as cyclone pointed out the board construction isnt really suitable for what you guys want, that seam is a no brainer, no way people would risk it, but it was the quickest and lightest way of making a board and added substantially to the strength and flex characterisitcs of the finished board.

if you've got any questions about the materials and the construction techniques used drop me a line and i'll gladly answer them, if you'd like to take a look at her, you'll find her in ...

http://gallery.kiteforum.com/gallery/album96

[EdDy_DiFfUsIvItY]

C'mon guys,
whats the use in such a light board ?

Surely in any kinda wind its gonna get blewn away !
Now I know that they think BO's are queer these days but its bad enough dropping the board never mind having it blewn outa your hands . LoL.

I've seen and handled SQ's Board and indeed it is as he says, but the rail. Oh the rail. That thing will rip drysuits and wetsuits and flesh alike.

I just started getting a quality board sorted and it weighs in at 2.0 dead on naked. (Texalium / ABS) Pads straps and fins should add another 500grms (injection moulded fins). I'm happy with that weight, 2.0 kilos would be optimal but for me anything lighter is just a challenge.