So far I'v got the 2# EPS slab rockerd with the hotwire bow, the outline cut and 3/4 of the top rail shaped. I'v got 3 tuttle boxes wraped in 1/4" divinycell and a bunch of 5 hole strap inserts from chinook. Haven't decided if I'm going to wrap them in foam. Going to put a bit of the divinycell on the nose as it will add impact resistance and I borked up that part a bit when I hot wired the rocker in. Layup might be 6, 6 bottom with 6, 6 top and an extra layer of 6 on the deck with two more around the heal areas 4" and 6" past the heal areas. Rounded edges on all the glass patches. Burt Rutan has a fetish for circles for a reason. The first four videos of the build are up on my YouTube chanel.
I'm thinking it's going to be mostly strait EPS. The modern EPS isn't apparently as water absorbent. A 5 lb closed cell foam might make it slightly more ding resistant but all I have is 1/4 divinycell h80. A bit to thick to bag onto the core. If the shape works I might do a second bagged with 1/8 divinycell and carbon.
I'm debating when to put the finboxes and strap inserts. Before glassing or after. I'm thinking before on the finbox and maybe after on the strap inserts.
Great work Gbleck for your hot wire if you put a ceiling fans swtich on it you can make it hotter and cooler depending on the thickness of the meterial you are cutting... But you have to be carefull because you will pop the wire really fast if you aren't not watching it..
For the fin boxes and inserts I would do them before. For myself I just feel that it is a stronger and better seal in the end product. I just did a 12 SUP ( wooden) and put the finbox in before and then glassed right over top of it. This way I know there will be no water getting inside around the fin box .
I still have to glass the top and hot coat it , but you get seen the box in it.
I'd put in all the inserts before. I don't know about loading and heel dents on a course board, I've never even seen one in person, let alone ridden one. If you do get high stress around the feet then that will be your weak point for getting water into the core (speaking from windsurfer experience). Maybe consider some local patches of your divinycell around the feet. If your footstrap inserts are small, you might also drop in some pieces of stronger foam where the inserts are going to go in. Again, not so much for fear of pulling them out, but because you want the area there solid or you'll have a high risk of leakage.
I'd put in all the inserts before. I don't know about loading and heel dents on a course board, I've never even seen one in person, let alone ridden one. If you do get high stress around the feet then that will be your weak point for getting water into the core (speaking from windsurfer experience). Maybe consider some local patches of your divinycell around the feet. If your footstrap inserts are small, you might also drop in some pieces of stronger foam where the inserts are going to go in. Again, not so much for fear of pulling them out, but because you want the area there solid or you'll have a high risk of leakage.
I'm gonig to do the inserts and foam inlays as a seperate step so I can sand out any heigh spots. You can't sand it out after you glass it up without going into the finberglass. Every time you sand into the fiber you weeken the board. That being said the little dips and low spots will get filled with the hot coat and the primer coat and sanded out. It's what gives you that cool looking black and white brushed speckle on carbon fiber windsurfers and sups.