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So, back in March my vacuum press motor seized while pressing a board, having never had good luck with the vacuum I drank some beer and immediately started working towards a pneumatic press. I followed the instructions from the "Happy Monkey" blog and it works great! I am four boards in this summer and really like the results. Here is the layup and some pics of my board:
top down
4060 top skin
12 oz biax
polyurethane rail
9mm vg cedar (reclaimed wood from 90 year old house)
5.6 oz s glass
12 oz biax
4060 base skin

3434 g with ntt binders

Looks awesome, nice work! How hard was it too build the press?

Isn't it amazing! I did the same 6 years ago following the monkey snowboard idea as well and some advice from decay. Are you using multiple firehose? I managed to get an 18inch layflat hose rated over 100psi.!

Your boards look amazing by the way!

Nice!

Nice.

Post up some more detail of your press.

plummet wrote:Nice.

Post up some more detail of your press.

I concur, please let us see the press!

Rode the board today for a 3 hr session, again really like the product. As well as the three friends that I know need to make variations for that rode a second board that I brought with me. So things are good with the process.

As for the questions:

I did use a layflat fire hose 12" - which is too narrow for anything wider than 44cm. If I had to do it again I would purchase a bigger hose - or may purchase a bigger one anyway. Although the company I bought from wasn't super stoked of air going into it, but a buck's a buck I guess.

The press. Pretty easy if you have access to a drill press, truck, and some welding equipment. We have a pretty good shop at work so I cut, drilled, and welded there for a day. I purchased the top and bottom sides for the press at a scapper yard, 4"x4" tubes, 1/4" thick. The "I" beam (12") for the ends I purchased as a remnant at a steel yard ,and the casters too. The legs are my old rocker table base re-welded. Still working minor kinks out, like the impression form the fire hose on the top of the board, but not overly worried about that.
I literally followed the "Happy Monkey Snowboard" instructions (with my own variations for materials), including the clamping method for the hose, and the control valve for filling from McMaster car parts. Was easy to build but it is heavy, 1000 lbs. So assembly by yourself (like I did) is a bit of a process.
Knowing the amount of "springback" for your core material is important when cutting all that MDF. Luckily I built 6 board last year with the vacuum press so could estimate the result there.
Gutters on the side to catch the excess resin that gets pushed out. All materials are laid on a aluminum skin for the base side of things, on top I have two layers of tub/shower wall plastic to try to diffuse the fire hose impression (will switch to alu or ?? soon to clear that up).
I will get some pictures specifically of the press on here soon.
I just admit, getting rid of all that sanding for a final product is sweet. Just pull the board out of the press, cut the flashing off, shape and polish the rail, tap the holes and fins, peel the protective layer off the 4060 and you end up with board as pictured!
Thanks for checking it out -more later.
Brad

Congrats man!

Awesome work. No room for a press, hence a vac for me:)

Dare to share what is 4060 top skin and where to get it?

Thx

D.

ps

No dry spots under the 4060, or photos taken well? How well saturated is your epoxy under and do you do all in one go?

downunder wrote:No room for a press

It actually doesn't take much more space than a rocker table