Hey guys, I am seeking for advice.
I would like to build a light wind kiteboard, from the tests I've done so far, I'd probably go ahead with Flydoor 5 XL as a template (170x50): flysurfer.com/project/flydoor5/. The goal is to have a comfy board for those light wind conditions, to accompany me on my 12m and 21m Flysurfer soul kites. I also have the Flysplit 2 (139x43), but it sometimes feels a bit too flexy for my taste (I'm 100kg, intermediate skill level type of rider - freeriding, jumping, some hooked tricks). The goals are to keep the board as light as possible, and reasonably thin, without flexing wildly.
My current plan is to:
1) use a western red cedar strips for core material (I can get it much easier than Paulownia strips, and by the looks of it, it's comparable stats-wise), material cost being ~50€. I then plan to CNC it, keeping it thicker at the center/foot pads area, and to thin the rail and tip portions to something like 3-4mm, to get more flex at the ends.
2) I plan to use moderate rocker, something like 30-40mm at the tips, that should allow it to perform better in chop. Slight single concave, as well, ~1cm at the center, too - not sure what's best - suggestions welcome. Plan to use 5mm plexiglass as the rocker table.
3) Use 250g unidirectional carbon in the center/pad area both top/bottom, to ensure it doesn't flex too much.
4) Use 300g biax carbon on the tips (which are ~3mm thick).
5) PU rails, fin reinforcement, and flanged stainless steel nuts for pads/handle.
6) I'd like to cast the nobile's click'n'go fin attachment mechanism from PU, it's super easy and convenient to use http://nobilekiteboarding.com/products/ ... -gf33.html. Got some molding materials at hand, will give it a try with PU and resin+fiberglass.
I'd like to do the job as resin infusion, because I have all the equipment and materials, and supposedly it keeps resin usage at the minimum.
So the questions are:
1. Should I leave the center core part ~1cm thick, and apply uniform layer of carbon, or make it thinner, around 6mm, and double the carbon layer to compensate? I'm leaning for the latter, since it supposedly gives me a more resilient board with similar flex characteristics?
2. Should I apply another layer of FG on top/bottom, just to protect the carbon layer from the elements? Right now I plan to use a few thin layers of UV stabilised epoxy to get that piano finish.
3. Provided I do the resin infusion, what would be the proper way to ensure that the resin passes from top to bottom? I assume keeping the core strips glued with some spacing between them might help with that? But that would probably make it somewhat weaker structurally...
4. Painting a logo or something on the top sandwich layer, before infusing... what paint to use? I'd simply print the template on paper and cut it manually, or perhaps use a plotter.
Any advise would be much appreciated.
pq