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Why should
I build EPS/Epoxy boards? - There is a
performance revolution going on, and it's not about pop - outs.
Your customers are hearing about custom built EPS/Epoxy surfboards.
Some of them have already ridden one and they have experienced
the exciting difference
this technology makes. Lighter, stronger, better flex, better
feel and better response. Your customers want custom built EPS/Epoxy
boards and will seek out those who make them. Now you
can make them. Back
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Why use
sFoam blanks? - sFoam surfboard blanks
have been six years in development. Our blanks have no problems
with out - gassing, unlike extruded foams. sFoam blanks have
no problems with laminate adhesion, unlike extruded foams. That
means no de - laminations from trapped gas or poor surface adhesion,
throughout the life of the board. sFoam blanks are cut with
Computer Numerical Control from 2 lb. per cu. ft density EPS
billets. This gives our customers the ability to create a blank
to their specifications, without bending or twisting the blank.
sFoam blanks are cut exactly to your pure curves. Using the
tools you have now, you can be shaping sFoam blanks with little
change in your current technique and work flow. We ship to any
destination from our centrally located factory with the best
shipping rates to most locations. Back
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Can
I just get a rocker cut and use my own outside outlines?
- Yes, many customers prefer using their own
spin plates and outlines. You can still take advantage of designing
a rocker cut that fits your needs, if you can't find one in
the stock catalog. Back to top
How
do I create a custom blank? - For
Customizing - Click
Here.
Back to top
Do you
sell blanks completely shaped ? - No.
We cut accurate rockers and outlines only. It is possible to
design a top and bottom rocker so that almost no thinning is
required. Our accurate outline cuts eliminate the time required
to lay out a template and cut it. The shaper has to turn down
the deck and rails; add any concaves and vees and finish sanding
in preparation to laminating. Our system is designed for the
custom shaper who wants to save 35% or more of his shaping time.
The shaper can turn his attention to the more finessed aspects
of board building; for example, the rail shapes and the location
and degrees of concaves and vees. The blank styles listed in
the sFoam catalog could be considered as a reference point to
a purpose built EPS blank. Back to top
Does
EPS foam quickly become waterlogged if your board gets dinged?
- The simple answer is NO. An immersion test
of 1 cubic inch of sFoam, submerged in water for 1 hour,
shows that our foam will absorb 0.36 milliliters of water. That
is the equivalent of less than 7 drops. To put this into perspective,
if you dinged your board and peeled off 6 square inches of glass
and sealer to expose the raw foam, you would soak up 7 drops
of water after being in the water for 1 hour. As you can see,
this is a non - issue. sFoam is a special hi - density
foam designed for hand shaping surfboards. A lot of the misconceptions
of EPS foam come from early experimentation and use of water
- soluble sealers ( spackling compounds ). This type of sealer
will soak up water rather quickly and cause de - lamination
problems. Check "Laminating
Tips" in our FAQ section for a proven and approved
method of sealing sFoam blanks. Back
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Why does
the blank have to be sealed before laminating?
- If an EPS blank is not sealed properly
it will absorb un - adulterated epoxy resin and prevent a suitable
bond to the laminations. Sealing the blank by using a mixture
of epoxy and Micro Balloons, lowers the viscosity of the resin
and keeps it from penetrating too deep into the foam. This keeps
the blank lightweight, and provides the optimum bond of the
laminate to the blank. Check
"Laminating Tips"
in our FAQ section for a proven and approved method of sealing
sFoam blanks. Back to top
Is EPS
foam weaker than polyurethane foam? -
In compression and in tensile strength, sFoam is stronger
than the most common weight of surfboard polyurethane foam.
In shear tests, common weight polyurethane foam is slightly
stronger. However, any composite engineer will tell you that
the true test of strength in any given surfboard is its panel
strength. Panel strength is a factor of the distance between
the top and bottom laminations of the surfboard, how strong
the laminations are; and, any webs ( stringers ) between the
laminations. The strength of the foam has very little effect
on surfboard strength. It should be noted that sFoam
weighs 41 % less than the most common weight of surfboard polyurethane
foams yet has slightly better pressure - ding resistance than
urethane foams. In addition, epoxy laminations are stronger
than equivalent laminations using styrene resins. Therefore,
a surfboard made with a sFoam blank & epoxy resin
will be stronger than a board made with polyurethane foam &
styrene resin - all other factors being equal. Back
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Why does
is cost so much to ship blanks? - Shipping
companies use a formula called Dimensional Weight to help calculate
their charges. . The large boxes needed to ship blanks, and
the light weight of the product, make the Dimensional Weight
much higher than the actual weight. For residential deliveries,
freight handlers have to off load to smaller trucks, increasing
their cost to deliver. sFoam has been able to negotiate
very reasonable rates, and will continue looking for even better
deals. Back to
top
Occasional
apparent voids between stringer and foam? -
We make stringer cuts using our CNC hot wire cutter, which makes
a absolutely straight cut (unless we making a custom elliptical
stringer setup). Because the hot wire is hotter outside the
foam during the cut, there is a kerf formed on both edges of
the foam. This kerf does not go very deep and is usually shaped
through. Also, EPS foam naturally has extremely small voids
throughout it. These passage ways have no effect on the foam
strength, but show up occasionally as a void against the stringer.
After shaping, any of these voids are eliminated when you seal
the blank, and are cosmetically fixed, automatically. Back
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Questions? E-mail us - info@sFoam.com
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