Freestyle McSuperfreak

[Waternut]

If you use carbon, I'd highly recommend running at least one layer of very tightly woven glass. I say this because I tried making an exhaust tube using 4 layers of 5.5oz carbon fiber. I might as well have used window screen to make it because it leaked so bad. Then again, if you're worried about saving 1-2 lbs on the tray, maybe you should reconsider wearing socks and a neoprene lifejacket when you ride... Just saying.

 

[Matt_E]

1 layer of glass is not enough to make it watertight either.

 

[McDog]

I plan to seal all open areas with 5200 before I glass it over regardless. I would prefer to just use 12oz biax for the whole thing since i have it. How much weight difference are we talking here?

The other question is how many layers do I need to use over the open areas where i reshape my footholds and how many to cover the tray after I put it back in?

 

[Waternut]

1 layer of glass is not enough to make it watertight either.

No but one layer of tightly woven 8oz glass is massively better than 4 layers of loosely woven 5.5oz carbon fiber...I did say at least one though.

When I was doing my flat deck ski with no reinforcing foam, I ran 2 layers of 12oz (I think) biax and 3 layers at the back where my feet normally go and it was plenty. That was also not using the old tray and starting from scratch. I did have one guy telling me to just run 1 layer of 17oz biax over the foam though...I would personally run more though.

As for weight... I don't think you'll see much difference. I'll explain the calculations if you care... If you have 12oz biax, that's 12oz per sq yard. The rule of thumb I was always taught in fiberglass wet lay ups was 60%-70% resin and 30%-40% fiber by weight. So for every 1 sq yard of 12oz biax that's 12 oz of cloth (35%) and 34 oz of resin (65%) which is just under 3 lbs. If you use carbon the resin content is more like 20/80 by weight because the fiber is lighter but still needs the same resin content so 12oz of carbon would need 60 oz of resin but you obviously won't need as much because it's stronger.

 

[Matt_E]

I might be wrong, but I am under the impression that carbon takes quite a bit less resin to wet it out. That's where some of the weight savings come from.

 

[McDog]

So one layer of 12 oz on the tray should be fine to reattach the big piece I cut out?....... and two layers over the open spaces I created by cutting up the footholds to reshape them?

 

[sportfish258]

That's my understanding as well . Carbon 50 / 50 wet lay up if done properly . Generally speaking people in the industry say you can save approx. 30 % weight with carbon over fiberglass if done properly , more with vacuum bagging . 30 % is not much on the size of an average reinforcement area , But I'll take it where I can get it. 35 a yard or 10 a yard . It seems a little to late trying to save money at this point. I'm planning to use a 11 0z 6k 6 harness satin at this point may be a 19 oz .

 

[superwetbrett]

So one layer of 12 oz on the tray should be fine to reattach the big piece I cut out?....... and two layers over the open spaces I created by cutting up the footholds to reshape them?

you should be good with that dog

 

[Waternut]

you should be good with that dog

Agreed. The only thing I see being difficult with your build is trying to get biax to lay flat on that small section you left on gunwale.

 

[McDog]

I am a biax master. It is my bitch. There will be foam involved and I plan to attach it to the inside of the rear gunwhale so there is more space to adhere to.

 

[superwetbrett]

if it won't lay flat put some 404 or cabosil to thicken the resin to help get the cloth to sit, then after its dry you can sand off the extra.. better than having a large air pocket

 

[Waternut]

if it won't lay flat put some 404 or cabosil to thicken the resin to help get the cloth to sit, then after its dry you can sand off the extra.. better than having a large air pocket

I usually try to come back after a few hours when everything is super tacky and push it down...lol. It's all about the ghetto mastery!

 

[McDog]

Who's the master?

 

[Waternut]

Who's the master?

I know the feeling... I had to do that with working with biax on the flatdeck build. I typically don't have to do that with weave though.

 

[Sanoman]

Who's the master?

You are,Master!

 

[superwetbrett]

if you pre wet the glass/carbon it will lay a lot better.. need a lighter oz. to make those hard bends.. thats a lot clamps, you fellas are crazy

 

[Berky]

Shane you are a total madman ! you're doing great, PM me if you get stuck .

 

[McDog]

Got some time to work on it today. Defoam/refoam with polystyrene. Cut the top of the footholds to get ready to make them taller so I can get more padding in them. I also posted a pic to help explain the way I cut up the gunwhale on the left front.

 

[chriselmore_1]

a heel hold!

 

[McDog]

More like a heel cutout for some more footroom/lateral leverage. There is a pancake pete front foothold going back in too.