The stuff is two layers with pillars in between, woven as one, there's an air gap between the two layers and the cloth winds up3mm thick. The thickness increases the resistance to buckling ( which is what causes boards to break and pressure dings) by about 8 to 9 times over the same weight of conventional glass.
The catch is that it's a bummer to use, 'soul destroying' and 'a nightmare' come to mind. There's almost zero drapeability, cutting darts doesn't work well as the cloth instantly springs up and unravels next to the cut, and the surface winds up really unfair i.e. massive high and low spots in addition to the cloth weave texture which is fairly uneven though able to be handled well enough.
So I estimate that it's taken about 20 to 40 times longer to glass than normal glass, and I'm not finished yet. The bumps and hollows would be ok if they were only hollows but unfortunately they are not, there are high spots which are more than the 3mm due to varying tension on the cloth, this leads to sand through during the fairing process, so there are patches which are thin.
There are some interesting visual effects though and the result will be strong although even with my best efforts not as fair as my wooden boards.
Roll on 10oz glass, I want to crank these shapes out I have loads of different designs on a similar theme at different lengths etc.
Select to expand quoteRoyStuart said...
It was stated earlier that the shape I'm doing at present will be 'good for cruising but not much else'... that is 100% correct the shapes are built for cruising, and if they can cruise in everything from ankle high to life threatening waves then they are a success... cruising is where it's at.
I am getting an 8 foot bonzer soon which, I guess, is meant to cruise in chest to four times head high. In that size range there is a point where I have pretentions to high performance and that's where the 7 foot single fun comes in. My point, Roy, is I think a large, all round cruiser certainly has a market.
Due to a severe ankle injury several years ago high performance surfing on a shortboard thruster is now a no-no (it hurts and means I can't walk properly for a few days) and I am sure I am not alone in being physically curtailed (met a guy in UllaDulla with a broken back on a 10footer).
3D glass? Trash it? It seems like a lot of work for not much benefit and even a fair degree of adverse outcomes(the thin patches).
And thanks for returning. Many people are interested as you saw.
We might have to see one 3D finished product uneven or not - could be pretty cool regardless 
Select to expand quoteRoyStuart said..
A couple of cellphone shots from a few days ago, still sanding and fairing...
Roy why do you have orange around your mouth 
Select to expand quoteTux said..
Roy has made it quite clear that you can get updates from his blog and if you don't read it your an incompetent nancy...at least I think that was what he said...I am fatigued after 14 pages and I still haven't seen him do a proper cut back
how easy do you think doing a cut back would be on that board.
don't see to many on these.
Good one , thanks for bringing your bat and ball back Roy .
That 3 D mat does look like a real bitch to use !!!!
Would be good for racing yacht hulls maybe ?
The board is looking good Roy . I must say I agree, cruising is the GO !!
Select to expand quoteRoyStuart said..
A couple of cellphone shots from a few days ago, still sanding and fairing...
Hi Roy, are you working on this project full time or off and on?
How many man hours have you sent in production on this board not counting design time just shaping and glassing?
one last one,how much would this type of board cost?
Select to expand quotechrispy said..
it would cost about 20g,half the price of your sleds
come on mate I'm into surfboards not jet skis
Select to expand quoteMacaha said..
chrispy said..
it would cost about 20g,half the price of your sleds
come on mate I'm into surfboards not jet skis
buy one of those weird things in the gen room mac. the havoc you could wreak at lm would be priceless
Select to expand quoteMacaha said..RoyStuart said..
A couple of cellphone shots from a few days ago, still sanding and fairing...
Hi Roy, are you working on this project full time or off and on?
How many man hours have you sent in production on this board not counting design time just shaping and glassing?
one last one,how much would this type of board cost?
I don't know the answer to any of those questions, sorry.
What I do know is that the board will be ridden on Monday and I'll post some more pictures tomorrow.
Awesome. That one with the black pinstripe - and I use the term loosely at that width - looks beautiful. Nice finish on the board.
Select to expand quoteCobra said..Tux said..
Roy has made it quite clear that you can get updates from his blog and if you don't read it your an incompetent nancy...at least I think that was what he said...I am fatigued after 14 pages and I still haven't seen him do a proper cut back
how easy do you think doing a cut back would be on that board.
don't see to many on these.
No but I did see Skip Frye do one on a board of not disimilar length to one of Roys...and surely a cutback is functional whatever type of surfing your into
The elephant in the room is the moving of the conversational goalposts from 'proper' cutback to 'functional' cutback while assuming that if I don't do 'proper' cutbacks then I don't do functional ones. There's no mention of the stall as an alternative either.
This 'proper' qualification reminds me of Patricia Bartlett:
teara.govt.nz/en/video/43915/patricia-bartlett-at-an-indecent-publications-tribunal-meeting
Select to expand quotethedrip said..
Awesome. That one with the black pinstripe - and I use the term loosely at that width - looks beautiful. Nice finish on the board.
Thanks, that's just dark blue tape but the board now has a blue pinline in the same place.
Nice work Roy. That 3d stuff sounds great from a technical perspective but the horror story of laying it is not good. Can the manufacturer give you any tips or is it because you are doing it on foam and not something more solid and flat that causes the grief? Looking forward to seeing the finished product n a ride video.
Not sure why you quoted me..
Mine was a question?
But thanks once again for a quality contribution.
Maybe contribut to the rest of the forum and you won't look a trolling **** stirrer..
Select to expand quoteSP said..
Not sure why you quoted me..
But thanks once again for a quality contribution.
Just for clarification where I was going with the cutback thing is wondering if Roy had every done a full rail swooping cutback...his board or any other...cause I for one would be hard pressed to call a turn like that non functional...
Select to expand quoteTux said..
Just for clarification where I was going with the cutback thing is wondering if Roy had every done a full rail swooping cutback...his board or any other...cause I for one would be hard pressed to call a turn like that non functional...
But I didn't call such turns non functional, though you post implies that I did... reading comprehension skills are required.
Select to expand quoteTed the Kiwi said..
Nice work Roy. That 3d stuff sounds great from a technical perspective but the horror story of laying it is not good. Can the manufacturer give you any tips or is it because you are doing it on foam and not something more solid and flat that causes the grief? Looking forward to seeing the finished product n a ride video.
The flatter areas are no problem, it's where the cloth needs to drape around the rails which is the issue. It needs to be physically stuck down, the catch with that is that by the time the resin is tacky enough to allow it, the hollow structure wants to stay down when pressed from above to get the cloth to contact the rails.
I think we've hit upon a scheme which will improve the process: only apply enough resin to the board to stick the bottom layer of cloth down, leaving the top layer and pillars dry, then applying the majority of the resin to wet out the cloth after the cloth has stuck to the blank around the rails.
I have a roll of 10oz E glass but will do the next board with 3D cloth just to see if we can get the method right, and because I'm an obstinate swine.
Select to expand quoteRoyStuart said..Tux said..
Just for clarification where I was going with the cutback thing is wondering if Roy had every done a full rail swooping cutback...his board or any other...cause I for one would be hard pressed to call a turn like that non functional...
But I didn't call such turns non functional, though you post implies that I did... reading comprehension skills are required.
I believe your skills are the ones that require attention...I asked if you had ever done a full rail cutback....at no point did I say, "Roy Stuart thinks full rail cutback are non functional"....not trying to be a pain just trying to work out if your judgement on function vs non function is via experience or purely your opinion based on what you have seen?
I did a high speed full rail cuttie on a 5ft clean glassy wall yesterday. Felt brilliant. Thoroughly recommend them
