Plastic deck for ESK8?

The parts I have are very clearly pure carbon fiber + epoxy because you can see ALL the layers from the sides

*the one on the red surf adapter does have one layer of acrylic paint that I added on and then the final layer of epoxy which is why you see white on the top.

I think these photos should show that pretty clearly? or maybe I just think they do since I have both of them to see and feel IRL :person_shrugging:

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They might be solid (laminated) CF.
They will be heavier than the same thing made from wood, but MUCH stronger.
CF is higher density (heavier) than wood, which is one reason why wood cores are often used in CF parts.

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I donā€™t have a scale, but it feels super light to me to the point it could be lighter than wood. I donā€™t have a piece of wood of the same size to compare it to through

Does anyone have any idea where I could get a sheet of laminated fiberglass like what is used in the Trampa deck or a sheet of laminated carbon fiber about the same thickness as used on the surfboard adapter?

I have been playing around with the idea of a modular deck. I have been chatting a bit with @tomiboi about this concept. The deck itself would be flat and around 32-36" long and 10" wide. Concave would be managed with 3d printed wings. Brackets would be used to connect the deck to the trucks. Also a lot easier to attach an enclosure since the underside of the deck is flat. I think a laminated fiberglass or carbon fiber could be used for the deck.

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Maybe try https://armattanproductions.com/
They used to make some cf parts for Moon
(Or make one)

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You could try sending a message to water bourneā€™s customer support and they might be able to help you. Theyā€™re generally pretty chill overall although Iā€™ve not asked something like that before. Worst case scenario they say they canā€™t tell you :person_shrugging:

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The price of a what would be the size of a deck made of solid carbon and resin looks very expensive.

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:joy: fuck that.
Like all stuff it depends on quality/quantity etc.
When I made a CF deck, the UD CF fabric from aliexpress (and resin from a local supplier) material cost was maybe a couple hundred bucks.

Solid carbon fiber laminate is really expensive. I like the idea you had. Carbon fiber laminates on a wood core. Kind of like thisā€¦

Probably way cheaper to have a deck builder like Tomiboi laminate a wood deck with carbon fiber.

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While carbon fiber is a great material, it is also a great RF blocker. Issueā€™s with remote signal can and have happened. Some remotes do better, some carbon blocks less, but it is a factor to consider.

Its not the end of the world because there are ways around it by moving recievers/external antennas/ā€œrf windowā€ in deck and place reciever there.
Fiberglass has little to no rf blocking properties and can get similar results.

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I am surprised that the Trampa and Kaly decks are mostly fiberglass. It seems fiberglass is a pretty nice material to make decks out of.

For sure it is. Many different ways to go about it. Composites is a world Iā€™ve just dabbled in. Many here have many hours/years/$/cussing/triumphs/failures into learning this stuff and @tomiboi is a good one to work with :ok_hand:

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A plastic deck with an ABS closed cell foam core (Divinycell) is state of the art stuff. Can use other cheaper ABS foam but itā€™s still a lot more work than getting a wood core thatā€™s already an ideal shape and using a vacuum bag.

With cf being stiffest in tension itā€™s best to use it on the bottom of a deck, which since itā€™s convex, you can get good a pretty good bond by removing voids, and get a good ratio of resin to carbon, without a vacuum bag by using stretchy tape with holes: cheap and easy

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Waterproof

pretty sure a well laminated wodden board is waterproof

Not forever

Delamination is impossible with a Pennyboard.
I donā€™t ride boards that have delam or cracks, but maybe thats also because I ride an esk8.

I guess these things donā€™t matter as much when you ride at 10km/h max. Or whatever speed people can get on a penny.

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A plastic deck could totally work, but I canā€™t of many situations in which a plastic deck would be the best choice

(Strength/cost/etc)

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Iā€™m coming to that realization too. Molding a plastic deck is prohibitively expensive and sheets of plastic are pretty pricy too. Maybe in the future 3d printing a deck will become a viable solution. In the meantime, best to stick with some of the more established techniques.

Yeah Iā€™m happy to continue to also. I am curious though, what do the current techniques leave you wanting for?

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What about aluminium decks ? Iā€™m sure we could make thinner ones than the few ones in the market on vary the flexibility by selectively anodise patterns on it

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