Composite Stringers

tedshred

Gerry Lopez status
Apr 15, 2008
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I'm sure this has been mentioned before but just curious. Not being a board builder or particularly knowledgeable about materials it seems to me that with shaping machines being so accurate and glass and foam being consistent. The biggest hurdle for copying a magic board would be variations in the stringer: Type of wood, section of grain, # of ply etc. Why hasn't the stinger been replaced on poly boards with something consistent but a similar flex?
 
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silentbutdeadly

Duke status
Sep 26, 2005
33,486
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Tower 13
I've thought about it as well. you;d think they;d be able to offer a variety of flex patterns with synthetic materials that would also come with consistency.
 
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retodd

Duke status
Feb 23, 2009
16,757
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3/16 appellcore is the most consistent. The guy has serious wood knowledge and makes an excellent product

Cedar is the next best as it has a consistent grain pattern. Also the lightest weight .

Bass is nice and strong . May just cause a board to buckle above the fins instead of snap
 
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tedshred

Gerry Lopez status
Apr 15, 2008
1,033
682
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3/16 appellcore is the most consistent. The guy has serious wood knowledge and makes an excellent product

Cedar is the next best as it has a consistent grain pattern. Also the lightest weight .

Bass is nice and strong . May just cause a board to buckle above the fins instead of snap
Good to see you post, thought you disappeared from the board.
 

doc_flavonoid

Billy Hamilton status
Dec 27, 2019
1,740
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i asked stretch about it 5 or so years ago. he had been playing around with pvc stringers at the time and said- no way. he wouldnt do it for norcal. bamboo only. which is what ive had in all my stretch including a buzzgun.

apelcore is great for small wave bords. i prefer double 3/16 bass reverse glue up for everything over 7-0 save longboards of course
 
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Sharky

Phil Edwards status
Feb 25, 2006
6,828
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US Blanks offers PVC stringers in varying thicknesses from 3-6mm in red, black and white
The PVC isn't as rigid as wood. One of my favorite 6'2"s has a three stringer PVC setup. I've also set up PVC stringers in a wedge configuration to supplement high density foam stringers. I didn't ride that setup, but the shapers team guys kept coming back for more of them and they apparently weren't breaking as easily as solitary HD foam stringers.

US Blanks used to have a synthetic that I believe were called Power Core stringers. They looked like a thin fin panel. They planned and machined fine, looked cool (a clear stringer that let light through it) and some people loved them. Alas they were a little expensive and people declined to pay for them. At least I think that's what happened. Net net, they aren't available anymore.

There are a lot of differences in supposedly identical wood stringers. The way the grain is run, and especially the density can be very different. Arguably a good portion of a "magic" board is the stringer. Luck of the draw with wood. High level surfers complain of old favorite boards loosing their "pop." Is that material fatigue, or is it simply the surfer getting jaded to his favorite board? Would a synthetic stringer help? :shrug:
 
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jkb

Tom Curren status
Feb 22, 2005
10,041
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Central California
In my mind a plywood stringer would be the closest thing to a solid wood stringer without being too far removed, but also being as consistent as you could be.

*Disclaimer: I don't know sh*t.