Inserting Fixed Pedestal Mounts
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The following 12 steps are a quick and simple guide showing you how to build your own foil board at home from an existing skimboard or similar type board.
Measure out the center of the board. I find a craft ruler very useful here to keep the measurements centred.
Mark the rear so the center is visible from top and bottom.
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Remove the deck pad off your foil board and clean all the glue off.
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Mark the pedestal hole positions on both top and bottom decks with large pencil cross hairs. On the bottom deck your cross hairs need to extend far - see step no. 11.
Then drill with a cookie cutter drill bit from the bottom deck through (for surfboards you must cut from the top deck).
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Draw cross hairs for the pedestal hole positions on your pedestal jig. Use a quick release agent on your bolts (NOT THE INSERTS) and then tighten your inserts and bolts into position on the jig. Place your bolts at the correct depth to end flush with the bottom deck. Double check that your bolts sit perfectly in the pedestal hole positions.
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Line up the jig cross hairs with those on the top deck. Secure the jig in position with tape.
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Flip the foil board over and your cross hairs should line up . Fill the holes with a thick marine grade epoxy (I use Gurit Spabond), ensuring you do not trap any air bubbles inside. Level the epoxy with a spatula across the deck so that the bolts are slightly visible below the surface of the epoxy.
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Once the epoxy has cured, undo the bolts and remove your jig.
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Use masking tape to make a border and then sand both top and bottom surfaces of the foil board with rough grit paper. Measure and cut out 2 pieces of carbon and 2 pieces fibre glass. The first piece will fit within your tape border and the second will overlap onto the tape.
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Plug the holes with moulding clay (or Prestik/Plasticine).
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Smooth on clear marine grade epoxy and add 1 layer of carbon inside the tape border (DO NOT OVERLAP). Once the carbon is wet through add the larger carbon piece (this one must just overlap the tape). Continue to saturate the carbon being careful not to go past the tape border on your foil board.
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Trim the edges of your carbon with a scalpel/craft knife once the epoxy has cured. Use the masking tape as your guideline to trim the inside edges. Hard scoring the carbon should be sufficient to then bend up the trimmed edges and they should snap off. Follow your large pencil cross hairs to find your 4 pedestal hole positions and cut them out with the knife. Sand, remove any pencil and add a gloss layer of epoxy to finish.
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For the top deck, use fibre glass or carbon and repeat steps 9, 10 and 11. Once cured, glue your deck pad back down. Your quick conversion to a foil board is now done and you are all set to foil!
Note: Epoxy should be given a few days to cure fully before going in the water or your glossy finish will turn milky.