Elleciel boards are sandwich structured, it is basically a lightweight core (EPS (Expended Polystyrene) 16 kg/m3 (1 pound per cubic foot)) to which a relatively thin, dense, high strength wood skin is adhered using epoxy resin and vacuum bagging technique.

The process is constantly in progress so what's coming out of Elleciel's workshop probably isn't exactly like it is explained here or shown on that video. (2015)

Since June 2017 all boards (but on demand) will be built using SUPER SAP BIO EPOXY from Entropy Resin.

From the very beginning the building process has been constantly changing, evolving following new ideas, better materials, etc.

The goal being a very strong but still light board that can be enjoyed over the years. The recipe of a foam core, glassed rails and wooden "skins" sandwiched with fiber glass using epoxy resin achieves it.

The actual recipe still consist of an expended polystyrene (EPS) foam core (±15kg/m3), Glassed rails with either only fiber glass, glass and carbon, basalt etc.. or fabric inlay for boards with wood on deck and bottom. Rails and bottom can be glassed only or can have a fabric inlay. Then 2mm paulownia wood "skins" are glued to the foam core with epoxy resin and fiberglass using vacuum bagging technic.

Wood is then sanded and a layer of fiber glass is laminated over it before a layer of coating epoxy. Fins plugs are now set a bit differently than what you can see in the video below. Hard wood sticks (ice cream stick like) are laid in the foam from deck side before vacuum bagging the "skins". 

Paulownia being such a fantastic wood, let me tell you a bit more about it.

Paulownia is a very light wood, not as light as balsa but much stronger and therefore requiring less fiberglass for a similar, if not superior, final strength/weight ratio. Paulownia also has the great advantage of not rotting when exposed to sea water! In facts I left dings with exposed wood unfixed for months with, as result, just a very small area of wood turning grayish. This is for sure not happening with balsa, ash wood or any other wood I've been working with so far. I'm using 2mm thick planks coming from certified plantations here in asia. And wood doesn't mean heavy! 

"…the first simple contribution, to make boards that don’t break – boards that last for years." 

Bob McTavish, 2016

Of course I would love to work more with eco friendly materials such as recycled foam or even mushroom foam, natural cloth etc but for now working with such products means to have them shipped from the US, Europe or Australia. For now, I rather work with what I can find locally or close by. Foam and resin are made here in Thailand, fiber glass is from here and paulownia wood from China. If you have something to suggest, I'm more than open to hear it!

✩    Laziness is source of ingenieusity    ✩ 

david      

Many asked me if those loops are strong enough. Well, a pro glasser from Maui told me that he never heard about one been broken! He showed me how to do and 525 boards later…ALL GOOD!!

But I also have conventional leash plug for who wants.

Please contact me for information and don't forget

If you have any comment or question please leave a message here or send me an email at: david@elleciel.com

Sorry for not responding to previous messages but I had no email addresses to respond to...
david