surfboard construction as it relates to the SUMO.

The creation of a surfboard relates similarly to our studio project in terms of materiality of both constructs. Our proposed SUMO consists of series of high density foam and plywood sections, much like a surfboard. Most current surfboards use polystyrene foam as the shape of the surfboard. Shaping this foam is rather cumbersome, but can be done initially with a hand saw, and then with a block sander to configure the angles and the curves desired. How to Build Your First Surfboard details much of the process of building, shaping, and finishing surfboards. The stinger for the surfboard is placed into the foam shape for the surfboard and becomes similar to our proposed SUMO.

After the foam is shaped, fiberglass cloth is laid down to give the foam more strength. Polyester Resin will melt the styrene foam in the base, so epoxy resin becomes a necessary element when finishing the surfboard. While polystyrene foam is relatively inexpensive, epoxy resin is expensive, and will make up a majority of our costs should we choose to use this method of construction. Epoxy can be used not only to coat the outside of the shape to create one dynamic object, but also be used to attach the foam to the plywood sections, creating a reinforcement for the rods that will run through the entirety of the shape. The surfboard website listed above also gives great details about the different coats required to achieve different levels of glassiness, depending on our preferences.

universal foam products ships out of the upstate and has a calculator that provides estimates of the cost of foam sheets that could potentially be shaped inside of the SUMO.