SHAPING A MUSHROOM CORE SURFBOARD

After building my first couple surfboards on my CNC board shaping machine, I quickly realized how dirty the process is for making boards. In an attempt to make shaping more enjoyable for myself, and the environment, I replaced the traditional EPS or PU foam core of a surfboard with mushroom mycelium. My hope for this project was to create a completely compostable core, where the fiberglass can be peeled off at the end of it's life. The eco mycelium core can then be composted into a garden without causing any environmental harm.

[@aurimasbulvydas1030]

I'm obsessed about kitesurfing and mycology and being sustainable is not a last thing for me and you've literally connected all these things. Amazing job! Keep it up!

[@reeces_shredlab]

Thanks! It was a fun project.

[@GROWbio]

Hey Reese! Thank you for choosing our GIY mycelium material for your surfboards! 🍄❤ Just want to let you know, the bags our materials come in are compostable! :)

[@stormsurfin]

PLA is only compostable in a commercial composting facility. Compostable is not the same as biodegradable for those who weren’t aware there’s a difference.

[@scp8412]

Cool experiment! Thx for sharing

[@voyagerfoiler5976]

Was that you ripping on the kite! Dude, killing it.

[@UHB007]

Yooo, that's nuts! Good stuff!

[@grahamharney578]

Awesome bro!

[@dailsonshikako]

amazing bro i wanna try

[@bingbang9116]

Oh wow cannot believe mommy #1 boi is doing such a great thing!!

[@gi7817]

brilliant!

[@Grannievore]

Great idea though. :)

[@grandmasterflash213]

Ahh man nice attempt, i was gutted when you stamped on it! I’m an eco-minded kitesurfer from Liverpool UK, also a professional Engineer, so i would love to combine them and make a true eco-friendly board 🤙🏼

[@reeces_shredlab]

Haha, ya I figured it was better to stop the project before wasting more materials on it. I think there's some potential there if you can find a way to decrease the weight and hold the mycelium together better. Mycelium is just one of many paths to explore I guess.

[@noahmarcelsudarsky4352]

Hi Reese, I loved watching this. The extra weight was the deal breaker. But gypsum is super heavy so weighing it with most of the gypsum sanded off may have shaved off an extra 2 lbs. One more idea, coming from an amateur mycologist. Dry out the mycelium longer, using a heat source. Mushrooms are incredibly good at retaining humidity, the mycelium can essentially hibernate, or go into zombie mode, thanks to that characteristic. I think finagling the drying process would also reduce the weight. So keep at it!

[@reeces_shredlab]

Hey Noah, thanks for the info. I actually did leave it in my shipping container with a dehumidifier for several months before shaping. It did subsatantially drop the weight of the mycelium, but it was still very heavy at this point. I was hoping that it would become light enough to use by shaping a very small board to offset the weight of the material. I think the real issue was the woodchip material being too heavy. If I do it again, I'll try using a lighter substrate material.

[@lyolkinurusov656]

Can you grow it in a curved mold?

[@kevinb8754]

Love your stuff dude. Keep trying new things. Maybe there’s a way to create a board without any foam. Create a mold and put a few more layers of glass. Then put some compressed air inside and seal it

[@reeces_shredlab]

Ya that's a cool idea! I have a few more things coming down the pipe as well in a little while.

[@lyolkinurusov656]

Did it smell ok?

[@jespin4845]

I got really fed up with breaking eps boards, felt bad, decided to try and make a 15L d-cell board with carbon, surprisingly has held up and is still going strong, havent broken one yet, a little stiff for surfing the waves but great for freestyle

[@reeces_shredlab]

Agreed, I find alot of production boards, specially EPS, tend to get beaten to a pulp pretty quickly. Interestingly I've had the same thing happen. Since I started glassing my onw boards I haven't broken a single one (PU or EPS). Been over a year now. I usually do some pretty serious rail laps which doesn't seem to add much weight and really makes the board buckle resistant.

[@jacobstr]

Well - I guess it kind of worked out since you got to chuck it in the forest guilt free ;0

[@crowdsurferx]

Will I start tripping if I took a bite out of the board?

[@reeces_shredlab]

Most definitely haha

[@trevorrozario7355]

you could try a close weave fabric cotton or linen to line the mold, instead of plastic next time. Keep trying, well done💖

[@reeces_shredlab]

Nice idea, If I try again I will find something like that!

[@jeffg4686]

sick. that 5.1 creep actually looks like a fun surfboard (for regular surfing). for the core, what about if you drip some epoxy down into it. hold it stronger too. aaaah, I made it to the end... Too bad it didn't work, but you gave me a LOT of ideas actually. I won't disclose them all unfortunately, but one of them is "hemp shivs" with a little bit of epoxy mixed in.

[@reeces_shredlab]

Glad you got something out of it! I think dripping epoxy into the blank wouldn't really add any strength and it would make it even heavier. And it would also make the blank non-compostable which was the goal. My next project is actually a larger Creep for surfing! Probably 5'6.

[@FlukesKitesurfing]

hahah nice

[@leifskogland3710]

Sweet haha

[@Mycomaker]

Amazing video! Sorry didn't fit your need and you have to destroy it:( but it to heavy... It's to heavy. But actually you can make a lighter and stronger materisl if you work more on the formulation. Maybe the kind of sawdust you using is not the best for that application. Very inspiring video! Great job💪🍄

[@pipeno2880]

Keep trying. There are some other experiences with miscellium surfboards. This guy put a frame inside. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYekeYSilMuErac Maybe something like this that can create air spots inside the board...

[@reeces_shredlab]

Cool! Thanks for the link

[@bpitts31]

i was so happy until i saw the cnc and then him destroy a board that couldve just been a really cool display.

[@reeces_shredlab]

Why create unnecessary fiberglass garbage on an experiment that's supposed to reduce garbage? If it can't be ridden, no point in keeping it either!

[@bpitts31]

@@reeces_shredlab very true, to myself that built my first board out of drilled pine, i never cared about weight, living in florida now, i understand that lighter is better, my boards now are made for florida😂

[@bpitts31]

@@reeces_shredlab also, i have yet to break one of my eps/epoxy bords and theyre homeade lol

[@reeces_shredlab]

@@bpitts31 Awesome! I have yet to break one of my EPS ones as well. Going on 3 years I've beat the crap out of a few, but all are still usable. It seems the personal touch makes them lots more durable.