First test of the full scale prototype!

As we begin to scale up the process we run into certain challenges that we had not foreseen, for example, growing space for a large quantity of substrate, sourcing hemp and controlling incubation conditions for such a large piece.

All of this was much easier at a smaller scale given the equipment and space we have, so we have had to adapt our previous methods of cultivation to be able meet these new demands.

Our goal with this initial test was to see whether our mould and substrate preparation methods would be adequate when growing the full scale board. Our mould is crafted by Rian, the surf shaper using one of his blanks that has a design that fits the properties of the mycomposite. We have used a plastic sheet to help maintain humidity whilst the mycelium re-grows into its new form.

The quantity of material needed, even for only half the board was much more than we anticipated and so we were unable to fill up the mould entirely, this was noted for the next round of production.

 

Our substrate preparation resulted in too dense of a composite which made the blank much heavier than we would have liked and so we are rethinking ways in which to minimise the impact of this part of the process.

 

Dehydration in process

The form was very heavy whilst active and difficult to remove from the mould, future test will investigate the use of an organic textile. This may be embedded into the final form, or just act as a means to remove it more efficiently from the mould...

We have also tested fomes fomentarius and Trametes versicolor in small samples. We plan on performing mechanical tests of these samples to see if on these strains maybe more suitable for use in future iterations.