ok so im thinking of having ago at making my own board.
just for something to do when there isn't much wind.
im thinking of making my first one out of plywood.
anyone got any hints or tips to make the trial and error stage abit shorter?
Cheers huddy
Maybe try making a skate first. It's the most simple type of board and there is loads of info from other peoples attempts/sucesses on kitescoop.
Yer i was thinking the same thing . If ya do let us know how you got on with some pics. there is always tophat's video with a piece of wood check it out in video area .
Hey Huddy,
I know all about making ply and balsa boards, what type of board you thinking of making? twintip, speed, surf ?
I can send you a pm with some details if you like.
cheers Tim
all i suggest is grab the first 'near enough' timber you can see, remove the hinges and handle, and the lock if its exterior, chuck it in and jump on.
oh, and get someone on camera to share it with the rest of us.
Ok about to do the same. 2x 6mm marine ply. Laminated together with epoxy glue on a rocker table. I will try to get about 25mm rocker at the ends flat between the straps. Single concave sanded to about 3mm. I will see how heavy It is before thinking about glassing it. Otherwise will use marine boat varnish. + snowboard inserts for straps and handle.
Genetrix said
Hey Huddy,
I know all about making ply and balsa boards, what type of board you thinking of making? twintip, speed, surf ?
I can send you a pm with some details if you like.
cheers Tim
hey tim i was thinking of making a tiwntip first then later on down the track maybe making a surfboard as well (but i think ill see how the tt goes first)
yer if u could pm me some details that would be great.
Cheers huddy
INTHELOOP said
Talk to Mario on the beach- guy that never rides a bigger kite than 9m
He has been making custom boards for a long time and they are bloody awesome.
You missed out on the perfect day in Pallarenda. I reckon you start thinking about boards when there is no wind.
hey marv
yer i was thinking of having a yarn to him. ive seen a couple of his home made ones sitting on the beach. they look pretty sweet
yer i no haha. im still hanging out to get my new kite sick of patching that f***ing 14m haha
cheers bro catch u down palla.
P.S. anyone mind sharing how to put wat someone said in the yellow box thing sick of retyping everything. haha
When I was learning 2003-ish some of the crew where vaccuum bagging really nice looking TT's - with the trend over the last few years to really flexible and thin tips - the materials look to have moved on from surf board and wood style.
Having said that the youngster wanted a wake skate for B'day ... but since the shipment was delayed his fancy moved on - but the idea didn't.
Here are the results... approx $29.00 each.
- Mark 1 the small one.
- Mark 2 slightly bigger.
- Mark 2..
Read in one of the posts above - 'a rocker table' - will have to investigate that!!
I got the steam iron and some table clothes and warped them over some wood with clamped weights at each end - chinese laundry style
Next trick is likley a large race style board as the shape appears to be simpler than the ultra thin multi-shaped TT's.
Great fun - kid loved working on it.
Cheers
AP
^^^ toad, pretty impressive quiver.
Do you have any tips on plywood construction. I have used 2x7mm ply, and currently laminated with epoxy glue, waiting for the rocker to set. What did you use for strap inserts, and final coats.
Ta
kr
^^ thanks huddy. I have been looking for t nuts stainless steel, but have to go to a specialist fasteners supplier. I thought there maybe something better available. In the USA they have snowboarding inserts, which seem really good, as they have a plastic cap which prevents the epoxy getting in the threads when building the board.
There is heaps of great info on kite forum
Link below
kiteforum.com/viewforum.php?f=107
KR
Sounds like you guys are on the right track . I just experimented with different stuff I could scroung up . went to a few of the shops and looked through there bargain boxes .You can pick up cheap fins and stuff . I've actually broken a couple of those boards since ,but still have a couple left . Good fun to have a blast on . Some worked well in the right conditions . Some didn't work too well .. I tried to make some staps from webbing and rubber from Clark Rubber ...
Huddy,
I have just taken my clamps off board off the whilst setting the rocker, I have read that the plywood will spring back about 30-40%. I set my rocker at about 60mm at the ends, and flat in the middle. The rocker came out tonight at about 40mm, which i am happy with, which is about 33%. so definately allow the 30-40% spring back. Just finished marking out all inserts and have temporarily screwed the fins on, now starting to look like a kiteboard.
Good luck with your progress.
Kr
kytrider . Any chance of some pics of it during and the finsh . Looks like winter is going to be crap here too good project to do .
What timber and ect too would be helpfull
Thanks in advance
Surface2air,
Here are some pics. I cheated on my first attempt, and not used a rocker table. The 3 bags of cement were used to help flatten out the rocker under the footstraps.
I haven't taken any photos yet of the board without the clamps, but am pretty stoke how it is turning out. I will update as the board progresses.
KR
The timber is 7mm CD Grade plywood from Bunnies, which i was stoked they only charged me $19 for x 2400x1200 sheet instead of $30. CD Grade isn't the best grade to use, but i had time on the weekend to make a start, and was the only thing i could find on Friday / Sat morning. Marine Ply would be the best pick, then AA Grade ply. I will be sealing my board with marine varnish 4 x coats, which will give it a good water tight seal.
KR
Rumblefish
Thanks for the info, i may have to relook at the varnish idea, though am concerned on adding a lot of weight with epoxy, which was my first choice. Do you think the application of varnish or epoxy would add the same weight? I considered varnish, as the board spends most of its life in the boot of my car, with about 3 days of use per week at about 3 hours a time, and thought that it wasnt as harsh as the under carriage of a boat, but happy to apply epoxy if it doesnt weigh it down too much. I have picked up a few handmade boards in the past, and some of them have been really heavy.
Look forward to your advice.
KR