my cure for winter boredom - to build myself a board. I don't actually care how it ends up, but just looking for something to do.

I've done a bit of fibreglassing work back when i was sailing cherubs and doing my own repair jobs (but nothing too full on), so I've got a few skills, and thought i'd have a crack at it.

Most of the reading i've done about making boards is either using vacuum bagging, or else out of plywood. I don't have a vacuum bagging apparatus, and not certain I can be bothered trying to track one down or whatever, but I'm not too keen to make a board from plywood either.

What I thought I'd do is this:
1. foam laid out (slightly oversize) on some bricks/stands to give it a bit of rocker. The top side of the board will be at the top.

2. paint foam with a layer of epoxy, then a single layer of glass over it. Place some plastic sheeting over this and weight it down until it sets (the plastic sheeting should peel off after it's set). This should give the board a little bit of stiffness to make it easier to work on the bottom etc.

3. Cut board to shape using a jigsaw - I was thinking of making the shape mirror my airrush switch, but smaller - perhaps 120x30 (i want a board to use in the heavier stuff - i'm sorted for light wind stuff, and have my switch for general use).

4. trim back foam where the fins will go, and glue in some pieces of thin marine-ply (so the fins have something to attach to).

5. maybe try to put in a concave shape to the base? options would be to sand back the foam, or else to try to apply Q-cells to the edges to build them up.

6. Shape the edges - sand them back to give them a nice cuved shape. Use soem fibrelass tape around the edges.

7. single strip of carbon tape lengthwise up the centre of the board (epoxied into place), then a layer of glass over the base.

8. Glue and glass some more marine ply onto the top of the board opposite the fin holes so the bolts won't rip holes in the board.

9. Glue and glass some thick lumps of wood to the top of the board to screw the foot straps into. Similarly a couple of pieces of ply to go underneath the footpads

10. sand, sand and sand a bit more, then paint and attach fittings etc.

Most of this should be able to be done without any specialised equipment. It should be lightweight and functional, although maybe not very pretty.

My questions are
1. is this likely to explode the first time i use it? any thoughts about the overall process?

2. what weight fibreglass to be using? Should I use more than one layer? Is a single strip of carbon enough to give it a bit of stiffness? (I know everyone is trying to give boards a lot of flex, but if this board flexes to much it'll break, so some stiffness semms like a good idea to me)

3. in order to keep down the cost, when I'm not certain if it's going to be a dud, I don't want to buy expensive foot pads, but I do like the angle that the better pads put you foot relative to the board. When I attach the ply underneath the foot pads, should I try to chock up the heelside of the ply forst? If so, what's the best way to do it?

The other problem I have is not knowing where to buy any of the supplies from here in Perth. I went to the Yacht-Grot in Freo today, and they had almost nothing. Any suggestions?

thanks for your help

cheers

brady

Hey Brady.
Glenn's brother? then we know each other.
I've got lots of stuff you may need. I made a couple of surboard, windsurfboard ( and also a plywood kiteboard)
first a vacum pump, and bags and, and also have a bit of fiber glass left. Plus half a sheet of divinicell that I was actually hoping to use for a kiteboard, but I've got no time for this at the minute. So we could arrange something.
I am not a pro but could give you few advice plus where to get the material.
give me a call (work 6488.1695) or pop by my place and I'll show you all the stuff.

brady,
use 2 sheets of 3mm ply to sandwich either divinycell or styrofoam Koolfoam (3mm. Ply at bunnings $13 sheet. Use $4oz glass between wood and foam to add strength and a little rigidity. Get marine grade epoxy from FGI or similar distributor. $35 approx. Glass it all up and screw it together with gyprock screws till the resin oozes out. Do it on concrete with plastic under. Don't overtighten screws. Put weight in middle and wood or paver under each end to give some kick or rocker 3-4-5cm not too much. Leave for 10 hours. Unscrew -snd board 100 grit - fill holes with resin and Q-cells. Sand after 5-10 hours. Put a layer of 4OZ OR 6 OZ on top and bottom. Do a filler coat. Sand . Spray with can of acrylic Super cheap auto.
Marine shop has bolts (stainless) and lock nuts for footstraps. I use washers on bottom -screw through to deck. Pre drill large holes and use masking tape to hold resin. Leave 5-10 hrs then drill holes for footstraps. You can sort out fins the same way.
I've made 5 boards this way. Cheap as chips . Easy to repair. Tough.Work well. quick to make 10-12 hrs all up. . Few tools.
If you can keep them to only about 10mm-15mm thick they have good flex and handle chop like we get in Moreton bay. You need very little rocker. 2 to 3 kg depending on glass up. Don

definately go with the Don

quote:

---

Originally posted by don

brady,
use 2 sheets of 3mm ply to sandwich either divinycell or styrofoam Koolfoam (3mm. Ply at bunnings $13 sheet. Use $4oz glass between wood and foam to add strength and a little rigidity. Get marine grade epoxy from FGI or similar distributor. $35 approx. Glass it all up and screw it together with gyprock screws till the resin oozes out. Do it on concrete with plastic under. Don't overtighten screws. Put weight in middle and wood or paver under each end to give some kick or rocker 3-4-5cm not too much. Leave for 10 hours. Unscrew -snd board 100 grit - fill holes with resin and Q-cells. Sand after 5-10 hours. Put a layer of 4OZ OR 6 OZ on top and bottom. Do a filler coat. Sand . Spray with can of acrylic Super cheap auto.
Marine shop has bolts (stainless) and lock nuts for footstraps. I use washers on bottom -screw through to deck. Pre drill large holes and use masking tape to hold resin. Leave 5-10 hrs then drill holes for footstraps. You can sort out fins the same way.
I've made 5 boards this way. Cheap as chips . Easy to repair. Tough.Work well. quick to make 10-12 hrs all up. . Few tools.
If you can keep them to only about 10mm-15mm thick they have good flex and handle chop like we get in Moreton bay. You need very little rocker. 2 to 3 kg depending on glass up. Don

---

Don, that's brilliant and sounds simple. Methinks that's what I'll do.

Of course, if it's too easy, it's not much of a cure for winter boredom . Maybe it'll have to be a cure for boardom instead

Brady, Just a few more things. You need to use about 200 approx screws to pull the pieces of ply together. Cut 2 exact outlines before glueing.Use clamps.Use a drill with a Phillips head to save your hand.Remember not overtighten the screws. Take your time as the epoxy takes a long time to go off. I used the 1 to 5 ratio epoxy. You can dig out the rail and fill it with Q cells to resist impact .Let it go off. Sand. Add a couple of layers of glass along rail for strength. A power sander is a bonus.
RayO has his opinion.There's just as much mucking around with the conventional surfboard type method.(done it.Too much shaping and resin ) It's far more expensive to achieve strength and you get zero flex. The ply is strong and cheap and holds its rocker.Good luck Don

Interesting method Don.I would try and find a way around all those screws though Brady.I would estimate roughly those screws themselves would weigh around a kilo?I use a simple vacum pump made from a fridge compressor.If your interested do a google search for "yahoo groups boardbuilding"This baord building site has been going for at least3.5 years and there's heaps of info from really cheap and easy builds,to more technical stuff.also people show pictures of their creations.
My tip would be,if your not sure of what shape you wan`t,make your first board from ply only.it will be a little heavy,but will give you an idea if the shape will work and will take heaps less time and $.

Have fun.

Karl.

Hey Brady and Other Board-Builders,

Then when all the hard work is done you need a cheap pair of footstraps and some cheap fins (who wants to pay big bucks when it might break first jump?) Airborne Kitesurfing has footstraps for $5 each and fins in various sizes for $5 each as well. Check it out

Airborne

Hey Brady,

I sailed Cherubs too! What boat were you on?

Luke

quote:

---

Originally posted by howley

Hey Brady,

I sailed Cherubs too! What boat were you on?

Luke

---

i was in cherubs from 1993/94-2001/2002, in adelaide. most recent boats were tunatown express and the custard truck

Went a couple of the nationals at different times - the ones held in Perth in the late 90s at mnatilda bay convinced me that i had to move to perth, but took a few years to actually get here. Yourself?