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"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
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my blueprint
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cut my rail pieces
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glued and clamped
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cut the "rocker" curve on the bottom of the rail
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add some fish bones
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gonna need some custom surfboard sawhorses!
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ribs from 1/8" plywood
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I-beam construction site
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always need more clamps!
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love that flexible pull-saw for cutting curves!
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starting to look something like...
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running underlayment across those joists
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the bottom is covered
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the top still needs some work! (that's as far as I got so far)
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Neal,Very nicely done!
Thanx for sharing.Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
Very nice, reminds my of my cedar strip kayak. How will you finish her. Will look to see your finished weight. Bet nobody cuts you off !
As a person who spent almost too much time on a board in my youth, I completely understand your motivation. I have been reading Wooden Boat magazine a lot lately and drooling over many of the plans, but they need to see this, they will probably appreciate it.
Very nice work, I hope you will be brave enough to put it in the water and make it sing.
So you're using pine? Any idea what the ancient Hawaiians used?
So you're using pine? Any idea what the ancient Hawaiians used?
I'm using redwood, fir, mahogany, cedar, poplar, and 1/8" oak veneer plywood. The ancient Hawaiians used koa (Hawaiian acacia), ulu (breadfruit), and (only if you were royalty would you be allowed to use) wiliwili, the lightest and best wood.View Image my website
Thanks all for the kind words of encouragement! My wife thinks I've gone nuts.
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That is awesome. Those pics better find their way into your client portfolio.
Follow your bliss.
Hey Huck,
Not bad goin for a Chippie :-) (Aussie slang for Carpenter)
Just wondering if you're using epoxy for the joints? You could have used smaller cross section in the side rails to make it lighter; yet still strong enough. Interestingly most amateur boats end up way to heavy because well meaning newbies 'beef it up' a little- Just in case. The enemy of performance of any watercraft is weight.
I'm sure you'll have a ball... if nothing else you'll surely be the envy of all the beach dudes.
I would only say that the big risk is 'once bitten-forever smitten' and by that I mean it's a highly addictive activity to build a boat...
It's like Minties- can you really stop at one?
Cheers,
Andrew
That's really beautiful. This is one of the top (if not the top) project of the year for the Gallery! Can't wait to finished product.
Nice work, but why?
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
very nice...reminds me of a wood strip kayak I built years back..Great job dude.View Image
The Woodshed Tavern Backroom
The Topics Too Hot For Taunton's Breaktime Forum Tavern
But, why not?
MikeInsert initially amusing but ultimately annoying catch phrase here.
The skills required to make something as complex as this are transferable.
Nice work. Can't wait to see the carrying case.
Runnerguy
That's freakin' gorgeous! Too bad the skin can't be vacuum-formed acrylic so you can see the inner structure.
Forrest
Thanks all for the kind words - BTW, there is a guy building these with CNC cut cardboard honeycomb grids, then he pre-coats the back side of the fiberglass before putting it on - looks awesome. Ding repair must be a bear, 'tho!
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Edited 11/17/2009 1:14 pm by Huck
So what, a hollow core door wouldn't do?That is so neat... how much do you think it will weigh?
http://www.tvwsolar.com
We'll have a kid
Or maybe we'll rent one
He's got to be straight
We don't want a bent one
He'll drink his baby brew
From a big brass cup
Someday he may be president
If things loosen up
funny. lotta guys riding a plank these days. google "alaia surfing" and check out the videos. seems those ancient hawaiians weren't so "unsophisticated" as once thought - their surfboard style is capable of some pretty awesome surfing.
It weighs 11 pounds now, 7 before I put the bottom planking on. I figure 19-20 once its finished and glassed. If its anything under 20 I'll be happy - but between board and rider, I can tell you where the biggest weight loss needs to come from LOL!!View Image my website
that looks awesome!
when can I order one? do you deliver to toronto?
I can't wait to see the finished product.
That's an awesome looking project, very nice work.
It's funny, but that reminds me of one of my bycicle riding friends who was after the lightest possible frame. I believe we're talking ounces or something ridiculous. The guy who was building the bike took a look at my buddy and said, "Why don't you just go on a diet? That would be a lot less expensive."
very nice!
Great thread Huck!
Hey by any chance have you ever been to that under ground house/ garden in Fresno? The one built by the Italian gentleman. Is it worth a visit?
Mike
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.
Edited 11/25/2009 8:18 pm by ruffmike
have you ever been to that under ground house/ garden in Fresno?
No, I haven't. Fresno is on my list of places to avoid unless I have to go. Of course, Bakersfield is on that list too, and I live here LOL!!View Image my website
Looks great.
Pretty amazing skillset.
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Huck,Looks great! I hope that means you're getting out into the waves. It's been about 3 years since I've been in the water and my 6'2" squash tail is staring at me with cabin fever!That looks like maybe a 6'5", 6'6"?Couple questions:
What kind of finish? Epoxy resin? Is that all acclimated wood that's been in the shop for a while? Aka, any chance of expansion/contraction once that things been finished?Any pics of jigs used to cut various shapes/pieces? Looks like some real nice tapers and curved pieces in there. How thin are all the skin pieces, and how are they clamped glued together?How are you attaching the fins?and the kicker, are you going to braid a leash out of wood fibers ;~)Paul
http://www.pauljohnsoncarpentry.com
I'm trying to get out once a week. Its tough, 'tho, cuz its a 2.5 hr. drive from here. I'm gonna glass it like a regular board - probably use epoxy resin and 4 oz. s-cloth. Yes, most of the wood is acclimated and pretty dry. No jigs or anything, just cut and fit as I go. Skin is 1/4" strips, but after sanding more like 3/16". Fins will be removeable, and mount into fcs plugs. If you'd really like to know more, c'mon over here.
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Looking forward to more of this. Great stuff!
If you didn't catch the article in the Times today on Alaias, you might be interested
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/travel/escapes/04alaia.html?hp
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Thanks, I'll check it out! I hadn't seen the article, but am aware of the current revival of alaia surfing, as I mentioned in post 26. There is a lot of ferment and bubbling up of new and old ideas in the field of surfboard design right now.
Laird Hamilton led the field in tow-in surfing of huge "cloud break" surf, and pioneered the hydroplane surfboard that rode up out of the water on a submerged wing, and then he got into stand-up paddleboard surfing. Tom Wegener and others, including Rob Machado, are into the alaia, and guys like Roy Stewart are reviving the olo, a huge parallel-profile surfboard of ancient Hawaiian origin. Then there's kite surfing. Oh yeah, and radio-controlled surfing as well! Whole lotta different ways to ride a wave these days.
And of course, let us not forget the hollow wooden surfboard, which is also seeing a revival at present.
Mine is ready to glass, I'm just waiting on the resin I ordered!
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So, check it out...
A friend works for 'Wilamette Industries' the company that makes 'shoe goo' among a million other coatings and whatnot--like the primer on most osb products...
I go in the other day and his co worker is building a surfboard out of pink foamboard--cut into strips and the rocker bandsawed out of the strips, then laminated with expanding foam.
Wow! I say. No stringer. Apparently he is riding it and it works great, made another. I'll see if I can get you a picture or two.
High effort high reward there...What you are doing is pure art/craft. As usual. Can't wait to see it in the water!
Pat
Can't wait to see that thing shine.
Too bad it won't be ready for Mavericks next week!
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Not my picture, by the way. Mike
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.
even if it were...I don't think I would be!! LOLView Image my website
I OBJECT TO THE PRESENCE OF THIS ENTIRE THREAD! It has NOTHING to do with homebuilding.
(not!)
(just kidding)
Awesome work on that stick.
Home is where the heart is...
View Image Mike
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.
Hoo boy she's done! Lotsa
Hoo boy she's done! Lotsa problems, but finally gotter done and dusted! Resin that didn't go off? - oh yeah. Nothing like sanding a layer of sticky green booger snot off a board - fun!
At one point I considered tossing the fins and starting over, and they're just happy they finally made it through to the end! Way too many hours in those puppies! Hope they don't break off first paddle out! It was a learning experience! My wife finally said Why don't you just pay to get it glassed!! Hey, if I'm gonna learn this stuff myself, I gotta start somewhere.
6'8" long by 22 1/2"wide by 3" thick ,17.75 lbs finished with fins. 1 layer fiberglass cloth, epoxy resin with polyurethane resin over, sanded to 1000 grit and polished.
Can't wait to get 'er out and get some dings! Er, waves I mean!
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It's a Chick Magnet!!!!!!!
It's a Chick Magnet!!!!!!!
Very cool Huck. Thanks for taking the time to document and post.
Enjoy your time on it.
Glad this thread surfaced among the flotsam and jetsam. That is so nice looking. Are the concave/convex shapes on the sides from sculpting the body shape, or did you cut them? Very cool.
Good for seeing the sharks coming.
at it again...
oops - can't link to smugmug photos with html anymore! Sorry about that! Shows up fine until I hit the "post" button - wysiNOTwyg, I guess LOL. Have to try again when I have more time to tinker with it. I tried searching "posting photos", hahaha, yeah right.
man, it was so much faster and easier when I could just grab a photo's url on smugmug and html it into a post - this browse and upload is much slower. And the pics come out smaller, too - but I guess you can click on 'em to see 'em larger?
this board was decked with plywood top and bottom, kinda plan looking, so I added a little variety with a stain on the deck, and then I painted the bottom
ahh, so one cannot post pics without some verbiage attached, eh?
I really didn't know what to expect, fiberglassing over the painted wood, but so far there haven't been any delamination issues.