Building my first board

[Leprechaun]

Ok, I know people are gonna think "yeah right. This guy is dumb", but I'm going for it anyway. I've never surfed. I moved to Jacksonville, FL in November. I want to build my first board, instead of buying one. I feel that it'll mean more to me, and make me strive to actually become successful in surfing. I've done a lot of research, and I do understand the majority of what it takes to build a board. Is there any advice that I could ask for, for taking on this task? I was thinking a board around 5'0", use wood for a frame, fill it with two-part foam, then finish shaping, lay a rather nice zebrawood veneer, then wrap in fiberglass. That's for the basic knowledge of what I know. What do you all think?

[oldmansurfer]

I think that might be fun but once you are done you can throw it away or hang it on a wall if it looks nice enough and go get yourself a real board. For one it's very likely that a five foot board won't float you well enough to learn on. Perhaps even more important is the weight of the board will it float at all? Third is the shape of the board. You made no mention of what kind of rails or bottom contour or rocker or fin placement. There is really a lot that goes into making a board. Why make your own blank? It is very unlikely that you will do better than what is available. The rest of the board as well can be made better by someone else who knows what they are doing. I think if you make your own board you won't ever learn to surf because it will be so dysfunctional that you will be forced to give up.

[jaffa1949]

A thought for you! Why not ask what sort of board would suit you as an absolute beginner!
Your height, age, weight are determinants for a suitable board.
5ft as a beginner you might as well buy a body board.
Learn about the beach , waves currents and safety at your local beach.
The type of waves also influence what board is suitable.
Fins= toe in, cant, rake foil, the board, profile, shape, rocker, bottom shape, , then what they do and why and how they do it.
Noble project, but needing much more than what you know at this stage.
Suggestion just go surfing for a while, buy a second hand board and examine it, watch what does in the water.
Experience surfing then decide!

But welcome to the interesting end of surfing!

[Leprechaun]

I definitely take in the hard advice that comes with this project, but I'm still going to try. I'm only 5 foot tall as is, 170 lbs, and 28 years old. I'm a short feller, and I've walked the mountains from birth. The real question I should be asking: Would anyone here be willing to help me with deciding what materials I would need to make a decent board? I have extensive tool knowledge, and I've made a lot of furniture in my life. But I also ask for the help, because it's easier to embrace someone that's learning, over making yourself look like a jerk.

[oldmansurfer]

For your size you want at least an 8 foot board maybe 8.5 foot because you are pretty hefty and maybe 9 foot if you want to add in wood veneer. Then you need to figure out what kind of resin you want to work with polyester or epoxy and purchase a foam blank with appropriate size to make the board and appropriate comparability whit the resin you want to use.

[waikikikichan]

Would anyone here be willing to help me with deciding what materials I would need to make a decent board? I have extensive tool knowledge, and I've made a lot of furniture in my life.

Since you don't want to go with a pre-made PU blank that has the wood stringer and rocker and most of the outline already built in AND with your extensive wood working knowledge, I would go with a different building technique. Look up http://www.grainsurfboards.com/

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When you do get it built, promise us you won't go out on your own. Make sure to always surf with a buddy or where there's a lifeguard in close proximity.

[dtc]

This sounds like a great idea, although as others have mentioned the chances of you actually being able to surf a 5ft board (as in, stand up and surf) is pretty minimal. But thats a different question to how to build one.

This guy has a detailed description of exactly what you are proposing

http://thewoodbuddha.blogspot.com.au/20 ... rd-91.html


The issue of foam inside the board is subject of debate. Probably adds strength but also adds weight and, if your board isnt totally waterproof, might retain water (that said, the board should end up totally waterproof if you glass it). May not be required. However, dont forget the drain plug and drainage channels

to add to waikikichan's suggestion - http://hollowsurfboards.com/

[billie_morini]

Leprechaun, it's not so strange to me that you are interested in the "mechanics" related to fabricating your own board. You will learn stuff and, possibly, fabricate more than one board. Similarly, I enjoyed wrenching on my racing motorcycle more than actually racing it. Some of us are drawn to the mechanics of the thing. Be encouraged to fab your own board. billie

[Leprechaun]

Now this is is very solid constructive criticism and encouragement!! Thank you!!!! I'm going to try it!!! If anyone has similar advice, on what I would need, please let me know. I think the hollow wood board is the way im gonna go. Grain uses cedar. I'm going to try my hand with basswood. I have the tools. I have the experience with wood. But I have more to learn about board design. I think I need to find a couple of websites about design, and what each part of the board does, to make a decent one. And I definitely will make sure I have a surf buddy, so I'm not alone when I take it out for the first time.

[oldmansurfer]

Hollow wood boards were popular long ago but the percentage of people learning to surf on hollow wood boards these days is close to zero if not exactly zero Longer ago everyone used solid wood boards and those seem to be making a comeback but only with highly skilled surfers Using a hollow wood board to learn on will put you at a disadvantage as compared to others

[Leprechaun]

I normally don't assume, but I get the feeling that a wood board will handle differently than a modern one; as well as a solid wood board will handle differently than a hollow one. Am I assuming correct? I have not yet started, but planning on getting some materials this weekend.

[oldmansurfer]

Originally all boards were solid wood. Hollow wood boards were made because they were lighter and easier to paddle and maneuver. Then balsa wood boards came out and they were even lighter and more maneuverable and then fiberglass and foam boards came out and they were even better. Now most beginners learn to surf on soft foam boards like the Wavestorm boards that can be bought at Costco. These are soft foam without fiberglass so impacts with the surfer or others around the surfer result in much less damage and they are very light and easy to catch waves with.

[jaffa1949]

Have a look at this site http://treetosea.org they have a forum on wood designs and template and a whole lot of good Information.

[dtc]

Also the website swaylocks. https://www.swaylocks.com

Which is all about building boards and design

[Namu]

Well, I think it is a terrible idea!

[Big H]

I think that might be fun but once you are done you can throw it away or hang it on a wall if it looks nice enough and go get yourself a real board.

LOL.... this is about the long and short of it.

If you can’t surf you can’t make a board because you don’t have any connection with what each of the design elements is intended to do and how to blend them so that they become more than a plank of fiberglass covered foam. If you are shaping for yourself and the break(s) you will surf how can you when you don’t know the difference in response a fat tail will have over a more pulled in tail on a given type of wave? It looks easy, but there are quality differences between those who shape professionally; good shapers, great shapers and not so great. It looks easy to the untrained eye.....I can’t shape but I surf and I know that subtle differences in planshape, foil, rail shape and tthickness, rocker, fin angle, placement and toe, concave design and depth, overall foam distribution and sizing calculation based on waves, ability, size of the surfer and what that person wants from their surfing are way beyond you. That a 5’ board would be your starting point says it all.

Make an 11’ plank with a big single fin in the back if you are hell bent on making your own board. At least you’ll have an outside chance of standing up on it one day.

Not to come off overly negative, but you really need to surf a little to “get” some of the things that go into shaping a board, at the least how much size and float is actually needed.

[Big H]

Hollow wood boards were popular long ago but the percentage of people learning to surf on hollow wood boards these days is close to zero if not exactly zero Longer ago everyone used solid wood boards and those seem to be making a comeback but only with highly skilled surfers Using a hollow wood board to learn on will put you at a disadvantage as compared to others

They are heavy too.....mine would kill someone if I didn’t know how to kick out or hit the brakes.

[dtc]

(somewhat famous shaper) Jim Banks just wrote a short piece along the lines of Big H and the complexities of shaping

https://www.coastalwatch.com/surfing/22 ... surfboards

[jaffa1949]

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These are from Surf Research.com.au a site that has lots of pictures history and other interesting stiff.
These paddle boards were still in use when I started surfing in Australia in 1958, the short 9’6” Malibu chip balsa board had arrived in Australia in 1956 with the Californian Lifeguards , Greg Noll and Tommy Zahn were among them, how they rode the boards was like the extinction of the dinosaur, hollow longboards. 9’6” and balsa became available, a lot stolen from the Australian navy mothball fleet after WWII as they had life rafts of balsa planking under tin sheeting. (Supplies from this source ran out quickly).

Next the foam revolution hit around the early sixties and on it went.

Build your own board, many have gone down that line some successfully others vanished without a trace.

The Tree to Sea link is a good one . Not knowing anything except working with tools may put you some where eels from the nay sayers.
Investigate Paulownia wood , doesn’t need glassing and is slightly heavier than balsa, but well worth a look.
Check out too Roy Stuart in New Zealand, he is an amazing craftsman of fine wooden boards that are pretty unique.
There are boards made out of Agave and even cardboard sheeting,.
Go for it!

[dtc]

kook box?