1937 Tom Blake 12' 10" HWS - anyone built one?

General Discussion
1

Fair bit of information on here and elsewhere on Tom Blake’s 12’ 10" hollow wooden surfboard - article in 1937 Popular Mechanics

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=3toDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA114&dq=popular+mechanics+1937+surfboard&hl=en&ei=3EHVTofeHYbo-gaGrNGSDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Lots people of people intending to build one I havent actually managed find someone who has completed one.

Looked for a build thread but cant find one. Can anyone help?

I would like do one but in plywood and epoxy (stitch and glue stlye) and would benefit from someone else’s experience, teething problems, timber sizes etc.

Thanks

2

Austin started one.  He had it on his blog but he stopped updating it last I checked.  The final picture he posted is below.

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Kinda, sorta…

 

http://hollowsurfboards.com/Boards2/StandUpPaddleboards.htm

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Brad Tucker of Wood Surfboard Supply (Tuck on Swaylocks) built one awhile back.  I think he posted it on Swaylocks but I couldn't find it.  Here's some pics and a quote from the tree-to-sea wood board builder's forum, thats his son Cache in the pics...

Here's my first Tom Blake Replica built to Tom's exact specs. 85 lbs. A blast to "try" and ride. Only turns with your feet or hands in the water. Paddles faster straight than any other board I've ridden. Selling this one to make room to make another. Fun and easy to build.

Brad Tucker
WSS

 

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Thanks guys. This is a great help.

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[quote="$1"]

Kinda, sorta...

 

http://hollowsurfboards.com/Boards2/StandUpPaddleboards.htm

[/quote]

Very classy Paul

7

Some useful info and pics on the Wood Surfboard Supply website. You can even buy a kit!

http://www.woodsurfboardsupply.com/tomblake.html

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My Dad and I built the one from the 1939 edition of Popular Science. My Dad made a few design changes. He cut 2’ out of the center in the plans making it an 11’9 instead of a 13’9. He also drilled the holes in the ribs larger than the plans called for to lighten it up. Got to the beach that summer and found out everyone had homeade styrafoam boards and had abandoned these. Except for Mike Howes who still rode his.Took off on a hundred waves and pearled on 99 of them. Dewey Weber once told me that he started on one and it took him all summer before he got a stand up ride. I told him that was something we had in common. I can still remember the last weekend of summer. It was a small day with a low tide and I rode wave after wave across the sandbar. Thanks for jogging my memory.

Bill with Blake board

Painted it bright red in the body shop of our family owned Chrysler dealership.

The photo is in front of my Grandad’s Reese Ave house in Lavallette. Those are Hankins built lifeguard boats in the background.

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What Bill doesn't mention is that the magazine with the plans was almost new when he built his....

:-)

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about 7 years or so ago the malloy's father built some. then a couple more friends built some. next thing ya know we were having the annula "kook box" classic, held in the spring when water is fairly cool to cold. no wetsuits, no leashes, wool sweaters OK. contestants were time dof rlength of ride. winner was one who had the greates combined time of rides.eg, 20 rides might = 6 minutes of total ride time.

11

This is all very interesting.

This all started when a friend asked me to build him a replica Blake but I thought I would first make myself a prototype out of light plywood and epoxy to keep the weight down. However considering the fact that the earlier Blake boards do not have a fin, inevitably pearl, weigh ? 70 -85lbs  and cannot be turned without putting a leg or arm in the water are there not later models that are more practical and easier to handle? I found a picture from a Tom Blake board brochure circa 1930s that had a "square tailed surfing board" - 12' x 23" x 4.5". Would this also have been finless? (wondering when Blake first used fins?) My mate is set on an early finless traditional but for myself I would like to reduce the weight to well under 70 lbs and be able to turn it. Would it be sacrilege to add a fin and a bit of extra rocker? did Blake eventually do this to his boards? Mine will would go regularly in the water but I suspect after one ride my friend's might end up above his bar.

Nice to see those here who have a personal connection with these boards.

12

Why build the Blake board ?  If it is to hang on the wall OK.Something to talk about! I was going to build one but I wanted to use it,. a couple days before I started the build I stumbled on the Kaholo 12 ft 6 in and 14ft by CLC. When I compared them with the Blake boards , Blake was in the stone age. The Kaholo were light years ahead . The Blakes are more than 80 pound verses th 30 to 40 pounds of the Kaholos. Yes the Kaholo is intended as a stand up paddle board but it will surf many times better than a Blake. A Blake I think you would get tired of in a short time . I put my Kaholo 14 in the water on August 26 and as of today I have paddled it 490 miles. I have only surfed it twice. I have been screwing around with fins and will get around to surfing and wind surfing it some time.  This board has been around for a few years and has been largely over looked yet in SUP raceing the couple of Kaholos have held their own against expensive carbon fiber boards. To me it is kind of like a back to the future board, something I am enjoying tweeking and screwing around with. It could catch on and become a cult board. When you compare it with epoxy glass and foam boards the Kaholos win hands down as far as being durable. Not many glass boards made today will be around a hundred years from now because foam deteriorates. A wood Kaholo made today would last for gernerations with little care. Your grate grandkids could still have your Kaholo.! I am stoked enough with mine that as soon as I am finished messing around with the fins I will build another one just to see how much weight I can cut off of it.

13

Starting Saturday, I’m lucky enough to lead four guys build thier own boards here in Washington State…The four day workshop should be a hoot…!!!..

 

I’ll shoot some pics and post 'em here…

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[quote="$1"]

Starting Saturday, I'm lucky enough to lead four guys build thier own boards here in Washington State...The four day workshop should be a hoot...!!!...

 

I'll shoot some pics and post 'em here...

[/quote]

Thanks Paul. Look forward to seeing those. Have been looking at you website. Great stuff.

16

Found the Kaholo on the Chesapeake Light Craft websit:

http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/surf_boats/paddleboards/kaholo-stand-up-paddleboard.html

Good stuff. Lots of info here. Yes definitely looks more functional than the old Blake. Thanks.

 

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Finding this thread has been very useful:

http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/wood_ogre-builds-14-ft-koa-kaholo-kook-box

Looking forward to an update from Wood Ogre

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  • any board Paul Jensen builds is worth checking out
  • any thread Wood Orgy starts is worth reading, and anyways he'll poke your eye out if you don't  =)
19

[quote="$1"]

  • any board Paul Jensen builds is worth checking out
  • any thread Wood Orgy starts is worth reading, and anyways he'll poke your eye out if you don't  =)

[/quote]

Ha! Thanks for the wisdom and warning.

20

 

Found this clip of Blake replicas in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG9MFjTiFQ8

 

Retro vintage cool!