hey guys here is my first board project. i went to lowes the other day and bought 4 sheets of 4’x8’x.75" insulation and pulled off the clear and reflective covering (huge pain in the butt)
then i glued them together, first with watered down elmers. they ended up being 3" thick when glued together. and to make sure the glue bonded properly i put as much weight as i could on the blywood sheet ontop of the foam
i discovered that the watered down elmers didnt work after i cut the boards in half to make 2 blanks.
So I went back to the drawing board and decided to use spray adhesive to glue the boards together. so i went out today to get that. I decided on a 3M spray adhesive that is made specifically for foam so it wont melt it but couldnt find it so i ended up getting a 3m adhesive spray called super 77.
after i got the adhesive i sprayed the sheets down and put them together → two blanks. then i but them onto a sheet of 1/8" plywood that was resting on top of small stanks of wood which were set to the height and curve of my wanted rocker. it is drying right now.
i will probably start shaping on saturday when i dont have school. one thing though, Johan1 was nice enough to send me a outline for a retro fish but i dont know how to print it out so that i’ll be able to put it on my board. it is in PDF format and is in real size(the computer showed that it would take a lot of paper to print it out. does anyone have any suggestions or ways to get a template off the computer and onto a blank? also what material could i use for the template? thanks, nova
alright well for some reason the photos didnt work so heres a link to my photobucket page… you’ll find all the pictures i tried to put up here on there…
You almost got it. If you go to the link you posted, and it has the IMG Code, you click on it, it automatically copies it, then you go into the message and post it. Like so.
Looks like she’s coming along just fine. You can print the template at Kinkos or Staples for pretty cheap, or print on a lot of paper and tape it together. Then, you can just use paper, or transfer to wood. I like paper, cause you can just roll it up when you’re done.
Just as 11ft. said, take the PDF to a local service bureau like Kinko’s and have them print it up on a widemouth banner printer, or print it out on a normal printer, at home or something, and tape them all together to make the outline.
(remember that the PDF I sent has both the outline and the rocker/foil templates on it, so if you do it at home don’t get all the curvy lines mixed up)
You can use the paper on the blank, or for a more permanent solution make it out of masonite.
Hey, nice one NS. Looks like you’re getting proper into this. Have you sorted out the glue problem? Are you planning to gut and stringer these blanks? I just made myself a hotwire in 20 minutes as I “found” a huge block of what I think is high(ish) density EPS. I’m hoping to get between 6 and 8 blanks out of it with the hot wire. It’s 8’ x 4’ x 18". I’ll let you know on friday when I start cutting.
yeah post up some pics and pm me the link… i’d like to see it… as for a stringer: i’m not sure yet… i dont really feel like waiting any longer to shape it but i know i should probably add one… also, it’d be hard to get the rocker on a stringer now… so i might not… if anyone/you have any advice i’d really appreciate it… thanks, nova
What I’m planning to do is cut a bunch of stringers (identical) by using one as a template to route the others around with a flush trim bit. I’ll then use a pair of the stringers tacked either side of the block of EPS as a guide for my hot wire to cut my rockered blanks from the block. I’ll then cut the blanks length-ways and glue a stringer between each of them. I might even do a couple of different stringers for different rocker dims. Who knows. Then cut the plan shapes and start planing and sanding.
mudybech: thanks for the tip… i’ve decided to add a stringer… just one question, how do i add one now that i’ve already got my roker? do i cutt the board in half glue it in and clamp it, the sand away the stringer until it fits the rocker? thanks, nova
alright guys so i got my design now, thanks to Johan1 who provided me with a template for a 6’ retro fish… since i’m making a 5’8" retro i just took the measurements he gave me and scaled em down a bit… after i put the design on the blank i cut it out and sanded it and started on the top of the rails… QUESTION: now, since the blank is 3" thick and i really only want a board that is maybe around 2 3/4-1/2" do i just sand the bottom until it is to size after i’ve added the stringer? any tips/help/info would be much appreciated. this is what i did in a few hours last night(getting design laid out and making templates) and for about an hour and a half this morning (cutting out board and starting to shape)…
how should i go about cleaning up my edges? should i wait until i’ve gotten the board thinned down and my rails turned? or when if otherwise?
hey looks like you need to go find a long bendy stick get some one to help you hold it on the tip of the nose . find the fattest point of the outline you hold it there .follow the general curve you already have draw a cleaner line following the curve of the bendy stick. do the same for the tail to center . once you have one clean outline take a pieace of cardboard tape to stringer and copy that new cleaner out line . cut it out flip it over and trace the out line . and sand out. get you outline finished before you move on to adding foil
ok nova take a minute to plan and visualize before you put yourself on too thin ice.
You will want a center point and a wide point and a max thickness.
you will want a nose and tail measurement.
measure 12 inches from the nose tip to center and make a mark on your stringer line, do the same from the tail. Make a true (deck) center mark also. before you start sanding.
Get very accustomed to all the above if you want to minimise error.
If you want symmetry ~ Make a perfect template, 1/2 size full length.
A fishing rod or floor strip or wall trim can make smooth curves to mark a line on foam etc.
Check for twist in your sheets.
Then you will decide your wide point and thickness.
edit: looks like your ahead of me. yep clean up the outline.
Alright guys. i’ve been thinking over this board and i’ve decided that for my first board and for all of my boards i need to slow it down and take my time and do things right… when i started this board i was soo stoked that i started rushing and started with a shit shape so i’m gonna fix the board. my grandpa gave me a big sheet of 1/16" or 1/8" thick maple that im gonna cut to make a stringer for my extra homemade blank and the current blank. first, how should i go about installing this stringer? how can i determine a more true center line because my current center line sucks and doesnt look like it is even center… should i determine a true center line (with your help) and then cut along that line then glue two strips of maple together that are about 4-5" wide and glue each side of the blank onto it, making sure that they are aligned and then just sand down the wood until it is with the rocker of my board?
thanks, NOVa
sidenote/question: if there is anyone out there who is anywhere near northern virginia (ie.:metropolitan DC area or anywhere on the east coast that is within driving range of DC) can you please pm me and maybe you could come over or i could come over and you could help me?? i’d really appreciate it…
Feelin that stoke is going to get ya down the road with a trail of foam dust in your wake.
If you want to use that piece of maple. cut the rocker on the maple first. then attach the foam. Before you do that though, Do you have access to a printer? A big one. Is there a Kinkos near your house?
I can email you a template for your outline and rocker profile but you will have to go to kinkos to have it printed on a large piece. You can try printing it from a house printer.
you will have this perfect lifesize template no matter how many foam sheets get twisted one way or another.
Hey, I live in NoVA too. Unfortunately I’m in RI for school, but if you still need help with things around Winter Break let me know. I’m leaving to go back to school Sunday afternoon, but would be free in the morning if you’re really desperate. I’d me more than willing to come over and help or let you use my workshop. I’ve shaped 9 boards and glassed 12, most with RR epoxy, so if you need some tips on glassing let me know.
alright so after much debating and research i’ve decided just to go stringerless… sorry it has taken me so long. i’m in wrestling season right now and between three hour practices mon.-fri. and work and HW i havent had a lot of free time… so i’ll start reshaping sometime in the next few days…
