I have been lurking around Swaylocks for a while, watching and researching different board designs and glassing techniques, and I have decided to get around to post a photo montage of what I have done so far.
I have shaped a few foam boards in the past, but last year I shaped a 9'6" Hollow Wooden Surfboard (HWS) for those really lame days. It goes like a bomb, but probably weighs about the same as one. I really like the soul that goes into making a HWS and I'm not for one second suggesting that they are better, just different.
Anyway, this project was all about building a Fish and I decided to look to nature for inspiration. I looked at local fish species of the U.K and finally decided on the Mackerel, mostly because its fast, nice colouration and most importantly...tasty! The tail design, fins and paint job have all been inspired by this fish and it should be ready for the beginning of July (before my wife gives birth to our second child).
It's a proper fat fish this one and the measurements are 6'2" x 3 1/4" x 23", I have used the Jenson rail method for HWS and the board is constructed from Balsa, Mahogany and Oak. The board has a chambered Mahogany tail to give it that solid tail look. The Quad fin designs have been inspired by the Mackerel and will be glassed on, I have also included a set of finlets before the cluster. I was really interested in the hydrodynamics of the finlets of the Mackerel and I read a couple of journals to influence my fins...I then looked on Swaylocks and found out that Herb &Co have been doing this for years! Oh well, never mind...
So this is my progress so far, it's taken almost a year to get to this stage (due mostly to me being in my first year of teaching) and I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this site. There have been some fantastic discussions by people such as Oldy and Herb Spitzer, I would not have been able to get to this stage without your help.
The paints I used were waterbased Auto Air airbrush colours, candy green, black and white. To give the shimmering fish scale look I bought Polytranspar taxidermy paint, bass green and shimmering blue/green. Final colour used was a pearl white ink to create a bit of depth. I designed a stencil and cut it on a laser cutter at school. 3M pinstripe tape was used for masking (a roll has been in my art box for 12 years and it was still fine! good stuff 3M products). Masked of the board and airbrushed the pearl, candy green and shimmering green. I waited till it was dry then held the stencil above the board (about 1 inch) and sprayed through it to get a hazy outline. Pinstripe was then masked up and black airbrushed on. Job done. Until glassing!
It all went ok, I have a couple of small airbubbles in the bottom lam due to the fact the epoxy started to exo-therm before I had a chance to finsh the bottom = bloody scary experience (microwaved epoxy Part A for 20 sec, room temp at about 30 degrees and first fibreglassing side, did not help) I managed to mix up another small batch quickly and finish it! Top went great!
I rubbed the board down to remove any high spots, but not the weave, and begun to set the fins with the Cant templates from Greenlight supplies. I used super glue to attach the fins before glassing, which worked brilliantly and did not react with the epoxy, bonus. The fins were then glassed onto the board using fin rovings to create the fillet and 2 4oz sheets of fibreglass on each side of the fins for strength - they are solid!
I have added a leash loop to the board instead of a plug, hourglass shaped 4oz glass X 10 plus some rovings for extra strength were used, its solid and its likely to rip the tail off the board before breaking. I used a pencil wrapped in baking paper to create the Postman Pat bridge look and layered up the glass and roving.
I then sanded down the whole board and added the fill coat, which I finished at midnight. Next job is to paint my son's room to gain surfboard points, then sand the board down with 80, 200, 400 and then 1200 ready for car laquer in the next month or so.
It has taken about 15 months and the Mackerel is now FINISHED...
The finish has come out well, although another sand down and another coat of laquer would have made it perfect...but I want to ride it! Its not going to be put on a wall or sold so Im happy enough.
The fins are solid (my 2 year old decided to stand/jump on the board while I got my camera, anyone want to buy a 2 year old child?)
