North LA grom here, I was deconstructing an old longboard (skate) and was admiring the wood and wondering why all boards arent made out of wood. So apart from the fact that a 9’ log would probably be heavy as hell and super dangerous in the lineup, unless it was hollow. So basically I am interested in constructing a 5’10 solid wood surfboard, I would like to do this without spending over $300 and keep it as simple as possible. My only tools are an 80 grit sander that I used for ding repair and my knowledge regarding building anything out of wood is non existant.
I don’t think you’ve established reasonable parameters for this. A solid wood board would probably have to be balsa or paulownia, otherwise it would be too heavy. And I don’t think a solid balsa or paulownia board is going to be all that light. A balsa blank the size you want is probably going to be 400-500 dollars. I’m not sure about that, but do a google search and see what you come up with.
If you don’t have any more tools than a sander used for ding repair, how are you going to shape the board? You would need to get a blank, have it cnc’d to rough shape, then you could take it from there with your sander. You would still need some shaping and glassing skills, and how are you going to install fin boxes?
I don’t mean to discourage you because I think wood boards are awesome (I build hollow wood boards, have never tried a solid wood board), but IMO a solid wood board takes some money, skills, and tools.
I appreciate you being blunt about it, do you think it would be feasible constructing a hollow fish board in my position, or should I just stick to purchasing a Polyurethane blank and progress from that.
I’ve been checking out http://www.foamez.com/62-under-retro-fish-kit-p-392.html, seems simple and at a good price but it doesnt say anything about fin boxes or leash plug installation. Most importantly its at a decent price, would you guys recommend me starting out with that kit?
Yeah, that's a foamie (and probably vac-lammed, God forbid). But I was just trying to help a grom find an easy way to enjoy a solid wood facsimile. If he wants a solid wood board for cheap, there's the answer.
Foam e-z is a good company with good products, from my experience. I have no idea what to recommend for you, because I don’t know enough about who you are or your circumstances, skills or goals etc. But if you want to learn to build surfboards, I think you’re in the right place. Sharing information about building surfboards is pretty much what this site is all about, in addition to design, collecting, surfboard history, etc.
I have a carpentry background, and thus I already had some portable power tools. My first surfboard was a hollow wood surfboard, as were my next few boards. I’ve made a few foam / glass boards now too, 13 boards altogether so far, still pretty much a beginner - but I’ve learned a huge amount from this site, and I learned a lot about hws from the tree-to-sea wood surfboard forum.
If you’re able to post pictures of your boards, or your workshop, or your projects, etc, it makes it much easier for people here to actually see what you’re doing, and offer helpful advice and / or direction. There are a lot of talented / knowledgeable people who share freely here, but its up to you to absorb that information and put it into practise. I think you’ll like this place, and look forward to seeing what you finally decide on for your project!
