Hi, I am new to the forum and have some questions. I plan on building a chambered 5’8" fish out of pine (I know it’s not the best wood, but it’s within my budget and I can’t even find Paulownia or Balsa in the sizes I would need it). My questions are 1)when planning for the fin boxes should I leave a solid space for them or hollow it and count on epoxy to seal them up and 2) is an oil finish sufficient for salt water? Will it eventually discolor, or will it retain a nice clean wood aesthetic? Thank you in advance for your help.
…hello; first (you will remind this) a fish design (all fish should be 6 1 down if not would not have “fishness”) should not work properly with pine (even with balsa)
But I like to make a fish, well; ok,
Yes, let that space solid.
Oil is no t enough to daily riding; you should use a thin glass over it but all the board will weight too much.
(I made Balsa boards)
I would leave enough meat to mount the boxes, but no more.
Where are you? Cuz the pine i get here in calif. is heavy, sappy, splintery, and pretty unsuitable to surfboard building. I think redwood, cedar, or spruce would be better than pine.
What is your surfboard shaping experience?
I’m in Pennsylvania. If you can direct me as to where I could get paulownia or balsa relatively cheap in the dimensions required, then I would gladly accept that help. As to your other question, I build an Alaia out of red cedar awhile back. I made it a bit too small, but other than that, shaping it was a breeze. Now were you saying that pine wouldn’t work at all for a chambered fish, or just that it’s not ideal (which I already knew)?
Seems to me spruce might be available locally for you, other than that, sounds like you’ve got it all figured out, post up some pics as you go, build threads are always welcome.
I built my first HWS out of western red cedar, in the North East. The on the rack selection of C or better grade WRC lumber was far superior there than anywhere I’ve been on the west coast, and this includes the Seattle area, where WRC grows, though most of the lumber comes from BC.
WRC is not as light as Pawlonia or Balsa, but can have way more character. Much lighter than the lightest Pine.
I do not chamber, but build hollow and can do so from 3 2x4’s and a 1x12. Last WRC 2x4x10 I bought in Salinas Ca was some 55$, and there were about 10 2x4s to choose from.
I tried the oil only, on some hardwood fins (bloodwood and purpleheart, meant for fcs1 plugs. Daily wooden drivers need epoxy, imo, and not just brushed on but saturating fiberglass. Cedar is pretty soft. I glassed my most recent with 1.43oz veiling cloth hull and deck, with 4 oz stomp patches.
Couple hundred rides later and where my knee smashes deck stomp patch when getting to my feet, had gone a bit soft, and required reinforcement, and just yesterday got a significant thickness of tightly stretched fiberglass over the area. I knew this area was always a problem area and the support underneath, and the fact that the panel was glassed on the inside too, i though would be enough to prevent the issue, it was not.
I tried to get away with no glass on one cedar HWS, but for the rails. Big mistake.
Chambered build, I would leave the fin plug area solid to the deck, saving an ounce there is not worth it, repairs to busted/leaking finbox will return that lost ounce, and more.
Prevention is easier than repair, and worth the added weight of a stronger build, in my opinion.
Not sure what it is about wood boards in water, but they feel way heavier underarm, than underfoot. Get used to the whiners saying how heavy it is, and ignore them.
I’d avoid pine at all cost.
You want a clean tight grain wood preferably light as well.
your board is most likely gonna feel like mashed potatoes when your done.
Balsa - not cheap no matter where you are.
My highly highly chambered Doug fir(pretty close to pine weight) fish still clocked in at 25lbs. (It was 5’4).
Look into using Basswood. Light, white, and strong.
Try Willard Bros. Lumber in NJ for paulownia. It’s in the Trenton area.
Plenty off Basswood in the SouthEast. What’s wrong with Lowe’s and Home Depot for Cedar and Redwood? Not always the best selection, but they have it.
Ordered some wood from world palownia a few years ago for an alaia. Wasn’t cheap but really nice looking stuff. Pretty nice to work with also. Was on there site a little while ago and they actually sell surfboard building bundles of wood.