Chambered wooden board (UK/IRL)

General Discussion
1

Hi all,

I’ve been getting stiff dreaming of a wooden board for a while now, I’m a bit scared of the HWS so I’m planing to started with the chambered method. Made my decision so no need for debate here. It’s gonna be long like 10 - 11 foot.

My main worry is the cost and availability of the appropriate wood in the UK or Ireland (I’m in Northern Ireland)

I’ve searched the archives and found some info, but not much specific options regards cost/weight/strength trade off and availability in my location.

I think it was Crabman who mentioned some prices but that was 1-2 years ago.

Anyone done this is my area and have any info regarding appropriate wood types and prices?

Thanks in advance,

Al

P.S. any of you British Islers know when our summer is going to arrive? It nearly August and it’s still raining!!! It’ll be dark before the sun comes out.

2

Hey DrAL , Balsa is a bugger to source in the UK, i tried and failed only stuff available was from hobby shops hence my explorations into compsands… there was a timber yard in London who could get it but minimun order was to high and shipping to Isle of Man was just silly…

hope you have better luck than i did, let me know if you do…

I will try and find the name of the London yard if i can…

Good Luck

Steve

3

Consider Basswood, AKA Linden. Relatively light, strong, easy to chamber. Cuts well. Light color, so put a few 1/8 inch dark stringers in, for contrast.

4

as Bill points out, most UKers who undertake this venture tend to find Basswood and Cedar easier to source than balsa.

I’d also like to say that I believe a HWS is far easier to build as a first time endeavor than a chambered board.

Slightly fewer and more common tools are needed and much of the shaping work is done in the AKU Shaper program.

The Paul Jensen method seems even easier to implement as it seems to require the fewest (big) power tools and relies

on more hand tools than machines…ply, jig saw, belt sander, etc. (member PaulJensen on this site and on grainsurf.com)

check out http://www.grainsurf.com/forum for more detailed step-by-step project guidelines and information.

feel free to PM.

either way you go, best of luck in your endeavors.

5

Thanks afoaf,

I have the necessary power tools, trying to avoid having to glass the board so I thought chambered would be better option.

as i said i don’t want to get into the debate about HWS v chambered, but thanks.

for me its a question of price and time.