I thought that after about 150 pu/pe boards, it was time to try a compsand… i have a favourite asymmetric that i would base it on, so i could compare the performance and weight etc, it is a 5’11" toe side, 5’9"heel side x22", low rocker, mini simmons inspired, and works in a surprising range of waves.
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I don’t have a vacuum bag, and really couldn’t be bothered to make one, so would have to find another way… My materials would be cheapo builders polystyrene, as light as possible, and free, 4mm poplar plywood, (would have preferred 3mm, but couldn’t get it locally) for £6 an 8’x4’ sheet (water damaged), obeche and cedar rails, and paulownia nose and tail blocks (scrap from other projects)…IMG_1508.JPG
first, i cut out profile sections from the 6" poly, then glued them together using gorilla glue (expanding pu), using anything heavy i could find to hold them firmly in contact, hence car batteries, paint tins etc.
IMG_1509.JPGThe ‘blank’ looked a mess, but the challenge was on…IMG_1510.JPG After roughly leveling the bottom using surform and disc sander, i templated the blank, and trued up the edges, allowing for the thickness of the wooden rails. I made a rocker table, on reinforced 18mm ply, and scrap timber, placed 1/2 a sheet of ply on it, spread over gorilla glue, dampened the bottom of the blank, and put it on the ply… a 110a truck battery held the blank in place, and curved the ply to the desired rocker… more batteries and weights made sure…IMG_1617.JPG The obeche and cedar (6" planks) were cut into 4mm rail pieces, and rocker cut into them using the edge of the rocker table as a guide, I glued on strips of obeche on the nose and tail,which would later hold the nose and tail blocks and 1 pice of the obeche on either side of the blank,and clamped to the plywood bottom… IMG_1624.JPG The ply bottom was now cut to the internal rail timber, .IMG_1620.JPG The deck was now domed and shaped, along with the internal rails, and the deck glued on, again using car batteries and clamps…now looking a bit more board-like.IMG_1638.JPG The external rails are where i thought i would struggle, and sure enough, i did, I had decided to use a resin based wood glue to attach them together, and clamp across the board… mistake… the clamps kept slipping, and when eventually stable, the glue failed to go off, in 8 degree temps…IMG_1651.JPG I decided to rip them off, and use gorilla glue, and a different clamping method… I screwed blocks of wood to the extended planks of the rocker table, and wedged the rails to the board with wooden wedges. This way, i could do all 3 rail pieces at the same time…easyIMG_1653.JPG Did the same with the other side, glued on the nose and tail blocks in the same way, and shaped the rails, using a combinarion of planer, disc sander, and sanding block.
The nose and tail ended up thicker than i wanted, as were the rails (but not too badly) and the board felt as if it would be heavy, but not overly so. I decided to go with some glass on fins i had made a while ago, which look badly foiled, but in reality, it is just the dodgy lay-up…time for a break, and send the board to homeblown uk for a single 4oz bottom, glassless resined deck, and fins…IMG_1753.JPG
I now have the board back, it feels a bit heavier than a glossed board, but i got it in the water today in overhead, slightly lumpy righthanders, (backhand) and it is fast, turns really well, and doesn’t feel at all heavy to surf, i went left too, and once again , it was really smooth and loose… i like it! hopefully it will be nearly bomb proof, but time will tellIMG_1814.jpgIMG_1811.jpgIMG_1813.jpg I intend to make a mid length in the same way, and surf these boards to destruction, it is a more long winded method of making my boards, but particularly satisfying…
