Hi guys this is my first post and my third or fourth idea for my first board. I am also fairly new to surfing.
I want to build a Mini Mal or a Fun Board (as the waves where I am are generally small). I had an idea of getting a Sheet of ply (however thick it needs to be) and cutting the shape into it as well as a series of chambers. From there I was going to glue pieces of ply to the top and bottom then shape the board. Then i was thinking about glassing it.
So I have some questions…
Will this whole plan work float and be surfable.
Does anyone have any exact plans ( I will need more than just measurements) for a board like this, if not i will just copy a design from another board.
Is glassing it the best course of action (My Dad and I have fiberglassed before) or could I just seal it with something?
I’m thinking about just using a FCS fin system or something of the like. What is the easiest system to install fins (I am Happy to do post glassing installs
Baisicly the same as above, best way to install a leash plug.
Thankyou for putting up with a complete begginer like me!
Hi, i once built a board using the same method, it was also my first board. I used 10mm poplar ply, cut holes in it and glued 4mm poplar ply as top and bottom skin on it. Obviously the volume of such a board is extremly low, which was no problem for me because i used it as riverboard where no paddling is required. You should use ribs and stringer instead if you want to achieve some volume, check out grainsurf.com. When using a thicker inner plywood you end up with a very heavy board, also it is a lot of sanding and wasted material to make the deck dome.
Thanks heaps for the post.Do you know if it is possible to fill the board with some sort of foam to increase bouyencey? If not I will just make it with ribs and stringers.
Hi, if you fill the board with foam, bouancy will not be increased. This only would prevent the board from taking on too much water if it leaks. Infact the weight would go up and the board would sit deeper in the water, thus decrease bouancy.
Why not use a foam blank that was made for the purpose?
The project as you described does not sound to me like it would yield a successful surfboard, as I didn't see any accounting for rocker, or adequate volume. A "fish-bone" (spine and ribs) hollow wood board would have a greater chance for success, but has to be planned out pretty thoroughly, in advance, and they do take a lot of labor to produce. And they tend to be heavy, by foam board standards.
If you are determined to use wood, I also recommend the Tree-to-Sea wood surfboard forum as a starting point. You can view projects over there, ask questions, and get ideas from the wood board makers. http://www.grainsurf.com/forum/search.php?search_id=active_topics
Thanks for the replies guys. Florin that is what I expected. thanks for you help.
Huck, Building with wood would be easier for me to source materials as I live in a remote small town in Australia. But I am now thinking that as a first board I should try and source a blank from somewhere. If I end up building with foam does anyone know of any books or online videos i could watch to learn how to shape.
Thanks again for putting up with a complete begginer
**Citedsir ** i have a pdf named Surfboard Design and Construction 1977 i’ll try to upload it and put the link on here. I don’t remember where i found it on this bloody internet.
It’s a step by step on hot to make your own board. Also has an hydrodynamics part. VERY INTERESTING.
I also have The Complete Surfing Guide for Coaches - Bruce “Snake” Gabrielson but is not that good as the 1st one.
On youtube there are plenty of videos of how to … or u can also download Shaping 101 a John Carper’s video and there’s another one named Glassing 101
I’ll try tomorrow to upload those 2 files in a zip.
