I realize there are various discussions going on about aspects of this topic, but I’m looking for specific opinions/details to guide a decision.
What are the differences between hollowed and chambered construction (specifically regarding balsa)?
Let’s say I want a 6’0 fish, and an 8’0 mini mal.
I keep hearing that chambered is much stronger and more durable, yet I keep seeing plenty of hollow balsa board variations performing with great versatility in photos and videos.
I feel like hollow must maintain its integrity or people wouldn’t do it. And certainly it’s lighter, but how much?
Finally, how do you repair structural damage on a glassed, balsa board?
A chambered Balsa board is dependent on supply of balsa. Not many places cary 4’’ x 4’’ x whatever length balsa you want. Making a balsa blank to be chambered requires this dimension of wood. Frost Lumber near San Diego carries this type of balsa. Once you have chosen your boards then you cut your rocker and or scarf your boards to obtain the rocker. Tack glue the blank together, shape, break apart, chamber, glue back together, finish shaping, glass.
Other options are to look for a pre-made balsa blank and those are most likely set up for building a solid balsa board (heavy).
The Hollow wood board can be made with any type of wood, not just balsa. A popular way to build hollow boards is to used reclaimed wood which is readily available. This method has the least amount of wood waste.
Repair of a glassed balsa board is similar to a foam board. If the damage is bad enough you can alway cut out and scarf in new balsa.
This is just touching the surface of your questions. Hope it helps
I’ve never made a hollow board but have made a chambered balsa. I’ve riden a number of Paul Jensen’s boards. When you get down to it the weight will depend on how much effort you put in to construction. The riding feel of the two types boards is completely different…The hollow boards feel like nothing you’ve ever ridden before; they resonate. Closest comparison I can make is the feel of a mat or flex spoon. The chambered balsa is going to feel more like a foam board but a lot damper.
IMO these are the differences you’ll need to figure for yourself:
1.0 Chambered will probably be heavier. They make great guns or longboards. Short boards, not so much.
2.0 Chambered much easier to build with minimal woodworking skills. If you can shape a decent foam board, you can shape a chambered balsa. You just need patience and you can get by with standard shaping tools. (A joiner and thickness planer come in real handy though)
3.0 Hollow boards need decent if not good wood working skills and tools. Epoxy skills needed if you want light.
4.0 Both will take much longer than a standard foam/glass board to build.
5.0 Both will give you headaches but in the end, you feel like you really accomplished something, especially if they float.
6.0 You can make a really light chambered board but you gotta know what you’re doing and you have to get really light wood. (Shaping balsa in the desert is best!).
My recommendation: Hollow fish, chambered mini-mal.
LeeV , Ive heard a few guys from the US say that balsa is expensive and hard to get , which is surprising considering the proximity to Ecuador and other Sth American countries that grow a lot…what’s your take ?
W.A.V.E. hollows had a feel of their own as well…As did Aqua Jets…Wood hollows, built right, are a sensoral pleasure on many levels…I can’t say that about a molded board…
It may be a good idea to include a foam cored composite type build into the equation…traditional chambering is hard to beat for logs and guns , but not so good for shortboards if you want high performance…which ever way you go , a lot will depend on the quality of the wood you get…it varies greatly , and if you can hand pick your stock and match the curves and weight of your logs , its a good start.
I’m with Kayu, the eps and balsa veneer stuff is awesome. When my bagging setup is finally in “go” mode, balsa and cork decks. I want one. I would choose the veneer route with balsa–mainly because balsa in my area is considered an exotic, and expensive
Instead, I’m chambering blue pine (ponderosa) 4"x4" with recycled aged redwood decking rims, my next project. The wood has been drying for 8 months now. Super arid climate. Making 2 stubs, a 5’ and 5’-5’“. Both shapes get completely shaped via EPS. Then the shapes get ripped according to the pine/redwood layout. This will get me within ~3/16-3/8” of my target contour once the glue-up is down. The foam templates will be re-formed w/thin stringers --and white poly glue on the rest of the rips, & shaped back down a bit after assembled. …so, it’ll actually be 4 boards made total: 2 foam, and two semi-hollow w/2 large chambers: a mid-board deck-to-bottom support. If I can get the wood thin enough, glassing with warp and epoxy gloss.
Festool makes a really slick foam blade for a jiggy, it heats up and splits the foam like a hot knife in butter, instead of blow-out, dust, etc. I love this style blade for clean EPS cuts.
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Thanks for the jigsaw blade tip next trip to the tool shop and I will be looking for one.
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When I first saw this post I was thinking that shaping a balsa board, whether you chamber the blank at some point in the process or not, is the traditional way of building a board. The difference between the two techiques being one is board shaping and the other is carpentry.
But then I remembered my first board:
The hollow board built with carpentry techniques goes all the way back to the thirties as the one in the photo built from Tom Blake’s plans in a 1939 edition of Popular Science.
The Whittman brothers from Miami, friends with Blake, built one with rounder rails. By using wooden pegs instead of screws they were able to hand shape the rails. The board caused quite a stir at Waikiki when they showed up with it there sometime in the thirties.
So what is traditional? The shaped from a plank of wood boards of course predate the hollow construction but again there is nothing new about the hollow construction as a technique.
For me, I’ve built a few chambered balsas but after each one I’ve said it is my last. As far as hollow construction, I am not a carpenter and wouldn’t even think of attempting one. Although my hat is off to those that do.
I do think it’s got to be easier to fine tune a board when your shaping it in the traditional way. I’m thinking how often I’ve tweaked the outline, foil or rocker during the shaping process.
BTW: If you check my blog, two posts down, there is a 9’9" that Canadian Chris built at my shop last week…Never built a board before and he’s not a professional or hobbist woodworker…It can be done…
I bought a blank with rocker and a single stringer for around $1,000 US. When Keith Melville and I picked up our blanks they came from a stack of 20 or so with a who’s who of shaping names tagged on the blanks. We should have taken a picture! This was, jeeze, 5 or 6 years ago. I stored the blank 20 miles inland from the coast while I worked on it to keep it relatively dry. I lucked into some pretty light wood.
Since that time, Keith has purchased all manner of balsa from a number of sources and almost all the wood was a lot heavier than the blanks we picked up.
My take on it is that with the popularity of veneered foam boards, there is less call for balsa so the price stays high and the quality stays low. Once a container of wood gets on a ship, the difference in cost for shipping to the US or another place along the Pacific Rim is pretty small.
I and a few others that post on here from California have found a wood importer that will deal with us directly, the price is so good that I have been a wholesaler to other builders.
The last container had 14 foot wood, some of it 12 " wide
LeeV , that’s about the same as Aus , give or take…although , without a well organized dealer , the hidden costs can skyrocket through customs at this end…PNG and Indonesia has helped a little to solve that , but still , Ecuadorian balsa is the best Ive seen…
Would like to have that sitting up in my wood loft Jim…I can only spot two logs that look to have a bit of warp…I always hold my breath when the tight straps are cut , hoping they all stay reasonably straight , with the rocker in where you want it.
