So with one board under my belt http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/my-first-hws-68-retro-fish, and back actively surfing after a 23 year layoff, I'm planning on building two more boards, a 6'7" fish and a 7'6" hybrid. The sketches and diagrams are just a guideline, I tend to work out the design as I go, since I'm still new to this. These will be solid rail boards, built rail-first, like my first board.
Here's what I have so far on the hybrid:
and on the fish:
Hey Huck, after that first build thread of yours I can't wait to see how this one comes along. Such clean carpentry and those deck strips(?!) - come on! Done some strip-built kayak work before? Really clever rail build tech. going on there too.
Ah . . . those aren't clamping voids in the outline template, they're for tracing the inner rail contour while keeping an accurate cross-brace index! And if that's a grain map in the bottom right hand corner of the last photo then I know there's some serious scheming going on here.
Keep it coming!
[quote="$1"] Hey Huck, after that first build thread of yours I can't wait to see how this one comes along. Such clean carpentry and those deck strips(?!) - come on! Done some strip-built kayak work before? Really clever rail build tech. going on there too.
Ah . . . those aren't clamping voids in the outline template, they're for tracing the inner rail contour while keeping an accurate cross-brace index! And if that's a grain map in the bottom right hand corner of the last photo then I know there's some serious scheming going on here.
Keep it coming! [/quote]
hahaha, you give me too much credit! It ain't all that, up close LOL! Hey, you figured the rail template too easily! No grain map - just trying to visualize a single concave going to a double concave if it were built into the ribs. The other one I just sanded it into the bottom planks - maybe I'll cheat and do that again! No serious scheming here - just doodling!
Doc made this comment in the Templates thread
[quote]
If I may - Old boatbuilder's/ship builder's/designer's trick:
Set your points along the curve, then connect the dots with a batten: a straight-grained piece of thin, bendy wood. What is sold as 'lattice' is good, typically 1/4" (~6mm) thick x 1 to 1 1/4" wide ( 25-30 mm) set on edge . Or rip something on a tablesaw. But not too thin or too bendy, you want it to stay put adequately when you trace alongside it with your pencil.
What I'll do is tack down finish nails right in the 'points' and then bend the batten around 'em. Ideally, your batten is a fair amount longer than your curve, so that it doesn't get too distorted at the ends, which it can if the batten is too short. And that, if the grain of the wood is decent, produces a nice fair curve.
In boat work, where you work from points supplied by the designer...well, the points can be a bit off and you learn to trust your batten curve more than what the designer gives you. hope that's of use doc... [/quote]
It kinda describes how I lay out my rocker on the bottom of the frame (rails). I have my rib locations marked at 5" o.c. on the center template (stringer), and I have a level line which corresponds with the line between my layered rail pieces. So using that as a reference, I can plot where the rocker line will intersect the rib / cross section lines, then connect the dots with a flexy piece of scrap wood.
After I mark the rocker, I cut it with a circular saw, jigsaw, and japanese pull saw. Then I clean it up a bit with a belt sander.
How is this project coming along?
I have both boards' rails built and the rocker cut on both. I need some help on the fish - I want to make it a quad fish, but need some direction on bottom shape / fin placement before I proceed. Got any info. or sources you can refer me to? The board is 6'7" x 21" x 2 3/4".
Also, after reading Yorky's bonzer thread, and going to the surfysurfyblog link, I'm thinking of attempting a bonzer on the hybrid - based on this awesome board (that I wish I could buy!) According to NuclearFishin' I can get that info searching here on Sway's, so I have my homework cut out for me!
http://www.surfysurfy.net/2009/06/someting-blue-and-something-new.html
and this one
http://www.surfysurfy.net/2010/01/magic-68-elevated-wing-bonzer5-egg.html
Unfortunately, I've got some personal "stuff" going on here right now that's slowing me down a little! Not the least of which is my daughter is coming from Montana for a week here pretty soon, and my wife has chosen my "board room" to be converted to a guest room for her and her hubbie!! Yikes!
For both boards I'm planning some experimental stuff build-wise, which I'll share here, as they progress.
I was supposed to be getting the "board room" ready for my daughter's visit. Instead, my wife caught me working on my boards - hahaha! Busted!
Dont let the hubbie touch anything.
not sure how far I'll get with it, but my current idea (I'm always redesigning as I go!) is to build both these boards with no interior framework. Might have to glass the inside, we'll see.
I glued and screwed the skin down, then backed the screws out after the glue dried, and puttied.
I put a coat of resin on just to stiffen things up while I'm working. No glass yet, 'tho.
Hey Huck!
You've got some great ideas. Keep it up! You mentioned on the other forum you might put your rails on one of my frames and maybe even make a kit. Lets talk at the Sacred Craft show when you're there. You're going right? If you're going to make a kit I'd be into CNC cutting any or all parts you may need. Have you considered using Balsa for the rails? I know it sounds cost prohibitive but I have a good secret source for thick short chunks like you're using. Only problem is I have to buy a lot. Maybe you Jack and I can go in on a load and split it 3 ways?? The build looks great as always. You've got loads of talent!
Brad Tucker
Thanks Brad - I'm surprised you found this nondescript thread! I am planning on going to SC in Ventura, and will look you up. My rail system could easily be converted to a cnc kit, once the design details are mapped out. Would love to get some insights from the pro's like yourself. Balsa would be great. Although with the white, loose-grained new-growth redwood I'm seeing these days at the big-box stores, once its dried out, the weight difference from balsa is probably minimal.
I was on the new T2S site and you mentioned something about following the Bonzer thread so I jumped over here to take a look. Swaylocks is way better when it comes to getting good performance related info I think. I’m going to hang out here more often. I took a look at that Bonzer thread you mentioned too. Love the way the lines flow on Bonzers. I want to do a Bonzer HWS soon. The one Justin is building is a cool board but not really a Bonzer. Is was my first attempt at a contoured bottom and it didn’t really end up a Bonzer. The name stuck somehow anyway. It’s more of a fat shortboard with grooves. Looking forward to meeting you there.
Brad
[quote="$1"] I was on the new T2S site and you mentioned something about following the Bonzer thread so I jumped over here to take a look. Swaylocks is way better when it comes to getting good performance related info I think. I’m going to hang out here more often. I took a look at that Bonzer thread you mentioned too. Love the way the lines flow on Bonzers. I want to do a Bonzer HWS soon. The one Justin is building is a cool board but not really a Bonzer. Is was my first attempt at a contoured bottom and it didn’t really end up a Bonzer. The name stuck somehow anyway. It’s more of a fat shortboard with grooves. Looking forward to meeting you there. Brad [/quote]
Hey Brad, look forward to it also. My remodeling business is in the toilet right now, so I'm hoping it will work out to be there, Meanwhile, my daughter went back to Montana after her visit, so I got my "board room" back. Playing around with the hybrid - decided to add ribs and stringer. I had thought about glassing the inside for rigidity, but for budget reasons I'm going with a framework instead. I would have waiting on cutting the rails if I had known, but I keep making this stuff up as I go along LOL!
Still undecided about the bonzer bottom for this board, but wanting to do one for sure on one of my boards.
tail reinforcement complete, and 1st ribs in
Huck if that yellow bonzer egg is the surfy surfy 6’8 Jp will let you try it out. I stole it from him for bit great board. I just glassed my bonzers i will post a thread when my fingers stop bleeding from all the sanding.