5 panels on, with long glue up times I can get just 2 panels on a day. No rush though, gives me time to think through my next mistake.
I’m not sure if the pictures do it justice but the different curves are starting to show. 3 different curves along the stringer and then a perpendicular curve under the back foot, a different one across the middle and another across the nose. Amazing to see these come to life in 3d, you cant get a feel for this in 2d. Anyway, another reason I love making things.
That’s It for the deck, for now. you could park a car on this thing. The top ply is 9mm. I’ve decided on single 4oz cloth top and bottom on this mini. Will be plenty strong enough as it wasn’t going to have glass to start. But why not.
Rough outline shown and then tidied up outline too.
First 3mm rail strip on too.
Anyone recommend a vent I could use in the deck and do I 100% need one?
Cheers
REgarding Vent, insert a threaded insert and a matching screw with an O-Ring (which I forgot several time to close) or invest in Goretex Valve with high airflow. By now I did not face any problems with them, but they are quite expensive, just the screw is about 9$…
Always kind of amazed that you guys have enough confidence in your process that you do not seal the inside, Totally sealing it is difficult of course, but bare wood, especially plywood’s endgrain, is a sponge.
For the vents I use the R62-5088 and the R625150 thumbscrew.
http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Product_Catalog/SurfSailcom/surfsailcom.html
No experience with goretex vents
I also made a rear brass vent for cross ventialtion for when it inevitably gets water inside, but I also have removed it somewhat regularly and rig up a computer fan to suck dry desert santa ana air through it… Condensation can form inside even if the skin is never punctured.
https://www.swaylocks.com/sites/default/files/20161113_142830_Richtone%28HDR%29.jpg
https://www.swaylocks.com/sites/default/files/20161113_201603.jpg
https://www.swaylocks.com/sites/default/files/20161114_145244_LLS.jpg
https://www.swaylocks.com/sites/default/files/20170102_213532.jpg
https://www.swaylocks.com/sites/default/files/20161113_142553.jpg
I/ve never tried installing a vent afterwards, always before the deck panel gets attached.
I modified the brass insert(1/4-20 internal threads) and made my own stainless ‘grub’ screw. I meant to order a brass grub screw. I use Vibra-tite v3 thread locker to seal it, with a smidge of Amazing goop over both for extra insurance. The amazing goop can peel off if one gets a sharp chisel shaped tweezer under it. The vibratite never fully dries, kind of like feathering disk adhesive used on sandpaper and powerpads.
I modified the thumbscrew vent receptacle so it would appear smaller. The nose vent is pushed as far forwards as i can get them for maximum drainage, as I consider water getting inside an inevitable. The only HWS That is no longer, is because I used Balsa inside of it and did not seal it adequately. The balsa turned to heavy mush.
Coming along nicely! Love it when the top skin goes on and is trimmed! Really starts to come together then.
The two SUPs and 1st surfboard I made I sealed with thinned epoxy, but haven’t on the last 2 surfboards made. Kinda want to see if they hold up without it to save weight on them. I realized I was adding about 1.5lbs to the board with it which isn’t much, but honestly without that little bit just makes them feel right to me… I don’t know… I am still very new to this and want to see what does and doesn’t work for me.
I used the brass screw on the SUPs, but switched to the goretex vents on the surfboards. I am using the casica brand with a donaldson vent which was recommended to me by a wooden surfboard comapany… its what they’ve been using for years without any failures so far. They make a retro fit style with a lip and a flush mount insert version. Little more pricey, but it’s the only thing keeping my unsealed interior dry! Ha
https://www.foamez.com/product/casica-gore-tex-glass-in-vent-plug-self-venting/
Looking for some input on thinning out this deck. It’s a whopping 9mm and could easily go down to 6mm.
I’m worried an electric planer would be too wild and without a skilled hand I’d lose all the shape that’s already there. I need something inbetween planer and course sand paper. Wood rasp?
I’m with Huck… A hand plane will be the best bet IMO if you have one. Shape can still get away from you if you aren’t switched on, but not nearly as quick as an electric planer and if you typically don’t remove more material than you can fix once realizing you’ve gone too far.
Hello,
Lots of glueing strips for the rails so not much to show over the last week. I’m getting closer to shaping these rails. The first drawings shows A and B variations of the rails, the only difference being the very bottom edge measurement: 1/2" (incorectly labelled as 1/4") or 3/8".
I think I’m going with B as it just looks right. A bit more knifey. The second image shows the steps to get this rail shape.
Does this look right to you for a simmons-fish? Am I way off with these numbers? I’m of the just give it a go school but if im way off i dont want to trash the board.
Note the blank already has a 9degree angle in the deck as it’s a HWS not a foam blank.
Thanks again.
One change I’m considering is the 4"band, bringing it in to 3" because of the angle that’s already in the ‘blank’
Picture, rough finished, 24mm of rail thickness built up from 3mm and 9mm ply.
Nice!
Cheers
Big moment cutting off this tail. Very tempted to do something a little different with the tail block. Maybe a bit of an elliptical thing.
Looking really nice man. I think that elliptical tail looks cool.
Steady progress today, all the rail strips are on, looks like my wide point is a little behind centre. Has a piggy-fishy-simmons-round tail been done before?
Tail block on and a sweet pic showing off some curves.
The ‘blank’ is complete.
First rail bands are marked on with tape, you can just about see in the last photo.
I’m using rail bands because the deck is thicker than it should be, these will help take some of the bulk out I’m thinking.
Some real rough spots on the deck because of the repurposed timber, I’ve considered filling but I think it adds some character.
Anyone in Australian have a good source of timber for these boards?
Cheers
Big day with the planes, I’ve been using a boxy rail bands template and winging it a bit to get those bands into the blank.
Feeling good, blank weighed 13lbs before I started at it. Will be interesting to see where it ends up once it’s snapped and glassed.
This is one of those builds that I have found very interesting to follow , I have never seen anyone build a wood board this way and it amazes me that it only weighs 13lb at this point , I think that you should seal the wood carefully with resin before you glass it , you may have to do it more than once and resand the wood in between coats , good luck .
Cheers, I like that you hadn’t seen it done this way.
Looks like these bands are working, I’m not sure if I should add more or kind of freehand in the rest of the shape.
Board is down to 12lbs now!
Amy guesses how high it will go?
Yes, do some more railbands and finish them of by eyeballing. Depending on your cloth, the added weight will be about clothweight (The surface is somewhere around 0.9 m²) for both sides, Depending on Clothweight plus minus same weight for Lam- and Fillcoat. So if your clothweight is 160gr{m² you have 160 for cloth plus 160 for Lam plus 160 for Fill, resulting in 3*160 or aprrox 500g for one side, giving 1kg as a total. Finally I would say it will sum up to 750g-1kg or approx. two lbs.
