I’m gonna take a break from deleting spam (spammers seem to love the new format!), and post up some pics of my latest project. This board started life as an experimental hws made with no internal structure whatsoever. It had some problems - I actually liked riding the board, but didn’t like the spongy deck with no structure inside, and it took in water at some point. So I cut the plywood top and bottom off, and started again, with just the rails. I hollowed out the rails, then I notched some 3/16" by 3/8" cross members into the rails. I kept them close together, because I wanted more structure inside, with thinner decking outside. Not really difficult, just a bit tedious, I let the shape of the strips determine the deck dome as they bent over the stringer and down to the rails. I ripped some really old groady cedar fence boards for the skins, which ended up at about 1/8" thick. The cedar is a little heavier than the redwood I usually use, but I liked the look. I wanted an “antique”, weathered look for the board, which is really more of an artistic expression than a functional surfboard. But I’m hoping it works good as a surfboard too! Its kind of a concept board, I’m hoping to make some more along the same lines, appearance-wise. I put a goretex vent in, and mounted it under the deck rather than flush with the top. Which may have been a mistake - its harder to make sure I have a waterproof seal that way. If it ends up being a problem, I’ll drill it out and install one the normal way. I don’t have much experience with the goretex vents, wanted to give it a go. The inspiration was the grand old wood boards of yesteryear! Ended up weighing just under 12 lbs.
Hope to finish up with some beach shots and a ride report soon.
that is so cool Huck.
Love the patina look.
Reminds me of a old wood floor at my grandparents house.
What's the weight?
The fin looks neat with no fin rope surrounding it.
Did you hand paint the logo and lettering and sand after ?
Nice.
Thanks Barry - really struggled to get that patina - even using old weathered wood, it wanted to clean up and look new as I sanded. I squeegeed resin with q-cell and a touch of white pigment into all the grain relief, then sealed it with milky resin that had a touch of white pigment. Then I misted it with white epoxy spray paint before glassing.
The finished weight is about 13.25 lbs., with the fin and all. I handpainted the logo, but used stencils on the lettering, kind of like I imagined it would have been done back in the day. Then I sanded it almost off.
I actually had a completely different logo and lettering at one point, and inadvertently sanded it completely off as I was working on the deck. I found out with the old textured grain you can’t really do anything graphics-wise until all the sanding is done, because you just end up taking it off. So I went back with a similar graphic, but my first one was a copy of a Duke Kahanamoku board, the graphic now is just in the style of that time.
You can see in the picture that the wood was just too dark, as well. I didn’t want that deep dark color, I wanted the washed-out sunbleached color of old driftwood, like something that sat in the backyard sun for ten or twenty years, then was stuck under the pier for storage for another twenty LOL.
Very nice…
Huck,
Your "remodel" is meticulus, novel, and inspriational as always. A timely post, this and your shoji build reminded me of the my recent visit to the Philly Independence Seaport Museum.
Numerous displays of craftsmanship via mock ups and a workshop which restores wooden craft. Just one of the places to go when in the city.
Cheers!
I must plot out a Huck-style build at least a couple times a month. I always get stuck at the part where I realize that it takes some talent and woodworking skills that I don't possess.
LOVE this! I've done a couple of rebuilds, and they always wind up far more satisfying and less difficult than I'd feared. Definitely nailed this one.
Wow… way cool and lots of work! Very nice!
Huck,
Unbye God believable… So fine!!!
thanks all - it was a labor of love!
Took it out for a spin today in some little mushers. I like my boards longer than this (7’4"), but I designed this when I was riding boards this size. Paddles fine and catches waves fine, 'tho, no problem there, turns great, a fun board to ride. Surprisingly, no leaks! (at least as far as I can tell so far) I was a little concerned about the goretex vent, but I guess my install was OK after all. Overall good marks, but my next wood board is going to be a bit longer.
Love the board Huck.
Tore the fin out awhile back, getting around to repairing this. It took in water, so there was some cupping of the wood, sanding it all out, have to re-glass the bottom because I’ve sanded through the glass to get the cupping areas flat again.
Got the fin repaired finally, reinforced it a little better this time. Hopefully no more major repairs for awhile, but want to get it wet next week!
