Save your cut-off hunks, to make tailblocks for later surfboards.
I was thinking offcuts for making the fin…
I will have better offcuts later, I am saving these but the grain is running the short direction.
The problem is that I can only cut a few inches before I have to make a crosscut to remove the excess, because otherwise I can’t see what the tip is doing, and the big risk is the tip of my chainsaw bar digging in too deep. I am proceeding very cautiously.
But there will be different cuts later on that will yield some sizeable chunks. Foremost on my mind is having enough to patch in the rotted area, should I need and choose to go that route, as opposed to adding a fat stringer.
Is it weird, how excited I’m getting over someone else’s build.
I feel like a cheering spectator.
Looking really good!
I’ll take all the moral support I can get! The chain saw work was nerve wracking, because it’s an aggressive tool that’s a bit on the unwieldy side, and its much more suited to cutting through branches and tree trunks than skimming on its side. You can tear up a lot of wood just trying to manhandle it through the cuts, hoping that some false move isn’t going to bite into your shape. Kinda like having a tiger by the tail, you know something’s gonna get tore up before its all over.
But I got through it ok, by working real conservatively, giving myself as much margin as I could. Then I cleaned up a bit with planer and belt sander. I need to clean it up to the next level, gotta lose probably another 1/4 inch anyway, to get through the punky bottom wood along that one rail.
BTW, here’s a guy who knows how to use a chainsaw!
Wow,
I’m amazed at how clean that bottom looks given the tools you’re working with.
Impressive work.
Excellent progress!
I’d likely still be staring at the hunk of wood scratching my chin trying to think out the most complicated way I could possibly make something from it.
wow looking good Huck! All that sawdust don’t be lightin up a stogie in there
This is awesome Huck! Thanks for the updates.
The monolith concept is a good one, but it would be heavy. I’d go with the 9’. The 8’-4" wouldn’t be period correct in my opinion. As a side note there would be nothing wrong with adding stringers to avoid unwanted edges and rot.
Hey surfifty, thanks for joining in the conversation. I agree a 9 footer is more in keeping with the wood board period, plus uses more of the length I have to work with. I’m a little unsure of the term “period correct”, so i’m steering away from that, but definitely want to give a nod to the wood board era. 8 footers were less common, but they did exist. I liked the fact an 8-4 template could avoid all the flaws I was trying to dodge, but I think I’m gonna patch the rot area and shape up a 9 footer.
The monolith concept might make for a heavy board, chambered could reduce that, but based on the offcuts chunks, the wood seems to be pretty light, as wood goes. Naturally the blank is heavy now because of its volume.
I’m keeping the option of adding stringers open, but proceeding with the monolith concept for now. I actually like the stringered look better, but I gotta try to get a board out of 1 piece of wood, just because!
I really like that hobie board. I put that in my archives haha. That would kill on some of the bigger days we get up here.
Just a little surgical weight loss. With a chainsaw. I think it’s safe to say chambering will be mandatory if I’m ever gonna paddle this thing out. So stringers seem likely then.
The splice looks great!
Period correct would mean keeping in the style of the wood board era.
[Quote=surfifty]Period correct would mean keeping in the style of the wood board era.
[/quote]
OK, I get that, but what I meant was that some of the details won’t be completely faithful to the era, like leash attachment, chambering, and flux capacitor.