Paul Jensen

thanks for the cd i cant wait to read it. one quick question. if i was gonna use thin veneer to put on a foam blank would the stuff from lowes work? ya know the stuff on a roll for like 24 bucks? i think its oak or maybe redwood. any quick advice? thanks a ton, austin

…If I was doing it that way, I’d glass the blank with 4oz…hot coat…sand…veneer…glass…hotcoat… sand…polish… It might be heavier than most, but I wouldn’t veneer the blank…I think you would have adhesion problems… Paul

thanks paul. does anyone know how surftech does it or anything about it?

thanks paul. does anyone know how surftech does it or anything about it? You might want to check out this page : http://www.hawaiian.net/~furcat/technology.html

thanks paul. does anyone know how surftech does it or anything about it? I had a great link that show quite well how it was done with balsa, but I cannot find it anymore… If my memory serves my correct they vacuum bagged the balsa veneer onto the shaped blank with epoxy, sanded, then glassed on top of it. Looked quite nice. regards, Håvard

here’s the link: http://www.surfgear.cc/new_page_5.htm

…If I was doing it that way, I’d glass the blank with 4oz…hot > coat…sand…veneer…glass…hotcoat… sand…polish…>>> It might be heavier than most, but I wouldn’t veneer the blank…I think > you would have adhesion problems…>>> Paul Paul, I was planning to glass or paint with epoxy the interior of the hollow board I am building. My reasoning is the prevention of rot and added strenght. Do you think this is necessary and, if not, why? Thanks. Patrick http://http://www.surfresearch.com.au/as00stringers.html

Paul, I was planning to glass or paint with epoxy the interior of the > hollow board I am building. My reasoning is the prevention of rot and > added strenght. Do you think this is necessary and, if not, why? Thanks. > Patrick Patrick, I cant speak for Paul, but Ive done it both ways. Practically, the sealed (I never glassed) interior adds minimal weight initially and really helps keep the board from waterlogging if a puncture or leak ever occurs. But I tended to prefer the resonance of the unsealed interior boards (mine were kneeboards), over those which were sealed. Certain stringed instruments also have more tonal richness, or better quality of sound if the inside structures are smoothly sanded, but not sealed. Perhaps there are parallels? Hollow wood surfcraft are fascinating subject matter. Dale

Dale, I was sitting here tuning a guitar when I decided to open up this site. The first thing I notice is your comparison of hollow boards to stringed instruments. Perhaps needless to say, I became more inclined to go with a smooth interior surface. It also occured to me, since I am planning on doing a cedar strip method derived from canoe building, I could in fact remove the frame and join the two surfaces much like a clam shell. In this case ,however, I am inclined to go with at least some sort of interior covering for strenght. The board,however, is a 6’ fish/knee cross which may not require that much strenght. In any case, this thing continues to be one step forward and two back. Thanks for your help Dale. Take care. Patrick

Dale, I was sitting here tuning a guitar when I decided to open up this > site. The first thing I notice is your comparison of hollow boards to > stringed instruments. Perhaps needless to say, I became more inclined to > go with a smooth interior surface. It also occured to me, since I am > planning on doing a cedar strip method derived from canoe building, I > could in fact remove the frame and join the two surfaces much like a clam > shell. In this case ,however, I am inclined to go with at least some sort > of interior covering for strenght. The board,however, is a 6’ fish/knee > cross which may not require that much strenght. In any case, this thing > continues to be one step forward and two back. Thanks for your help Dale. > Take care. Patrick Patrick, In my hollow wood kneeboards (all about 5-0", "fish" shapes), I eventually settled on the minimal use of strategically placed foam stantions (usually EPS) to more effectively distribute the point loading stresses that occur on the deck. Lightly sealing the interior is a good idea, particularly to reduce dryout and repair time, i.e. if the outer skin of the board is compromised and waterlogging occurs. Some of the thinner, slower drying epoxies (as West System) that permeate the wood fibers below the surface layer are an excellent choice. But, polyester resin works good, too. Youre building something of beauty, as well as function, that could possibly last a long time… much as well-crafted musical instrument. Dale

…I don’t see the need to seal it inside…If it is glassed, and you remember to put the vent screw in, it will not get wet inside, unless you crash it or something…I do remove the vent screw whenever the board is out of the water…

…Today I had my second session on my 8’2" cork/wood hollow…The waves were 5’ to 7’…Stiff offshore winds(we’ve had an unreal fall here in WA)…This board has a bottom layer of 1/8" oak plywood with cork rails…The deck is 1/8" cedar and basswood strips on top of 1/8" luan plywood…It’s glassed with a single layer of 4 oz. cloth/epoxy resin…The interior is 1/4" plywood stringers and bulkheads(I need to know what these things are really called…help)… The performance of this board is lively to say the least…The bottom is so alive, and without a slab of foam between it and my feet, it really tranfers the feeling of the wave in a way I’ve never felt before…The cork rails have a feeling unlike anything I’ve tried before …Unless you’ve ridden it, it would be hard to compare it to other materials…I’m definately going to use it more… You should see the looks it gets in the water… I think that I’ll make some shortboards for some friends to try, and see if I can push the performance of the boards beyond that of foam…If you think about it, what is foam other than a deadening material at the core of a performance vehicle…Loose it and set yourself onto a path of discovery that can last a lifetime… Currently I’m working on a 10’+ hollow wood board…This is fun!!!.. Paul

…Today I had my second session on my 8’2" cork/wood hollow…The > waves were 5’ to 7’…Stiff offshore winds(we’ve had an unreal fall here > in WA)…This board has a bottom layer of 1/8" oak plywood with cork > rails…The deck is 1/8" cedar and basswood strips on top of > 1/8" luan plywood…It’s glassed with a single layer of 4 oz. > cloth/epoxy resin…The interior is 1/4" plywood stringers and > bulkheads(I need to know what these things are really called…help)…>>>>>>>> The performance of this board is lively to say the least…The bottom is > so alive, and without a slab of foam between it and my feet, it really > tranfers the feeling of the wave in a way I’ve never felt before…The > cork rails have a feeling unlike anything I’ve tried before …Unless > you’ve ridden it, it would be hard to compare it to other materials…I’m > definately going to use it more…>>> You should see the looks it gets in the water…>>> I think that I’ll make some shortboards for some friends to try, and see > if I can push the performance of the boards beyond that of foam…If you > think about it, what is foam other than a deadening material at the core > of a performance vehicle…Loose it and set yourself onto a path of > discovery that can last a lifetime…>>> Currently I’m working on a 10’+ hollow wood board…This is fun!!!..>>> Paul

Dale and Paul, Thank you for your comments. Practically, they were a great help. Philosophically, they were inspiring. The coastline of the Pacific Northwest must be conducive to creativity. Take care Patrick

The coastline of the Pacific Northwest must be conducive to creativity. …Yeah, but it’s mostly the uncrowded lineps and the seperation from the surf ghettos of places south…Social pressure does not encourage experimental designs… Paul