I want to start on an old windsurfer blank first which I’ve stripped all the glass off and ripped out the fin and mast boxes. It’s about 9’6" and 4" thick.
The mast box has left a big hole - about 1.25" deep. There’s two ways to get around this I can see.
One is to just plane down the deck of the blank until the mast box hole is gone. Besides lots of planing, this would leave a weak, over shaped blank.
Or, I could cut the foam off the stringer, cut the profile of the new board onto the stringer (there’s enough room given the board I want to shape and rocker in the stringer), then glue it all back together so I can do minimal cutting through the existing deck of the blank.
Which is the best way? Any other ways? And what would I use to glue it all back together - resin and pressure?
“moonrocket” threads , for examples of two boards “Hicksy” made , from 9’11 x ?26"? X c6" thick windsurfer blanks [just type in those words in the “search” / advanced search boxes]
Not sure how wide the blank is… can you slice it twice down the center - once on either side of the hole left by the box and still have enough width for your board after you glue it back together to your stringer?
Been there, did that, but the windsurfer I started with had a concaved stepped bottom with two large air bleed holes up front, plus foot straps to dig out, plus a big FU finbox set alonside the stringer (smart not to cut the stringer!)
I stripped, templated and shaped as usual, then made “plates” of foam which I countersunk in the deck and bottom to cover the holes. After an acid splash glass job, the “plated” and glassed-over holes were nearly invisible.
I was able to get 2 Clark seconds 7’7"R’s. Some nasty bubbles which I’ll patch. They were stringerless and I have cut them already. I have a special wood I want to play with but I’m curious about the gluing. I’m going to use polyester laminating resin but I want to thicken it upl. Any ideas?
poly resin is crap for gluing wood. I made up a length of 7-layer alternating light and dark wood once, and stuck it all together with lam resin. The next day, i could separate the wood layers with two fingers. Elmer’s carpenter glue (aliphatic resin, I think) for me. I have also thought about using 5 minute epoxy, but it comes at a cost, compared to Elmer’s.
Thanks for the tip but I want to glue the wood to the foam. The stringers are finished and I’m worried what to use to glue them to the blanks and then C clamp. Do you still use Elmers? Or is this just for gluing wood to wood (like a T Band)?