In the mid to late 50’s the normal glassing schedule was single 8oz. top and bottom. I’m making two solid balsa in the next month, and the glass schedule will be double 4oz. on the deck, single 6oz. on the bottom, with gloss and polish. I don’t ever remember any indication of flex back in the day, so should not be an issue today. I don’t think S-glass is needed, however it is an option open to you. Just one of the judgement calls you make in the process There is also a 5oz. cloth available, perhaps using that will give an extra edge of durability.
Bill: Do you know of any special sealing tricks for balsa blanks prior to glassing? I have an opportunity to get a balsa blank, but I’ve seen a lot of delam problems on others.
mate I have seen the results of your great woodworking skills, your hollow wooden, why don’t you build a blank yourself and shape your own board? you certainly have the skills and patience required, and all the help and knowledge is right here on sways!
Hey Bill, when you make the 2 solid (chambered?) boards next month could you please post some pics of the process and progress? I’m sure I speak for many other swayguys when I say I would be REALLY interested in the method used and pics!
I’ll remind you if you don’t! if it’s possible that would be great mate. thanks.
G’day Pete, my hollow wooden is at the glassers right now, they are putting 2 sealer coats on the board before they lay glass and resin, the sealer coats are normal laminating resin thinned down with 10% styrene to soak right in to the timber, this help the laminating process by not having the timber “SUCK” the resin from the glass, leaving a rather dry and inadequate “BOND” between the timber and resin, I talked to the manufacturer of the resin before I took it to the glasser and this is what he recommended.
mate I have seen the results of your great woodworking skills, your hollow wooden, why don’t you build a blank yourself and shape your own board? you certainly have the skills and patience required, and all the help and knowledge is right here on sways!
Thanks for the kind words Robbo. I could have shaped the board myself, but a friend of mine who’s a pro shaper offered me to do it for me. I’m only an amateur board builder and it’s the first board I’ll ever have being custom shaped for me by a pro shaper. This shaper (Jeffrey Swartwood : occasionally posts here on Swaylocks) knows me fairly well with respect to my surfing style and expectations and knows what I currently ride. We’ve been talking about this board’s design caracteristics for the past 6 months Even though I’m not the one shaping it, this is still a very enlightning experience.
I’m also very busy with my webdesign activities (check this out : http://www.atuacores.com/english/surmesure.php) and some other boardbuilding projects (several experimental eggs with XPS+wood and no fiberglass) as well as a compsand 9’1" longboard gun.
Robbo, where do you live ? In june, we’re gonna have a “Wood Stocked” party on the beach in France, for wooden board builders to meet, bbq, drink home brew beer (another hobby of mine) and go surf and get wood stocked !
fair enough Pierre, it sound like it will be an awesome board! please post progress pics along the way! will you make some nose and tail blocks for it? that would look cool, I remember the ones on your hollow, they looked great!
mate I live in Australia! if I was anywhere near you I would definatly be there for the “WOODSTOCKING!”
keep us intouch with the boards progress mate and good luck!
Maybe France is a bit too far for Australians and Americans, but what about you UK wood boards builders? Crossing the channel and heading south for June 18 and a great gathering of dangerous wood boards maniacs might be fun, wouldn’t it?
Although PierreB spelled it wrong: it’s actually “Wood Stoke”. But, well, there should be some boards in STOCK, too… I just hope I can start (and finish) my own in time… Right now, lumbers are slowly getting bent into some more rocker:
You are correct about not thinning epoxy with acetone. My comment was in response to Robbos’ post #7 above, and his reference to thinning resin with styrene for better penetration into the wood. Am I forgiven?
Whoops! I read, last week?, to use acetone to thin but I also thought it ment for epoxy?! So… two days ago I thinned my 9oz of RR with about 6ml of acetone. Worked great! Thinned it out, went on smooth and is now rock solid! But is you guys say denatured alcohol then that’s what it’ll be in the future!
I don’t have any personal experience with epoxy, other than small projects. The information about alcohol was obtained from the Cerritos College workshop/forums. Glad you had a good result with your alchemy. You may be on to something.
Gotta wonder what kind of resin that “respiratorless” glasser is using…
…or maybe he’s really good at holding his breath?
hey Craftee, well he is using poly, when I asked him If I could hang around and take some pics I told him that I have my own respirator, he said “you can wear it if I want but you won’t need it, it won’t be that strong!” well after half an hour in the glassing room I returned home and then came the MOTHER of all headaches! NEVER AGAIN!!!
…I just hope I can start (and finish) my own in time… Right now, lumbers are slowly getting bent into some more rocker…
Hey Balsa! yep it’s just too far from aus, well I suppose I could get there but I would just sleep on the beach because of jet-lag!
when you start gluing, shaping, chambering(?), you balsa board please post pics of the process and progress, I for one would really love to see it come together, thanks mate
