Solid Rails HWS

General Discussion
1

I’m new here to Swaylocks and hope to post more dealing with different things involved in the design and building of hollow wooden surfboards. I like experimenting with different techniques to try and refine the HWS building process. Lately I have been experimenting with the “solid rails” or “rails first” method of building HWS. Here are a few recent projects I’ve completed, I hope to have more soon.

[img_assist|nid=1068157|title=Hollow Wooden Shortboard Shape|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=480|height=640]

[img_assist|nid=1068156|title=Solid Rail Stubby HWS|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=480|height=640]

[img_assist|nid=1068161|title=Hollow wooden bodyboard with redwood and cedar|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=531|height=640]

2

C. Cook, Look up a few of Huck’s threads, talk to him. He has an interesting method that to me seems better than laminated rails. I think he gets a better outline this way.

3

HWS is a cool thing and you certinaly have it!

Anyway, Huck has some cool ideas.  Also look at Paul Jensen.

The other method that is pretty solid is the bead and cove rails. 

 

There are a lot of ways to do it - your boards look pretty cool.

4

...but my rails aren't solid, they're hollow!

Chris you have been cooking up some beauties!  Hope you bless us with step-by-step photo essays here on Swaylocks of your future builds.  We love them build threads with lots of progress pics.

Welcome to Swaylocks my friend.

5

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I have done some in a similar way to Huck’s. As with most of us that use the “rails first” method we have been inspired by his way of doing it.

[img_assist|nid=1068175|title=Hollow wooden stubby rails and frame|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]

I’ve been experimenting with laminating rail strips to a jig that follows the outline of the surfboard because that way it allows me to get a nicer outline shape. Once I take the rails out of the jig I don’t have to do anything to adjust the outline. I was having to adjust the outline in places where the jigsaw blade traveled, or where I messed up. With laminating the strips this way I don’t have to do that.

[img_assist|nid=1068176|title=Laminated rail strips for hollow woden shortboard|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=480|height=640]

I like both ways of doing it, the “rails first” way makes a lot of sense to me. I hope others find even better ways of doing it in the future. I hope to have some new pics soon of some new projects I’m doing. Right now I’m in the Dominican Republic trying to set up shop and get some supply issues worked out. Here it is hard to find decently dry lumber. A local wood supplier said they carry dried lumber. They stand it up on end until it is “dry”. I asked how long they let it dry and they said a week or two. Hmmmm… A week or two in 95% humidity weather. We’ll see what we happens. More experimenting to come…

6

Thanks Chris - your way looks great, we all learn from each other.  Wood is good!

[quote="$1"] ..Here it is hard to find decently dry lumber. A local wood supplier said they carry dried lumber. They stand it up on end until it is "dry". I asked how long they let it dry and they said a week or two. Hmmmm... A week or two in 95% humidity weather. We'll see what we happens. More experimenting to come... [/quote]

Kinda reminds me of an expression we use in construction when we pick up a still dripping, 40lb. 2x6..."pond dried lumber"!