Hello.i am new in sasebo japan and am wondering if their are any surfers and hobby shapers.i just finished my first chambered board[heavy 19.6kg].
james
Hi James welcome to Swaylocks - I believe there are some Japan members here, but be patient, because the site is experiencing some problems right now, and not everyone can get in.
Meanwhile, it would be awesome to see some pics of your chambered board, or your quiver, or you local break, etc. We love pics here at Swaylocks!
I started with as usual the rocker cut out from solud wood.next i screwed it together and gluedjust the middle .i shaped and broke apart.then i my rails were still not shaped that was my last step and hardest.its my first ever board build.its balsa amd western red cedar
The board looks beautiful! You say “almost” finished, so I assume you will thin the board a bit more? In the pic of the stringer template laying atop the plank it looks great, but in the almost finished pic and the pic showing the chambers cut, the board looks a bit thick, esp the nose and tail.
You say the board is heavy at almost 20 kg., my conversion chart tells me 20.0 kg = 44.092 lbs, so I would say you are not exaggerating. You could lose some of that weight by thinning out the foil.
The workmanship looks very clean and meticulous, and your shop looks great! I have a tiny shed in my backyard, wish I had some elbow room like that. Is that a school woodshop, or a commercial woodshop? At any rate, looking forward to seeing the completed surfboard, and hopefully, many more!
By the way, I think most members are still unable to get in. I found the thread by clicking the “discussion” tab, and then clicking the link to this thread, since it was the only one linked. The other threads in “General Discussion” I am unable to access at present. I don’t know if everyone is having the same issues, but judging by the PMs I have received, I suspect many are.
I am the supervisor of the maintenance team on the navy base here so it equals so so pay but we do have a huge shop with many tools.this was my first build and i couldn’t ask anyone for help on rails but design wise swaylock has helped me.i learned a lot about rails from the guys at greenlight surfing.they have the rail band layout but still very hard to do alone at night with a huge belt sander as your only means of shaping them.i tried to ask for help but the shapers here wont help.but its their food and rent money so i can not blame them.
what you have created is, a board that is pre chambered, this will NOT let you shape the crown to the deck with out cutting into the chambers, to ensure the maximum lightness, shape the solid board completely to the point of where sanding would start, then break the spot glues. This is where you draft out the pieces for chambering, see where the outline will determine how far away to stay from the tips.
The pic shows a shape ready to be glued back together
An old classmate of mine from Hawaii was the head of the fire crew at Sasebo, Scott Rhodes
Yes.i can think of at least 30 things to do better next time.i think next i will do a mini simmons with a thumb type tail to ease turning…and be cheaper on wood.red wood and balsa is very expensive here.pine is cheap.any advice on rails?
Look for Kiri wood, or Princess Tree. It is the same as Paulownia. Used in Japan to make boxes and musical instruments. Considered an invasive weed in Japan.
I am the supervisor of the maintenance team. Is that the PWC shop, are you a Sea Bee ?
No sir.no seabee.but im prior navy used to be a bm.now i am a dod civilian.
Yes sir will do.i just have this thing for redwood.next board will be better documented and better/faster made i think.
I like Redwood too, but Redwood will be heavy.
That’s a great picture.you do great work!I am a welder by trade, this whole woodshaping exercise is very new to me.any advise you can give me on basic shaping and rail band points for old style 50/50 rails?
Kiri is actually very expensive here.after i epoxy the board i will post some new pics
I sent him a mail.i can read and write japanese but nothing back.i think its his business so its not in his best interest to help out a beginner board builder.
