The experiment continues...

Actually, while that’s fine if you’re making a one-off, the way to go for more than one is this:

Shape your first, experimental board of foam, try it and see. Then, use it as a male mold for a number of laminates, and squeegee them well. If you’re set up to do vaccum bagging, then by all means go for it

Pop that off the mold, then use sheet foam, cut to outline shape, and then stick that to the deck side. Again, vaccum bagging is ideal. Shape your edges, laminate, laminate, laminate and laminate some more. Hotcoat, sand appropriately, glass your fin or fins on and there you are. Sand the glass to tune the flex.

If you want to get cute, make a very oversize male mold of whatever you like, do a lamination or six a bit oversized relative to what you want to wind up with and then saw it to shape, then go with the foam, etc, as above.

Sanding away all that foam is horribly time consuming, if nothing else. And there’s a surprising number of ‘found’ objects that’ll give you a nice spoon shape ( or otherwise, if you don’t want a spoon ) when used as a male mold. You may never look at an old refrigerator door the same way again.

Hope that’s of use

doc…

The shaping is done…

Dimensions:

Length- 9’1"

Nose - 16.75"

Wide - 22" @ 12" back

Tail - 16.75"

Thickness - 2.375"

Shaped Weight - 7.5#

The appearance is not a concern, since it’ll be glassed with Carbon Fiber…



The bottom is laminated with 4.5oz. Carbon Fiber cloth and Resin Research epoxy…

Under the surface is an 8" wide strip of CF over the “stringer”…


The bottom is laminated…


Hey Paul,

The board looks like a triming machine.

I’m mystified by the rocker one business end looks great.

The other is about as relaxed as anything I’ve ever seen.

I looks like it’ll be fun in small surf but man when it get head high or above this thing is gonna be a real challenge to surf.

Greg’s epoxy sure is great to work with isn’t it!

The board will probably be less than 8.5lbs when you’re done.

Great stuff!

Off to the fin shop, Rich

Paul,

It is looking good Paul. Thanks for posting the pictures.

Since the weight issue is becoming a bit of a lottery I will go with 10.5 lbs. My reasoning is that the board is a first time experiment and will therefore probably be heavier than ones to follow.

By the way, how did the boat work out?

Take care.

Patrick

Looks good Paul, nice hull, cant wait to see it,ride it?Ill bring my 9’4’’ Paul Gross spoon so we could compare.Ive got one of those Pope hollow fins that would be cool to try on that shape. Keep at it.KP.

The shape was definately inspired at last years Big Sur get together…The rails are very thinned out and the bottom is fully domed…

I’m using 4.5 oz. CF to glass the outside…

The 4.5 oz. CF’s weave and ability to hold resin is much more like 6 or 8 oz. fiberglass cloth…

I guess the actual weight of CF is less than fiberglass, therefore the bulk of the CF is greater, given an equal weight of cloth…

I’m stoked on the strength of the CF, but a flyweight board, this will not be…

Sometimes the most “magic” boards arise from changes in plans…I think this is one of those boards…

The foam hollow is completed…

Here are some pictures…



Finished weight - 18#

The board is stiff and strong…

Launching awaits further curing and offshore winds…


Looking great. I’m super impressed by your methods and am building a hollow wood one with pretty much guidance off your site exclusively. It’s a lot harder than anything that I’ve attempted as far as woodwork. Construction is nothing compared to it, and building cedar-strip canoes and skateboards is a fairly simple in comparison too. I’m kinda poor for all those clamps you use, so it’s a lot of waxed hydro twine and elbow grease. Primitive, yet effective. I’ve got a decent warp going on the one end, but this is my first, so hopefully I’ll improve. All your work and guidance is much appreciated… Joel “Red” Feenstra