Not a typical design question but shaped a few boards and looking to try my first balsa, or paulwana board. Was curious if I should go with a kit, seems a bit over price, could find rocker, and templates from other boards. Or should I just buy a bunch of wood boards and rip them up? http://www.woodsurfboardsupply.com/wood.html if so anyone know anywhere cheaper then this, or any good retailers on the east coast? Also as a caviat when shaping how bad it is to use your foam planer on this type of wood? – Thanks for any help - Jolly Mon
palownia*
Are you kidding? Those kits are expensive! Shaper price shop, we buy in bulk, we use whatever.- Jim
Want to take a third pass at that one?
Your planer was made to plane doors. It will work on balsa just fine.
I’d suggest you invest in the shaping DVD by Jim Phillips. Lots of trade secrets in there.
Check out this thread http://www.grainsurf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5834
East coast guy, shows how to make a hollow wood board copy of another board. I don’t think he spends a lot of money on this.
Hollow wood (fish-bone framework covered with planks) is different from solid wood or chambered, different from wood vacuumed over foam. What do you want to build?
I know the planer will do it im talking on long term use not that im worried about that now, it would most likely dull the blades a bit faster I assume. Also I know the spelling is off, im adjusting to my new kindle - dam hobbit fingers. Great advice though guys let you know how this thing turns out eventually.
Hws and compsand usually don’t need a planer, that’s only for solid wood or chambered.
BalsaBill - hi there! I just ran a search bcuz I’m interested in possibly shaping a balsa wood board. But I’d need to know pricing.
Well, I just checked out a video -johnmellor showed me -it’s impressive! id probably want about an eight foot log to make my Ostrich egg idea…build a 7’10 Sasquatch Ostrich egg! Now that would turn sum head’s at the beach !
I think I’m stick n to polly for awhile…
Building a HWS is on my board building bucket list
Hey gdaddy I’ve built several hws, but never built a chambered board - that’s on my bucket list!
So I think instead of doing a straight hws out the box going to try a compsand on a 6’0 biscuit I have roughed out. Probably going to try and go with bamboo and cedar for the panels. Now to try and find a good thread on compsand build start to finish, especially ones with cheap - cheap vacume bags. Anyone think using a modified space saver bag would work?
http://www.acpsales.com/Nylon-Vacuum-Bag-Tubes.html
http://www.acpsales.com/Quick-Lock-Seals.html
I use the tube-style nylon bags along with a pair of the clamps (those are a 1-time purchase). If you protect the bag from splinters in the veneer by using a layer of plastic like painter’s drop cloth or Saran-wrap plastic film the bags can be resused a fair bit before they start leaking.
If I did do an HWS I would seriously consider using your method to do it.
While I haven’t done a balsa board, I saw BalsaBill’s vid and he seemed to mow right on thru it np! Your blades should be fine.