building my board from scratch

longboarder_bmth · #1 (**permalink**) 12th June 2008, 18:54

Well im going ahead and building my first board from scratch with a big block of foam, put in a ply stringer, shape it up and glass it with ply shaped glass in fins. The shape im going for is a 7ftish high volume fish like a tiki sumo sorta shape. going to be 3 fin thruster set up and bright green. So far i have my resin ect and tried shaping, spraying and glassing a small section of the foam to make sure it works and it does:

and this is the shape im kinda after:

Stormrider · #2 (**permalink**) 12th June 2008, 19:20

Good luck with it.Make sure you post a picture of the final product.

longboarder_bmth · #3 (**permalink**) 12th June 2008, 19:21

cheers

il keep the odd update

Woody_waverider · #4 (**permalink**) 13th June 2008, 14:15

Yeeeer go for it.

I love a good build thread, keep posting pics, if you have and questions

or run into trouble

just ask, were all here to help

.

I like to start off by making the fins first, that way your not hanging around making the fins while the board's sitting there collecting dust for a day or two.

Use 9mm baltic birch 5 ply if you can find it or glue together 2 layers of ply from the modle shop. Use the ply lines to get a nice smooth foil. Glass the fins before you attach them to the board and add a bead of glass rope along the leading edge for added strength.

longboarder_bmth · #5 (**permalink**) 13th June 2008, 19:45

yeah thats a good point, yup i was going to laminate 3 sheets of 3ply to make the fins, no ply as of yet but im getting some early next week

ivanmcp · #6 (**permalink**) 13th June 2008, 20:26

In a meantime, design yourself a logo and a name, print it on a transparency printer sheet, cut around it descarding all the bits you don't need so you can laminate it under your fiberglass. Worked a treat for me. I'll try and find my original logo and post it in here. Good luck.

longboarder_bmth · #7 (**permalink**) 14th June 2008, 11:36

i have kinda got an idea and as for name im going to go with the ol faithful surname haha

longboarder_bmth · #8 (**permalink**) 25th June 2008, 20:04

right so had some free time today and decided to shape up the first fin and here it is:

so far not too bad just need another 2 then i will glass them up

ILee · #9 (**permalink**) 25th June 2008, 20:59

Looking good.

Woody_waverider · #10 (**permalink**) 26th June 2008, 19:55

Nice.

How thick is the ply and how many layers of ply are there, is is double or single foiled.

Looks like you need to even out the foil at th ebottom of the leading edge and also add more foil on the trailing edge. use the layers of ply as your guild to get it nice and smooth

seal the fin with a thinned coat of sanding resin resin, add 2 layers of 6oz to the first side (the curved side if singel foiled) with lam resin.

Leave a good overlap and pull the cloth away from the leading edge so it doesn't quite touch and leaves a little space. hot coat the first side. when set flip the fins over.

Get some roving or glass rope. If you dont have this pull all the long strands from a patch of cloth (about 20-25 strands) tie a knot in one end to hole them together.

Wet out another couple of layers of 6oz. Soak the rope in resin then pull it thruugh the your closed fist (wear gloves) to squeeze out the excess resin. You should be left with what looks like a fat clear noodle.

Run the wet rope along the little gap then add the cloth other the top. workout any bubbles with your finger tips.

Hot coat the second side.

Cut it out with a jigsaw with a tuncsten carbide blade (looks like its covered in grit)

fine tune the edges and sand the fin all over and its ready to glass on

not the above fins still in the pannel in the middle of this repair job.

Hope that helps

longboarder_bmth · #11 (**permalink**) 28th June 2008, 13:48

hey thanks for the help, i was kinda under the impression that you get the basic shape but fine tune it when glassed up. I havent a clue though

longboarder_bmth · #12 (**permalink**) 29th June 2008, 12:57

well they are glassed up and heres one fin almost done. Im going for a twin fin now (im making it up as i go along)should be loose enough for me as im used to a big single fin 9ftr.