Wooden Surfboards: December 2015

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Wooden knee boards by Mike De Heer to be tested at Skeleton Bay

"I was introduced to making wood boards by Patrick Burnett in Cape Town 2 years ago when I built a board on one of his board building courses. Since then I have tried a other few methods, including chambered, I have finally settled on the EPS with parabolic rails method. I have found this gives me the best weight to strength ratio. They surf great and really enjoy the flex properties it gives me. My rails and tail blocks are a combination of cork and either Japanese Cedar or Obeche. I have used Walnut and Maple for deck/bottom skins but am settling on Koto for my last few boards."

" You will note quite a few kneeboards as I am a keen kneeboarder. "

"For 2016 I have set myself the goal of building one board a month every month and have started the first three. I will send you pics once completed. I am also planning my secound surftrip to Skeleton
Bay in 2016 and hope to have a quiver of 3 kneeboards ready for the trip.
Skeleton Bay is an insane wave and can snap boards like twigs so I will need them to be strong and shaped for the barrel. But I hope to claim "first wood board surfed at Skeleton Bay" status. Will let you know how I get on."

This is Skeleton Bay...

"Thanks for a great blog, the information shared in your articles has helped me refine my techniques pushed me to build better boards."

Regards
Mike de Heer
Dust Wooden Surfboards

https://m.facebook.com/Dust-Woodtec-Surfboards-1562226290659231/

Monday, December 28, 2015

First time bagging a board.

Adam Lloyd in New Zealand has been building framed wooden boards and was keen to try bagging wood over EPS as an option. Here are few shots he sent me of his progress.

I helped him with a design in AKU and he had to convince his local shaper with a AKU machine to have a go at cutting the file for him. It is much easier to give someone a straight forward file that is thinned out for your needs with normal rails cut as well. And then it is a regular cut for them. That way it will fit with their work flow and you get a result that is easy to use. So here is the cut blank from H grade EPS. Next is to scribe the rails and cut off 10 or 15mm that will be replaced with laminated Paulownia.

Get the rails nice and square and then glue on say a 3mm strip of Paulownia. All you need is good quality masking tape, no clamps required. Do this both sides and across the nose. And the tail if you want depending on what finished shape the tail design is.

Once you have trimmed the 3mm Paulownia on all the way round the blank, you can set it up on a level bench and place some wood under the blank as you rocker bed. Check you rocker from the design / cutting file and make sure it is still there. Cut your deck and bottom skins about 5mm oversize all round and you are ready to get some glue out and laminate it all together.Slide it all in the bag on top of the rocker bed and suck it down for a couple of hours.

You can pull some pretty tidy concaves and deck roll with the bag that is for sure.

Once out of the bag you can trim it all up and you have encapsulated the foam in wood.Very simple and very efficient. Now all you have to do is laminate the rails on with masking tape once again. Simple and cost effective.

Looks like it all came out well. The board can be finished in fibreglass if you use say 3 or 4mm deck skins.Or you can use marine or floor grade varnish depending on the thickness of the deck skins and their ability to take your weight.This is a lighter and cheaper option compared to getting someone to glass the board for you.

Looks like a fun board.

If you want to get more info from Adam check out his site :

the timber board shop

adam@thetimberboardshop.co.nz

www.thetimberboardshop.co.nz

Monday, December 21, 2015

Wooden boards by Jason Oliver

Jason has been building a range of different wooden boards for some time now. He is well known for his great looking boards with nail holes and rust stains, as they are skinned with recycled pallets. His use of tints and colour with wood as well.

Performance fish, recycled pine pallets over eps core with tint on foam rails.

3 piece custom travel surfboard, PU blank with Red cedar and pigment

9' 6 longboard from recycled Western Red Cedar, Red Cedar, Pine pallets and Paulownia.

Check out what Jason is up to on ...

jasonoliverwoodensurfboards.blogspot.com

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Board building classes in Europe 2016 with Arbo Surfboards.

From Paul Reisberg ...
" Hey hey,
Before I'm off to Morocco for a couple of weeks just a quick update on things happening and workshops in early 2016. I've been around Europe a lot the last few months to build wooden boards and help people to make their own.

The next build-your-own hollow wooden surfboard weekend workshops are:

29.-31.january 2016 - bristol/uk
12.-14.february 2016 - düsseldorf/germany
19.-21.february 2016 - hamburg/germany
01.-31.march 2016 - newquay/cornwall/uk
13.-16.may 2016 - hamburg/germany

Additional dates for 2016 are in the planning! Please suggest a place for a workshop if you are keen and maybe even have a suitable space!!
If you always wanted to check out the surf in Cornwall, do so and build a board with me at the same time... there is new accommodation available right where we are based. and yoga classes every night at Lime House Yoga Studio.

Sorry to those who couldn't get a place in of the workshops with me in 2015. let's make it happen in 2016.
Contact me soon if you are interested to take part and want more information.
Custom boards are as usual. Let me know soon if you want a bespoke wooden surfboard for the summer. I have some time in january/february to build you something...

All the best from rainy Cornwall,
Paul Reisberg

ARBO Surfboards
Mount Hill Farm
Mount, Rose
Truro, Cornwall TR4 9PP
United Kingdom

contact: paulitspaul@gmx.net
(i'm not always quick to respond but will eventually...)
on facebook: here
www.arbosurfboards.blogspot.com.au