New wooden board building kit supplier in New Zealand

Adam Loyd has just set up and new business and great site to supply all you need to build and finish a wooden board.

He has a nice range of kits

Paulownia for the deck skins is grown in New Zealand

Adam can supply you with whatever you need. A great resource.
 www.thetimberboardshop.co.nz

This years Wooden Board Day - Sunday 4th August

Well I hope you are all busy getting your projects finished in time for this years Wooden Board Day to be held at Currumbin Alley here on the Gold Coast Sunday 4th of August. Now is a great time to work away in the shed while it is cool and get some new toys planned for summer. No sweat dripping on the wood and your beer stays cool much longer. So plenty of time to get sorted. As in other years it will be a very informal gathering in the park. So arrive in time for an early surf, lay your boards, hand planes, alaias and other craft in the park and kick back with a picnic lunch or BBQ. There will be plenty of interesting people and projects to talk about with others. Around lunchtime Tom Wegener and I will pull up some chairs with a couple of others to have a chat and share our experiences. We welcome everyone to share and participate in this open discussion. This is how we can learn from each other and not have to do the hard yards alone.
I look forward to checking out what everyone has been up to. If you have a project you would like to share , please send some pics and words for me to post up. If you have any questions flick me an email : grantnewby@bigpond.com

Grain Surfboards have it all happening

 A Return to Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center
"We’re doing it again. This summer, July 31- August 3 to be exact, we’re returning to the famed Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center in San Clemente, California for another 4-day class extravaganza. Time is of the essence, we need to fill this class quickly so we have time to book our plane tickets and prep all the wood. If you’re interested, sign up soon. We’re planning to spend some time while we’re out there tricking out our new mobile classroom and partnering up with some friends to offer some in-water demos. See you on the road."

 

More Classes

"We have lots of workshops, clinics and classes in the works for this summer. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome our friend Jon Wegener back for a fall paipo and alaia class. We’re also planning a series of Thursday night handplane workshops  -  come by the shop, enjoy some surf flicks and food and shape yourself a handplane. Want more? How about surfboard function and hydrodynamics discussion with Cape Cod craftsman Sean Vecchione of Vec Surfboards."

The new Fantail - Pig
"We’ve been talking about this design for a long time, and we’re excited that it’s finally up on our site. The Fantail is a classic Pig shape, similar to what Dale Velzy was shaping back in the heyday of hotdogging. It’s available as a custom board in 9’2” and 9’9”. But for those of you that just have to build it yourself, sign up for a Fantasy Camp and we’ll help lead you through the process of building your dream board."

Handplane Blanks, A Real Hands-On Experience
"We’ve been shaping handplanes for years and we love the process. It gives you the opportunity to work with a number of fun hand tools plus it’s a quick, rewarding process that gets you out enjoying the waves in a new way in no time. We also love offering you the opportunity to get hands-on, so we’re now offering our handplanes as DIY kits. The kit comes with a wood blank, pre- drilled for our special handstrap attachment, and includes a quick shaping manual, some natural polyurethane that we use in-house, even the strap itself. So take an afternoon and shape something, you’ll be glad you did."

 

Mike and the boys at Grain in York , Maine, USA do a great job and if you want to find out more or the range of board kits and events, check them out here : www.grainsurfboards.com

The Simm - 21 by John Cherry

 This is the latest hand shaped board by master craftsman John Cherry. It is actually his 50th Simm-21 model board. A 7ft 2" x 22 1/4" x 2 3/4"

 This is John's take on the modern version of the Bob Simmons boards of the late 40's. John has built balsa replicas of original Simmons boards so he has a good insight into what they are about.

" Building the blank was the easy part.I used ultra-light balsa for the rails.  I didn’t need to chamber them.  The board is still very light."

 Shaping a board with multiple stringers is a real test of skills. Soft foam next to harder wood. Not easy to get a good finish.

This will look great all glossed up with a set of John's hand crafted wooden fins.

John Cherry , he is the man. woodenshipsbyjcherry.blogspot.com.au

9ft 6" x 23" pintail

This is the progressive steps in building this 9ft 6" x 23" pintail

 

 The custom hot wired EPS foam blank with the 5mm Paulownia stringer glued in.

 The blank is then cut on an AKU machine that foils the board out top and bottom , minus the thickness of the Paulownia to be laminated to the top and bottom.

 A 3mm Paulownia strip has been laminated to the rail edge of the blank.The blank is rested on a leveled table and shaped blocks located to hold the designed rocker during the vacuum bagging process. The board goes in the bag and it all rests on the blocks. Using the natural rocker in the board blank now all that is needed is gentle pressure to be applied to the middle of the board as the air is removed from the bag.

 A 6mm thick Paulownia panel cut 5mm oversize for the deck and a 4mm one for the bottom are taped in place before sliding into the bag.All the air sucked out by the pump and this clamps the timber down all over with equal pressure to all surfaces. This enables you to replicate all your designed concaves and contours.

 The Polyurethane glue needs 2 hours to go off in the bag. The bag is made from .75mm PVC , the same material you see in board windows and covers. It is tough , no stretch and the glue won't stick to it.So you can use it multiple times.

 Out of the bag and ready to be trimmed up

 This board will get 20mm of rails laminated on in 4 x 5mm thick full length strips.

 All the rocker is retained and the foam is now encapsulated in wood.

 Here it is finished. The only resin on the board is to secure the finbox into the board.

 It is finished with multiple coats of lanolin to nurish the timber and add to waterproofing.

 The lanolin has the added advantage , that when it hits salt water that it becomes very stick and you will not need to use wax.

 Old school leg rope hole through the fin box and out through the deck , simple neat and tidy. You and see the 4 x 5mm Paulownia laminated strips at the tail in a basket weave pattern.

 Simple clear wood finish

 5mm of concave in the nose with a very rolled bottom in the tail , no problem.

More wooden board building classes

 

If you re interested in building a wooden surfboard and you live in the UK , you should get hold of  Paul from ARBO wooden surfboards.

"The deal is as usual:
price for the workshop is 300€+45€/ft board length.
that includes tuition and all the materials to complete the shape of your choice (internal plywood structure, paulownia/cedar deck and bottom skins, bead and cove rail strips, glues,...) and the tools you need to work. if you have tools (handplanes, saws etc.) bring them with you too!"

 

"Have a look here for well tested shapes that can be built and pictures from past workshops.
I can also design a custom board to your requirements or replicate an existing design.

After three intense days the board is constructed and will only need some detail shaping and final sanding before it can get glassed.
finboxes/-plugs, leashplugs and venting screws are not included but can be bought off me on the workshop.
I can also supply you with custom boardbags, made by salty buds to fit your board.
 to laminate the board within the three days is impossible. If time allows though, I will laminate a little demoboard on the weekend to prepare you for the task of glassing your board at home. It actually isn't that hard!
You can get a few meters of fibreglass from me and I can give you a voucher that will get you a good deal on entropy resin, a (sustainable) epoxy resin that I use for my boards.
Those interested can visit me with their boards in Bristol and learn how to laminate using epoxy. dates for these glassing sessions have to be arranged individually.

If you are interested in owning a handcrafted wooden surfboard but don't want to build it yourself you can get a custom one built by me. I will build only one ordered board per month this year. get in touch to discuss a design.
If you don't make it to the cologne session you have another chance in august or september in berlin. the next UK workshop will most likely be in Bristol again. exact dates will be announced on my blog or on facebook.

Get in touch if you have got any questions or if you want to sign up. i'll try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Feel free to forward this to people who you think could be interested as well. spread the word but keep it underground!"

all the best,

Paul
 

Wooden board building course in Portugal

Sergi from Flama Surfboards has just sent this to me to share.

"We're planing the workshop as a shaping course, instead of a "boat building" course. Of course, we'll be shaping Flama's hollow wooden blanks, which don't need to be fiberglassed. Over a week period we will be talking and learning about surfboard hydrodynamics from the hand of experienced shapers. Furthermore, the Flama Workshop has been planned in a relaxed way, so participants will be able to go surfing every day and go back to the workshop with renewed energy.

12th to 18th of August 2013 LAGÔA, ERICEIRA, PORTUGAL
All the info here:  flamaworkshop.wordpress.com      flamasurf.com
Sergi Galanó

 

Japanese "Itago" board in Hawaii

Japanese hollow wooden surfboard "Float" in 1962

Good friend and Japanese wooden board builder , Nobby  has been gathering information and rare pictures of early wooden boards and wave riding in Japan.
"Yesterday, I met a guy who live in Zushi, Kanagawa that is nearby Kamakura and got interview with him about “Itago” and “Float” in the 60’s." It appears that some of these boards that they rode were actually also floats or safety flotation devices used by fishermen for safety on their fishing boats.

You can catch up with Nobby's research into early Japanese surfing on his site :

www.nobbywoodsurfboards.com

 He has also been working on a new 6ft single fin.

Wooden board builders in Colorado

"Carve began in the minds and hands of Ryan and Jamison Witbeck in the Spring of 1999. While building their first handmade 50’ wooden catamaran, Allura, they began working out designs for the surfboard line. For the next ten years, the boys pursued their boat building and chartering careers in the US Virgin Islands, building yet another 50’ catamaran, Kekoa. Throughout this time, the brothers continued building and designing what would become the Carve surfboard quiver, keeping the surfboard dream alive. Finally, in 2011, Ryan left the Caribbean and moved back to Colorado to bring the board business to reality."

"Carve found its new home in Lyons CO, where Ryan quickly built the team that would put Carve on the map. Carve, for the last year, has been located at The Farmette in Lyons, in a humble board shop next to the Farmette Creek. With more of the shop located outdoors than indoors, increased demand and harsh winters have driven the boys to seek greener pastures.   Luckily, fate took pity on the cold and damp crew and opened up a rental space in downtown Lyons.  Putting the cart in front of the horse tends to light a fire under one’s rear, so fear of failure be damned!  We’re taking Carve to new heights!"

 The crew outside their old digs

 

All moved in and ready for action

For the lake or river

sliding the glide

"Currently, our boards are constructed chiefly of Beetle Kill Pine (BKP), a surplus pine from Colorado that the state has been forced to clear cut due to the fungus spread by the mountain pine beetle. Mountainsides of dead BKP have become tinder boxes, which along with drought, lead to the massive Colorado fires in the summer of 2012. Carve took advantage of this surplus and began implementing the pine into our boards; it is a conscientious use of a resource that may otherwise go unused."

If you would like to contact the guys , order a board or find out more :

carvesurfboards.com

Carve Industries Nosh from Carve on Vimeo.

Flying spud

 A new Firewire Baked Potatoe in Timber Tech gets a workout in Byron Bay.

Pic from Troy at Soul Arch