Hey guy's,
I thought I would start with an introduction. I'm James from the East Midlands, UK. I'm an apprentice joiner at New Collage Stamford on the second year of my three year course. I'm planning on moving onto building wooden and traditional style boats, canoe's and canal barge's in the near future, if I can find a collage to go to.

I've been hovering around the forum since before the summer (2009) and decided to bring my passion for the environment, woodwork and surfing together. As I'm new to this type of woodwork I will most definitely be making one or two mistakes, so I hope with your knowledge and advice I can avoid most of them.

Right now I'd say I'm in the design phase
I've based my first design on one of the easiest surfboards I have surfed so far, an NSP 7' 6" Mini Mal:

http://www.sortedsurfshop.co.uk/products.asp?pid=1297

[EDIT - 20/01/10]

I'm undecided on what style board I'm going to make. I may start small(er) to save on money.

[/EDIT]

So I'd like to ask for a big favour from you all, to look at the design I created in AKU Shaper and help me correct/edit it. Like I said, this is my first design and I'm looking to building a good beginners all rounder board.

Thanks guys,
James

good to see another UK project - Rich's 8' Mal is good and a proven design - it was my first and turned out a good beginner shape, and just the right size to use some 4mm ply for the bottom deck - a real bonus time wise

Hi mate, good luck with the mini mal.As you've probably already noticed this site has loads of info,with most of the answers, its just finding it.
Have you had any thoughts on what wood to use yet? I'm still working on frame at the moment of my first build, a 9' 6" swallow tail. Obeche is light, strong and relatively cheap.Lathams have got it.
Sorry cant help with your design questions , haven't gone down that road yet.
Cheers Martin

Right now the plan is 6mm Ply through-out, with recycled mixed timber planks for the deck. I'll use strips of Ply to create solid rails and for the underside, again I think I'll use a sheet of 6mm Ply. I don't know what sort of Ply I'm going to use yet, whether it be Bending or Marine or both.

See, in theory, the board should be air/water tight so I shouldn't have to worry about the ply getting wet, and skip using Marine. On the other hand, this is my first and I might fudge something up

But, I will need some words of wisdom on what effects using a mix of "scrap wood" will have, other than looking quite interesting. I will have to think about the different properties/strengths of the different timbers as well as any effects of what they may have been treated with. Of course this may not effect much, but I haven't worked with wood long enough to know that yet.

The reason I'm using recycled timber is a mix of the environment and my lack of money. This is one reason why I wouldn't be surprised if this project continues on past the summer. I have a clean freak of a mother and no workshop so I'm helping my Grandad clear out his workshop:

1) So I can move in with my work
2) So he has room to squeeze in to build his RC Planes
3) To keep my Nan happy

But first I'm going to build a rocker table similar to this one:

http://www.grainsurf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=66#p66

James

Hi James. You might want to consider using Marine ply,because occasionally there are gaps in 6mm wbp core that could seriously weaken your board. You could use Birch ply that is very strong stable stuff .
I'm all for making something beautiful out of a load of off cuts. In fact I've been saving mine for twenty years or so waiting for a project such as this.In theory you can make a surfboard out of relatively small pieces of wood , as long as you join them well using a good adhesive.
So good luck on this awesome adventurer. Martin

Welcome mate, good to see another build this side of the water

As blue said, we used 4mm exterior grade ply for the bottom deck, ive used my board countless times now and there are no issues with the bottom deck. For the top we used recycled timber, ranging from teak to pine - all of which were thicknessed down to 6mm.

Good luck and keep us posted with progress

Stu

Ok, so... 4mm exterior grade Ply for the fish bone and rail planks. 6mm mixed timber planks for the deck (and possibly bottom?). How wide did you guys cut your planks for the deck, I was thinking 100mm? As for the glue, I know nothing. I've heard people mention Titebond II, any opinions?

I have a few local timber merchants, where did you guys get your timber, any websites? I'm starting to gather prices for the rocker table now. Just need to decide the final dimensions and the list of stuff for it:

Length: 8ft
Width: 30inch
x2 lengths 2x4 inch
x5 cross members 2x4 inch @ 2ft centres
x24 slats (for clamping) 3x1 inch @ 8inch centres
x24 threaded rods 16inch?
x48 bolts
x48 wing nuts

Also, am I right in saying the ribs are set at 8inch centres?
Thanks guys, I do have a lot of questions
James

Blue and I cut our top deck planks at various widths up to approx 60mm. Ribs we had a 200, timber we used 100% recycled for the top deck - old hardwood benches, hand rails, gym benches etc (both teach High School so wood was there for us to grab before it went in the skip). We both used Titebond III for the decks etc and GG for the frame to bottom deck. We also used Boco's rail method rather than solid.


On the glue question - there has been a lot of debate on this one - I am now using Titebond I for my boards - i see no reason not too as its a bloody good adhesive, also we are useing the Titebond PU glue - just as good as GG IMO but a few quid less - have a look on Axminster Power Tools website mate.

Stu

Thanks Stu,
I had a look on Axminster at Titebond. Am I right in thinking some people swear by the epoxy glues? Either way I'll keep it simple with the Titebond PU stuff. Why do we use different glues, one for the fishbone and another for the deck? Anyway, Im going to save money to buy timber from Wickes. I found some 6.5mm 8x4ft "exterior" Birch ply, but it says:
So it's only exterior after you treat it your self? It makes me chuckle

Im trying to find a full design template for an easy beginner board, and I'm having trouble finding one. Maybe I'm just being picky or blind. Here's a question for the pro's... I weigh between 8 1/2 to 9 stone (under 125 lbs), if I could get the rail profile, width etc. correct, could you build a nose rider from an 8ft board?

Bear with me guys, it's gonna be a long thread!

Sorry for the "all talk, no action" type thread, this is all new to me (and I'm having a tough time finding an apprenticeship while at collage). I will get to the building stage after a final design is chosen, lol.
But like they say; "Once you've finished your first HWSurfboard, you can knock 'em out like there's no tomorrow!"

go for Rich's plans, then cut them in 4mm or 6mm ply, use 4mm ply for the bottom and strip rails and planked deck with whatever you can find - heres my complete UK beginners first project:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2395&start=0

foaming PU for fishbone to bottom, then that or titebond fo everything else - if you end up with gaps on ribs or decks then I reckon titebond is the better option as the foamy ones leave a mess - titebond and wood dust makes a good paste and a smoother fill