My DIY surf board

Today I started on my first DIY surf board... Used layered 1" foam board and plan to work the foam to shape and then fiberglass and gel the outside... Total length is 55" and I'm planning on a 2.5" rocker in the front with a 1/2" rocker in the back. I used a jig saw to cut the board out. Any tips or suggestions? I am also making a wooden stringer to run in the middle of the board.

We made one a few years back. It rode awesome. The only issue we had was our skills on laying the glass.
Also with the stringer I would build something to help hold the rocker shape while the glue dries.

It's coming along. I've been doing one coat of glass then sanding mostly smooth then repeating. I'm gonna have over a gallon of fiberglass resign in the board.

I'm not really sure what to say about what I have just seen. Please continue posting pics of your build, I'm hoping you will create a floating rideable board.

Wow. Just wow.

Nick

ah...ya. I think you may want to start again. There's no coming back from that not so stellar fiber glassing job. It shouldn't be bumpy and wavey. Not trying to be mean but I'd start again. Maybe Nick can give you some pointers for the next round.

I don't see why not. It's my first level of glass and I can sand it perfectly smooth after each coat? After its thick enough and has the right weight I will then sand smooth and prep for gel coat... Which I will likely brush and sand down until smooth

I have enough foam to make 4 boards. I'm sure after a couple attempts it will get better. How do you guys keep the the edges smooth where it folds over?

Check out this guys page and watch all his videos.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAn...SombNl-Y-LjwyA

Let's just bypass the overall look of the board.

First problem. Foam selection. This type of extruded foam is really not suitable for surfboards. It will outgas and delaminate/shear rapidly. Secondly forget everything that you may have seen or read regarding open cell versus closed cell, because everyone seems to get it wrong. This is understandable as most board builders have very basic educations.

If you feel you can just sand it smooth through each step there really was no point in making a composite sandwich board. You should have just melted a bunch of plastics together and created a molded board. There is very little reason to add fiberglass if you are going to sand through it to smooth out bumps. Have fun, that fiberglass is going to get itching and once you heat that XPS up it will start to bubble.

Tape??? Why? This is not structural. You should have just used duct tape, at least it is reasonably porous and therefore with resin it could create a matrix. The epoxy has already started to dissolve the adhesive on the back of the tape, and in time the adhesive just deteriorates anyway. Additionally the top of the tape is coated and the epoxy does not adhere to the coating. Another shearing/delamination issues.

There is nothing craft about this. Building something completely wrong from the bottom up with the idea that the gel coat and paint will cover it up is baffling. It is like bondoing-up a rusted out car instead of properly fixing the sheet metal; or shim-shacking the framing for a house, because it will be covered up.

Properly cutting your fiberglass, with relatively clean edges, and good overlaps at corners will help. Additionally it is all about put resin on, letting it wet out, then squeeging a good portion of it out; this is particularly important around the rails.

Nick

^^^

Whatever helps you kick the winter blues. I think you should surf that thing and laugh. Who needs a $700 hand-shaped board to surf a thigh high wave anyway.

I made a wooden kneeboard in year 10 at skool - took ages looks like it wouldn't work, didn't work and takes pride of place on the wall at my river shack.

please keep us updated...

Don't quit your day job, J/K It doesn't look like you squeegeed the resin out at all? I would buy a surfboard blank with a stinger already in it, and start from there. Also watch a lot of build videos!