Creating the Base and the Lid

The folks at Grain surfboards were nice enough to make this step fairly painless. They selected White Cedar planks that look good together. Since the finished product will be simply the wood grain, lining up the grain patterns is key to creating a work of art. Once I made sure I liked how the grain patterns looked good together, I proceeded to glue the planks together. On the side of the planks that will be visible (the outside of the board) I used masking tape on the seams of the wood to prevent glue seepage. I also used bar clamps and more tape to ensure that the planks glued tight enough together so that there are no visible gaps between the planks.

Unfortunately, the masking tape did not prevent seepage on the lid of the board so I had to use a sharp chisel to scrape away the hardened glue. Once the glue was removed from the lid, I proceeded to prepare my base and lid for assembly. I started by planing the base of the board so that it was completely flat. Since I have never attempted to plane wood before, I of course started by accidentally taking out huge chunks of wood from my board! Finally I adjusted my plane tool and my technique to the point where the base began to look somewhat flat and smooth. I will do better next time.

Next I used a jigsaw to cut out the shape of what will be a surfboard from the base. This was an exciting step as I can finally see a surfboard beginning to form. I took this step very seriously because there was no going back once I made the cut! I used the keel and frames to determine the outline of the board. Then I measured out some spare space which will be crucial to future steps.

The final step in preparing the base and lid was to epoxy the knots in the planks. The knots often have gaps that need to be sealed. Epoxy is a highly versatile sealant that I will be using for many aspects of the board building process. Epoxy is a combination of resin and hardener that will be used in place of fiberglass coating to seal, harden, and UV shield the surfboard. Yet, I will also be using epoxy as a glue and in this case, as a sealant.

Now that I have my base and lid completed, my next step will be to glue the frames and keel to the base of the future surfboard. Thanks for reading!

Prep Work Continues: Week 1

This week I am just putting one foot in front of the other. The task list seems depressingly long so I am just focusing on one step at a time! I finished prepping the space I am using for the build. I also just finished constructing my shaping and glassing table. Both of these steps had their complexities. I managed to push away enough of the storage in the garage I am using to have a 8'x 12' space. This is going to be tight! I have an outdoor space that I will use for steps that require more elbow room. The board I am building is 6'5" x 20ish", and the table I built is 8' x 23". So I have 4' x 6' to spare.

As for the table I built for shaping and glassing, it is really more of a ladder. This ladder will rest on a couple of saw horses to make the table. There are few complexities to the construction of this table, but I did have to make some important considerations. The first consideration is load. Since I am building a short board, I used 2x4 as the supports for the ladder. A long board would require 2x6 supports. More important than this consideration is the spacing of the rungs. The appropriate spacing will change from board to board. These rungs are used to clamp the board down at what are called the frames. These surfboards are hollow and supported by an internal ribcage. This "ribcage" consists of a backbone (the keel) and perpendicular ribs (frames). The spacing of the frames should correspond to the spacing of the rungs on your shaping table. My frames are 8" apart, as are the spacing of the rungs on my shaping table (measured at the center-line).

Build the Seed: Week 1

I have been wanting to build a wood surfboard for nearly two years. A friend of mine, RJ Dyer, showed me the website for Grain Surfboards because they have pretty pictures on their site. Since I first set eyes on this site I have been obsessed. I love surfing, I love creating, and I love beautiful things. The boys and girls at Grain have provided an outlet for these loves, and so much more. They build boards that strike a rich harmony between simplicity and complexity.

Wood is an old world material, which has been abandoned for foam over the last 60 years in surf construction. Hollow surfboard construction has been around since before foam but is rarely used. Grain is bringing the hollow wooden surfboard design back. These boards are highly refined, much stronger than foam, and each board is a true work of art/craftsmanship.

After two years of drooling over photos, I am finally embarking on my own Grain Surfboard build. I received a Grain "Homegrown Surfboard Kit" for my 27th Birthday. This occasion has also prompted the creation of this new blog. Many of my dear friends and family chipped in to make this build possible, and I want to share the experience!

So far I have read the manual from cover-to-cover and purchased all the tools I will need to begin the project. I am excited to begin the process, and scared at the same time. My only wood working experience is IKEA! So I will be utilizing my community for support, I really do not want to mess this up. Please join me in the delight of venturing out, learning, and facing new challenges. I will be praying that this project goes well, and sharing the experience every step of the way.

Thanks again to all who made this project possible, I love y'all!