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Post by juliangibraltar on Oct 22, 2013 0:42:20 GMT -5
Hi everyone, after much deliberation on how to start my first board with limited resources but full of enthusiasm I finally cut the blueprint, pasted on 4mm ply and cut the ribs and spar! Now I've started I cant wait to keep going! I thing to point out to guys on this side of the pond is the conversion to metric! All was going well until I realised my rib slots were cut to plan at 1/2" (12.7mm) but my spar was actually 15mm (as only thickness I could get here so had to re-cut the slots with a stanley knife, 1.5mm either side....not too precise but it seemed to work. Beginners mistake, measure 3 times and cut once But I was too enthusiastic!!! Always learning! Attachments:
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Post by juliangibraltar on Oct 22, 2013 0:47:06 GMT -5
This is what it looks like without being glued and without a jig made yet. Hope its not too heavy with the 15mm spar!! One question to anyone, a couple of my ribs are either too short at the top or too short at the bottom, in other words not quite flush with the spar...is there any preference to adapting the spar or the rib and whether its better to sand and plane on the top of the spar or the bottom.....or should i just bite the bullet and recut a new couple of ribs? Onward to build some sort of jig now. Thanks juliangibraltar Attachments:
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1974
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Post by 1974 on Oct 22, 2013 9:40:34 GMT -5
Awesome to see some life on the board! I thought I was the only one left posting. You've got a good start, looks great. About the ribs you could always glue chunks scrap on the face of the ribs to add enough to make them flush with a little sanding. Just remember these shape the deck so I consider making them flush with the spine very important. Rock on! Have fun!
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Post by juliangibraltar on Oct 22, 2013 13:14:08 GMT -5
Hi 1974, indeed it all seems to have gone rather quiet!
Thanks for your comment, sometimes cant see the wood for the trees and never thought to add wood rather than take it away, sounds like a good plan. I'll look at it over the next couple of days and hopefully have some more pics this weekend when I get back to working on her!
On the basis that its not going to be perfect as a "re-work" I'm still not sure whether its more important to have the deck better finished or the bottom - I'll look at both sides and just go for it!
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blair
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Post by blair on Oct 25, 2013 16:38:42 GMT -5
Hi Julian, good to see you up and running with the board, I'm on my second sup and did what 1974 suggested on all my ribs just to give a bit of extra gluing surface as well, hopefully you can see the add ons in the photo, just really thin strips that get planed down so very little extra weight. I add singles at nose and tail and double up through the guts where I'll be standing. Also on this board I used a steamer to help bend the rails, worked really well, bought a wall paper removal steamer and chucked the outlet pipe in a short bit of PVC tubing, put the rail in for a couple of hours then quickly clamp to shape. Have fun! Attachments:
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1974
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Post by 1974 on Oct 27, 2013 8:42:27 GMT -5
Blair, excellent idea on the steamer. I had to buy double the amount of wood (for the rails) due to all my broken rails. I used a PVC soaker tube, I will integrate a steamer with this for my next board.
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Post by juliangibraltar on Oct 27, 2013 12:42:59 GMT -5
Hi Blair and 1974, I will definitely be using the add ons to add the extra height and help for extra glue area....and will look into the steamer for the rails. That will be the hard part after reading everyones comments on broken rails!!! And here I thought this first bit was the hard part! Next time (for my wifes one) I'll cur the spine and ribs slightly larger and then sand down to the line (as I think 1974 has a photo doing), seems to be much more precise than my jig saw efforts. Had a bit of a bad weekend with a car breakdown so couldn't get much stuff but decided to glue the ribs to the spine so I could "work" on them better and submit myself to some post-gluing sanding to get everything more or less in place. Fairly happy with the outcome but the main issue I have (and Ive been trying to avoid) is that I have to invest in material to make a decent jig - otherwise I see the board becoming potentially a little "twisted". As you can see I have for the moment used some lovely mahogany loungers I found on the side of the road which my wife wants me to refurbish.....I think they're better as the base jig for my SUP build !! Attachments:
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Post by juliangibraltar on Oct 27, 2013 12:55:16 GMT -5
OK guys, so Ive glued the ribs and sanded the bottom of the spine as best as possible BUT....when I fit a thin strip along the base (pic is the spine upside down) I have some tiny gaps in 3-4 places between the ribs. The gaps are literally 2mm (5/64"?) which is impossible to fill with a shaving although I may try again (lost the plot a bit today, so has a long spanish lunch and a siesta!). I'm hoping the glue will expand to hide this but not sure how strong that will be and if I keep sanding the spine it'll affect everything down the line...aaaaahh! Could I use some wood putty/filler and sand down, will this hold well against the glue. Well, my next job is to invest in a decent jig set up..I love the one you built 1974, I've seen others do it too and it looks like a good investment if I am to make at least one more board. One final question guys, the bottom of my ribs has a slight "V" shape, if it all goes wrong is there a huge difference if I just make it a flat bottom SUP (maybe on the next one Ill get the cuts right!). I'm thinking a flat bottom will make it easier to get everything straightened out and aligned. Thanks for all input. Attachments:
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blair
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Post by blair on Oct 28, 2013 4:10:25 GMT -5
Julian I had the same thing on the bottom of my spine so I ran over it with a belt sander with a fine grit to fair things up then did the same over the ribs to take off any peaks, other option on the low spots is the same as your ribs where you add a bit then sand or plane it off. Pays at this stage to spend a bit of time making sure everything is as good as you can get things as it will make things easier later in the build.
With my rail strips I used 8 on each side instead of 4, steamed 2 at a time, front then back, took a bit longer but was easier than breaking them and having to cut new ones.
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Post by juliangibraltar on Oct 28, 2013 4:38:41 GMT -5
Blair, thanks, you're absolutely right, worth taking some more time on the "bones" to make everything fit right for the next stages. I'll see what I can fix with the gaps without reducing the overall depth of the spine too much, what worries me a bit is losing the "V" on the bottom of the ribs - but then again I am not a pro SUP'per or surfer (yet!) so as long as she floats and glides well (and looks good!) I'll be happy.
Will spend the next few days cogitating on various fixes and how to get a jig going. I noticed on another members build he built the bottom from thin strips and didnt seem to be using a jig.....this may also be a way to go as long as the whole structure is straight to begin with of course. This should help also to cover any imperfections in the edge of the ribs as I'll be able to sand down the "outer" skin to get an even cover at least from the outside (hope that makes sense).
Thanks guys
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1974
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Post by 1974 on Oct 28, 2013 17:37:39 GMT -5
Now is definitely the time to make sure everything is right. Mistakes seem to magnify as the build progresses. I agree with blair, spend the time now to make it right and it will save you time at the end. With all that said, everything is looking awesome! As far as the 2mm gap, I think it will pull together when you clamp it. Everything should finish out smooth.
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Post by juliangibraltar on Nov 3, 2013 13:55:49 GMT -5
Hi guys, Been a bit of a slow weekend...at least thats how it looks but taking your advice and making sure everything is fitting properly does take time....all learning for the next one! As Chad says on his mails "Dont be in a hurry to be a failure! too true but it is such a cool project!! Here's a shot of clamping the strips along the ribs to make up some extra height which will eventually be sanded down. Attachments:
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Post by juliangibraltar on Nov 3, 2013 14:00:15 GMT -5
I did also spend some time on the jig....scavenging for bits if wood from a pallet and praising the universal problem solver Duct Tape!! Actually the reason for the Duct tape is that I am making a 2nd one for my wife and I think I may need to readjust it so it should be ok like this for a couple of boards. What was useful was fitting some thin shims on the front end of the wood going under each rib at the nose and tail so that I could get a bit of an angle to get a better fit. Hopefully for next week I'll be starting on the bottom of the board.....will revert with more questions and advice I'm sure! Attachments:
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Post by juliangibraltar on Nov 4, 2013 5:16:10 GMT -5
I forgot to ask regards the skin on the bottom....is there a preference between gluing the boards together and then gluing to the frame or gluing the boards in strips a couple at a time.
My reason is that I feel that I would have more control over the gluing if its done individually as my ribs may not be too perfect and I can make sure there is a good join, whereas if I do this as a "board" I may end up with some gaps that will be harder to fill later.
All this because my jig sawing skills on the ribs was a little hasty! I will definitely make sure my wifes ribs are cut much more precisely and save my self a lot of bother on her board (ok that sounded a bit weird!).
Thanks guys.
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1974
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Posts: 131
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Post by 1974 on Nov 5, 2013 10:00:29 GMT -5
I haven't tried the separate board method. I glued all my boards together then glued to the bottom. This was a pretty easy method. I used door framing shims to account for the slight V bottom shape. This worked nicely. I also stacked 500 lbs on the board instead of using clamps, this worked well. The top was a different story, it has a lot more of a curve. I placed the top on the board and soaked it with wet towels for 24 hours, adding water as needed so nothing would dry. It was pretty easy to shape after that but I still had a few cracks. They are repairable though. I don't think I answered your question but that was my experience with gluing the top and bottom on as whole sheets. It took 3 attempts to get the top not to split. That's why I finally let it soak for 24 hours.
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