Shaping up

The last couple of days I've been shaping the rails, nose and tail.  It's great working with the balsa wood.  Real easy to work and control.

The rails turned out just like I like them.  There are some little things that I have to fix on the top and bottom.  Next I'll install the vent port and leash plug.  The board feels very light.

Still Railing.

This is the second board I've done with balsa 1/4" rail strips.  It's a bit time consuming gluing them on individually.

It works out easier after the first one is on.

There will be 4 strips per side.

Balsa fish update.

This project is going along as planned.  My goal is to simplify the building process.  I'm happy with the weight and strength of the board.  I also did some research about balsa.  It's a very common plant and a viable renewable resource.

I used 5" wide shrink wrap to install the first rail strip.

It helps to spray the rail strip with some window cleaner that contains ammonia.  That makes the balsa bend a little.

Covered in Balsa.

The deck and bottom panels are glued.  Next, I will start sanding and shaping.

New ways

My new board is unlike anything I've done.  Building with balsa is amazing.  It's easy to work and hold in place.  The glue I'm using is easy to use and strong.  The tools for working balsa are much different than cedar or pine.  Anyways, I'm having a good time.

We've been having some fun surf lately.

Quad fish frame

It's been a few months since I last worked on this project.  Well, I got it started again and it's on the bench.

There are a lot of joints to glue because of the many stringer.  That's what makes the frame light and strong.  This build reminds me of model airplane and boat building.  I'm having a lot of fun with this one. 

New Build and Surfing.

The one thing that's constant in life are changes.  Changes in priorities, physical changes and personal changes.  This week, I paddled out for my first session since last October.  It was fun.  The waves were small and the water was still cold.  I really had a good time and the water felt good.  It was good for my head and got me thinking about my next build.

Now that my home improvement projects are done there is time for building.  This year, I'm going to focus on making my next board lighter and stronger.  Strong enough to handle my local beach break.  That means using all balsa wood for the skin which is a first for me.  It will be a challenge for sure.