Almost done.

The board needs a gloss coat of poly on the bottom and then some massaging.  I can't tell you how excited I am about this one.  We've been having some fun surf so I'm anxious to finish and test it.

Laminated with fins.

I've been on a roll with this board.  It's laminated and the fins are glassed on.

I'll do a little more sanding and then hot coat.  The board is very light and strong.

Something new

For a long time I've been wanting to do a mexican blanket board.  They are very unique.  I did mine with food coloring and marker pens.  The leash plug and recessed vent port have been installed.  The board is ready for glass.

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.