light wind board

[alawhead]

i have been reading posts regarding this topic and have gotten good info. trying to figure out the best shape, flydoor or glide type shape. i plan on doing the plywood home construction attempt. any links that would help would be great. wood type? thickness? strap attachment? etc.

[bay surfer]

materials
1: .5 inch AC ply
2: paint or Varnish
3: T nuts

Tools
1: jig saw
2: sand paper, rasp for shaping and smoothing
3; paint brush

Size and shape
1: average door = 160 cm X 50 cm
2: hour glass or straight rails straight=skatey feel, hour glass=like fins
3: No rocker, rocker is bad, rocker is produced when riding board will
bend

How to make it ?.......Its rocket science

Note make 2 boards one hour glass and straight, you get 2 boards out a peice of ply.

[alawhead]

thanks for the info. just what i was looking for. should be able to start the project soon.

[KiteSurfingKen]

Yup, me too, thanks for the Info. I have finshed my own Glide copy and am now working on the Flydoor copy. My Glide is 150X49, I added an inch to the width (over production model) because I thought I could always remove it later and want a true light wind weapon. I did not do a lot of shaping on the edge (rails) for the Glide copy. Light sanding to give it just a bit of Rounding. When making the next board I rounded the edge heavily and feathered the tails. Then I started looking at my production boards. No rounding, very sharp edge. So I flipped the door over and am making the top the bottom, and feathering the tails in the opposite direction. I used 0.5" Oak and it has a lot of flex, it also sounded like it was cracking (inner layers) when I put some pressure on it. I am thinking of running a "keel" down the center of the board. The idea is that it will help the board resist slipping downwind (on top of extra strength), but when edging hard will be out of the water and cause little drag. The idea of steps is used in planing hull construction all the time. I cut a leftover piece of the ply to 2"W. I plan on shaping the ends to points and leaving it square on the edges for better bite. This will also server to cover the T-Nuts and keep them in when not in use. Brass 12X1" wood screws (4) and Guerilla glue will be used to hold the two together. Has anyone else tried something like this? by the way, this board was intended to be ridden finless. It is 154X46 (41 in the center) and this will be the only feature on the bottom. Thanks.
Ken

[D_Clark]

The keel and steps idea is interesting. Let us know how it works when you try it.

I tried building some boards with 1/2 oak and they didn't last very long. It was homedepot wood and it turned out to be total junk. It had all kinds of voids in it. I did find some stuff called blondwood at Lowes that worked well.
I found that even the AC plywood varied from lumber yard to lumber yard and I found the best supply after shopping around. I found one that is stiff, few voids, and more plys.

hope that helps. good luck with the wood.

[KiteSurfingKen]

I shaped up a piece of wood for it but I don't know if I want to use it now. I was trying to figure out what benefit it would provide. Is the added drag worth it? Will it be too stiff? I still have all the parts, but am reconsidering my initial design goals. I am thinking Two 2" Fins on the boards centerline provides enough tracking with far less drag (surface area) and retains the natural “springâ€

[screven]

This one works for me. I've been using it for a few years now and haven't found anything better for light wind so far. It's not bad under moderate power either. Great for finless riding as well. I find myself riding this board 70% of the time.

I don't think that subtle details have much effect on light wind boards. Flat with the right amount of flex, 140 - 150 long, and 43 - 46 wide is the key. The side cut adds some stability for finless riding. Small fins improve the ride on chop.

I had the same problem with Home Depot oak. They used to have a birch that worked really well. Now I have to go to a real lumber store to get it. As long as I put at least 3 coats of spar on it, it lasts a long time. Haven't tried Baltic Birch yet. It's stiffer so maybe 3/8" is more appropriate with that wood.

Chris