Surfboard Kits and Building Supplies
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FRAME KIT AND A COMPLETE KIT?
Our basic frame kit consists of a set of CNC cut ribs and spar
and a complete assembly manual that is emailed to you
when you order. If you have ever built a model airplane you'll
be right at home with the construction methods - its just
bigger! The ribs are punched out from the backing material
and fitted into notches in the main spar (spine). This skeleton
is then sheathed with wood strips, forming a fast hollow
board with great flex properties and real beauty.
The finished board is covered with fiberglass just like a foam
board and you can install any kind of fin, fin box and leash cup
you desire. The instructions show you every step!
and a complete assembly manual that is emailed to you
when you order. If you have ever built a model airplane you'll
be right at home with the construction methods - its just
bigger! The ribs are punched out from the backing material
and fitted into notches in the main spar (spine). This skeleton
is then sheathed with wood strips, forming a fast hollow
board with great flex properties and real beauty.
The finished board is covered with fiberglass just like a foam
board and you can install any kind of fin, fin box and leash cup
you desire. The instructions show you every step!
Typical frame before pieces are punched out
Typical frame assembled and ready to be sheathed in
the wood of your choice.
the wood of your choice.
| Basic Frame Kit |
Add any of the following options to your basic frame kit:
- Fin Kit
- Glassing Kit
- Lightweight Wood Kit
- Glassing Supplies Kit
- Vent
| Complete Kit (Conventional E-glass) |
| Complete Kit (Bamboo Glass) |
| Typical complete kit with traditional "E" glass |
| Typical complete kit with bamboo glass |
Each Complete E-glass kit contains the surfboard model
frame of your choice. Then we add the correct amount of
paulownia and balsa wood needed for your board. This kit
icludes special "E" glass fiberglass cloth designed for
surfboards and the correct amount of polyester resin and
hardener. Epoxy or Entropy Bio Resin can be supplied at
additional cost.
frame of your choice. Then we add the correct amount of
paulownia and balsa wood needed for your board. This kit
icludes special "E" glass fiberglass cloth designed for
surfboards and the correct amount of polyester resin and
hardener. Epoxy or Entropy Bio Resin can be supplied at
additional cost.
Each full bamboo kit contains the surfboard frame of your
choice with the correct amount of paulownia planks and balsa
wood needed for your kit, The glass is eco-friendly bamboo
fiberglass cloth and comes with a special instruction
CD-ROM. If you choose the optional Entropy bio resin you'll
build the greenest possible surfboard.
choice with the correct amount of paulownia planks and balsa
wood needed for your kit, The glass is eco-friendly bamboo
fiberglass cloth and comes with a special instruction
CD-ROM. If you choose the optional Entropy bio resin you'll
build the greenest possible surfboard.
IMPORTANT NOTES!
- The pictures above show typical kits. The actual amount of resin and wood supplied depends on the type of kit ordered.
- The paulownia wood is sent as planks measuring 1-1/8" x 6" x 8' and is sawed into strips by the builder.
- The balsa sticks measure 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" x 36" long and are also cut into strips and used to build up the rails.
- The amount of wood supplied is the correct amount for the kit selected.
- Tools required include a band saw or table saw and a long sanding block. Additional tools such as a block plane,
power sander, razer knife and clamps are useful but not absolutely necessary. - Polyester resin is sent by default unless Resin Research Epoxy or Entropy Epoxy Bio Resin is selected at checkout.
- The fin kit supplied will either be a glass-on kit or a removable fin kit based on the type of board selected.
- Additive F is supplied with the epoxy kits and Surfacing Agent is supplied with the polyester kits.
- Surfboard frame kit of your choice
- Complete assembly emanual
- 8' paulownia planks for decking (qty varies by kit)
- 3' balsa sticks for rails and blocking (qty varies by kit)
- Fin (style depends on board)
- Fin box & leash cup (not used with glass-on fins)
- Plastic vent (brass available)
- Black pigment
- Glass rope
- 3 qt. (1.5 gallons in bigger kits) Resin Research Epoxy
- 2 oz. Additive F
- Enough bamboo fiberglass fabric for 1 layer bottom /
2 deck - Bio-plastic Leash Plug
- Double Sided Glassing Tape
- Lamination Roller
- Two Sheets Ink Jet Custom Logo Paper
- Ten pair Latex Gloves
- Two Resin Mixing Buckets
- Two Resin Pumps
- Ten 2.5" Chip Brushes
- One 1/2" Masking Tape
- Bamboo Mixing Stick
- One sheet 60 Grit Sandpaper
- Two Sheets 80 Grit Sandpaper
- One Sheet 120 Grit Sandpaper
- One Sheet 150 Grit Sandpaper
- Two Sheets 220 Grit Sandpaper
- Simple Glassing Rack Dimensioned Plans
- Bamboo Glassing Instructional Video that you
download
- Surfboard frame kit of your choice
- Complete assembly Emanual
- 8' paulownia planks for decking (qty varies by kit)
- 3' balsa sticks for rails and blocking (qty varies by kit)
- Fin (style depends on board)
- Fin box (not used with glass-on fins)
- Leash cup
- Plastic vent (brass available)
- Black pigment
- Glass rope (glass on fins only)
- 1 gallon polyester resin. (2 gallons in bigger kits)
- 2 paper mixing buckets
- 10 marked paper measuring cups
- 5 Mixing sticks
- 5 Single edge razor blades
- 2 oz. Additive F
- Enough 4 oz. E-glass fabric for 1 layer bottom / 2 deck
- Leash Plug
- 100 pair Nitrile Gloves
- 10 3" chip brushes
- 3 sheets 60 Grit Sandpaper
- 3 sheets 120 Grit Sandpaper
- 3 sheets 150 grit sandpaper
- One roll 2" Masking Tape
- One roll 1/2" Masking Tape
- One roll 1/4" Pinline Tape
- 2 Surgical Blue Tac Rags
- 3 4" squeegees
| NOTE Polyester resin is standard for this kit. Resin Research Epoxy or Entropy Bio Resin Epoxy can be substituted at additional cost. |
| EACH "E-GLASS" COMPLETE KIT CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING: |
| EACH BAMBOO GLASS COMPLETE KIT CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING: |
The truth about glassing a wood board!
There is a common myth that you can't use
polyester resin on a wood board. This is true on
oily woods such as cedar, redwood, fir etc. But
polyester resin works fine on paulownia and
balsa and we have the boards to prove it!
We put polyester resin in our full kits by default
because it saves you money. You can upgrade
your kit to epoxy resin (which sticks well on all
woods) for a nominal cost.
Epoxy is eco friendly - especially the Entropy
plant based bio resin - but the polyester resin
we put in our complete glassing kits works great
with the wood in our kits.
There is a common myth that you can't use
polyester resin on a wood board. This is true on
oily woods such as cedar, redwood, fir etc. But
polyester resin works fine on paulownia and
balsa and we have the boards to prove it!
We put polyester resin in our full kits by default
because it saves you money. You can upgrade
your kit to epoxy resin (which sticks well on all
woods) for a nominal cost.
Epoxy is eco friendly - especially the Entropy
plant based bio resin - but the polyester resin
we put in our complete glassing kits works great
with the wood in our kits.
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1) Bead and Cove: You can do very small bead and cove which is very hard so you're kind of on your own with that method. Too many woodworking
techniques involved to write instruction on just one way. Also requires a Bead and Cove cutter head and a router table or equivalent.
2) Beveled Strips: Making beveled strips is a little easier but still hard if you are not experienced. You simply bevel the strips on your tablesaw/bandsaw. At the
point where the rails come together and get small it takes a lot of patient block plane work to fair them all together.
3) Stepped Rails: Stepped rails are still hollow and much easier to make. They still produces a hollow rail that looks great.
4) Laid Up Solid Rails: By far the easiest and strongest but slightly heavier than hollow rails.
The different rail building methods are shown in the instruction manual, however, only the Laid up solid rails are discussed in detail.
techniques involved to write instruction on just one way. Also requires a Bead and Cove cutter head and a router table or equivalent.
2) Beveled Strips: Making beveled strips is a little easier but still hard if you are not experienced. You simply bevel the strips on your tablesaw/bandsaw. At the
point where the rails come together and get small it takes a lot of patient block plane work to fair them all together.
3) Stepped Rails: Stepped rails are still hollow and much easier to make. They still produces a hollow rail that looks great.
4) Laid Up Solid Rails: By far the easiest and strongest but slightly heavier than hollow rails.
The different rail building methods are shown in the instruction manual, however, only the Laid up solid rails are discussed in detail.
What kind of rails do the kits have and which ones are best ?
The ribs in our newer kits have rounded ends that allow you to build the rails two different ways. The kits containing rounded edges include:
If you leave the rounded ends on the ribs you can build hollow rails made from 1/4" strips that follow the outside of the rib. You will need to mill these strips with
either "bead and cove" edges or cut them with beveled edges. As an alternative you can cut off the rounded rib ends at the score line on each rib and build
either "stepped" or "laid up solid" rails. The relative merits of each method are shown below.
- 6'8" Toad
- 9'0" Cruiser
- 11' Malco SUP
- 9'6" Stu's Surf SUP
- Both the 9'0 and 9'6" Robert August boards
If you leave the rounded ends on the ribs you can build hollow rails made from 1/4" strips that follow the outside of the rib. You will need to mill these strips with
either "bead and cove" edges or cut them with beveled edges. As an alternative you can cut off the rounded rib ends at the score line on each rib and build
either "stepped" or "laid up solid" rails. The relative merits of each method are shown below.