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LoTekSurf · Joined: 02 Jul 2011 Posts: Location: Philadelphia PA

Greetings all, this is my first post so I’ll introduce myself as quickly as possible.

Me: 44yo, lives in Philadelphia, works as design engineer and used to have my own company designing and building custom wood furniture. I have not had a shop to work in for many years but I recently moved and now I’m setting up a small garage workshop. I only discovered surfing a few years ago and recently I’ve been obsessed with DIY paipo boards because woodworking+design+wave riding = just about everything I live for.

What I currently ride: BZ bodyboard, Robert August longboard. I haven’t had much luck learning to stand up on the longboard due to lack of time with a busy work schedule, living 1.5 hours from the beach, and having a 1.5 yo daughter. I get to the NJ shore when I have time and ride whatever Mother Nature is serving up that day. Chop, slop, closeouts, shore break... I have no time to be picky. I recently went back to riding the bodyboard because it’s just more fun.

Where I ride: Various spots on the NJ coast, plus one week a year at Wrightsville Beach NC visiting my in-laws. I can’t really describe the waves in NJ since I don’t have much to compare them against. They seem to be steep and quick breaking, which I blame for my lack of longboarding success, but I might just suck.

What I want to build/ride: I’d like to build a couple of solid wood paipos to start. Solid wood because that’s what I like to work in, and two fairly different designs so I can take both boards and ride them the same day to get a good side-by-side comparison. I'm thinking a longer board, finless with possibly channels and another board with either a single fin or two side fins.

I'm looking for suggestions for basic shapes from other East Coast riders. What is your go-to board, the one that you would grab if you had no idea what the wave conditions would be like, and what is the board you love to ride when the waves are perfect?

These are some boards that appeal to me, mostly based on looks but I have no idea if they'll work for me.

Finned boards:

Austin- I love the shape of the Austin and the fin boxes for experimenting, though I know it's foam.
Grain- Leaf (I think this is hollow)
Twin fin board like this: http://www.rodndtube.com/paipo/forum/viewtopic.php?t=726&sid=84832a2e9d7539c6921bcb67ec6767d5

Finless:

Grain- sea sled
More classic paipo shape like: http://www.rodndtube.com/paipo/forum/viewtopic.php?t=952&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
Paipo Glide boards.

Well, that's a start. I'm really looking forward to suggestions, building, and finally riding!

James

rodndtube

SJB · Joined: 18 Dec 2010 Posts: Location: Santa Barbara

I like your attitude......you got the passion. Personally I go with the Austin. At the age of 65 my days of experimentation are behind me.....and I find the Austin to be fun in all wave types. With the exception of anything over 8 feet.....because on those days I just stay on shore.

LoTekSurf · Joined: 02 Jul 2011 Posts: Location: Philadelphia PA

Rod- Thanks for the invite to the event, I'll keep it penciled in on the calendar.

I'm glad there are positive recommendations for the Austin, I really like the shape of that board. It makes sense since it is Mid-Atlantic designed and built. I would buy one in a heartbeat if the bank account hadn't taken a beating from the recent move. I'll convince my wife I'm saving a lot of money by building my own, then end up secretly buying $500 in tools and materials.

I was about to ask whether this board could be built in solid wood when I found this:

http://rodndtube.com/paipo/forum/viewtopic.php?t=810

That!!! That is what I want to build. Beautiful board and looks fun to ride. Anyone want to take a guess on how thick that is? I need to start sourcing lumber.

Also, any recommendations for fins? I want to do the FCS plugs on the sides for sure and was even thinking of using them in the center (for ease of installation) and running sort of a thruster setup. Is the center box really necessary? It seems like the fin sizes would be scaled down for this board and that I might be able to use the largest FCS center fin I can find and smaller side fins. The only draw back is I wouldn't be able to adjust the for/aft position when running it as a single fin.

Thanks for the quick feedback!

James

Uncle Grumpy · Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Posts: Location: San Clemente

They have one in stock.

Balsa Paipo

Stock#: 10242mc
Height: 4’4
Width: 21 1/2
Thickness: 3
Price: $695
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geoffreylevens · Joined: 18 Nov 2009 Posts:

Posted previously on this site, can't remember off hand by who but

http://thecentralshaft.blogspot.com/2008/05/craft.html

Candy Calhoun knock off, a bit shorter and wider but same family I think, maybe a cousin... (ya gotta scroll down a bit)

bgreen · Joined: 20 Feb 2004 Posts: Location: Qld. Oz

Another consideration is the wood you are considering. Balsa, paulownia are the most typically used woods (plywood aside). Cheap pine is used by some - though will be heavier and Mr. Mike has probably experimented with most woods known to man.

I wouldn't recommend trying to replicate the thickness of a fibreglass/foam board especially if you are wanting to build a solid board. Most wood boards are well under an 1" thick.

Then there are the choices of finish - as far as I know balsa is typically fibreglassed due to tendency to absorb water. Paulownia can be oil finished, varnished or resin-glassed. No doubt others will suggest other options.

geoffreylevens · Joined: 18 Nov 2009 Posts:

For super quick/dirty finish, rub w/ parafin under heat gun so you get a moderate amount soaked in. Careful to really hit the end grain areas. Takes a few minutes and ready to ride.

mrmike · Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: Location: coronado, ca

speaking of new wood I found 8 pieces of bamboo wood flooring on my walk today it 6' long 6" wide and 1/2" thick enought for two boards. I going to make a 5 footer for the first one. I will post pic"s when done this will be my first bamboo board Cool

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LoTekSurf · Joined: 02 Jul 2011 Posts: Location: Philadelphia PA

Uncle Grumpy- Nice find, I didn't even see that one on their site. I'm on a spending freeze right now unfortunately.

Geoffrey- Another nice board. I think a mini Simmons type board will be my second build.

bgreen- I was wondering about the thickness of that solid wood Austin. 3" thick is a lot of wood- heavy even in balsa. I have a local source of 5/8" thick white cedar and was thinking of doing a three layer glue up with the middle layer just 3-4" wide around the edge. A hollow board with thick skin and no ribs. I am looking to avoid glassing the first board because I want to be able to re-shape the rails to experiment.

Mr Mike- Funny you should mention bamboo. My neighbor is a sales rep for Plyboo bamboo plywood. He has half a garage full of drop off sheets that he said I can help myself to. I was wondering whether I could make a board out of this stuff but it's so dense I'm not even sure if it floats. Well, I'm sure I can make a board, less sure I can ride it. Keep us posted on your bamboo experiment. I love your boards BTW.

LoTekSurf · Joined: 02 Jul 2011 Posts: Location: Philadelphia PA

Another note on the bamboo. When I was working as a cabinet maker 4-5 years ago I did a project with the Plyboo bamboo plywood. I took several small drop offs and used them as cutting boards for the house. We use them regularly and run them through the dishwasher to clean. These boards have no finish on them at all and have probably been through the dishwasher 100 times with no sign of cracking or delamination. I bet the flooring you found is fairly similar in construction. The plywood is 3/4" thick with only three 1/4" plys.

Strong as hell and apparantly very water proof.

geoffreylevens · Joined: 18 Nov 2009 Posts:

Any flex at all to that Plyboo in a piece that is paipo size?

bgreen · Joined: 20 Feb 2004 Posts: Location: Qld. Oz

If you are going to make a hollow board the usual method is internal ribs or chambering. The Swaylocks site has lots on hollow wood boards. I've never tried to make a hollow board but suspect you will need some form of internal structure.

If you are thinking of making a couple of boards I'd make one very simple, thin board and see how it goes. You can't go too wrong design wise and it will surf. Alaias and the ply boards are the general idea here. I wouldn't be trying to replicate a fibreglass board in wood - but if you have the time and money you could always try. If you are going to ride prone as long as there is a reasonably hard edge you'll find the rail will be ok.

Are you planing to ride a finned or finless board?

Bob

rodndtube · Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 12:47 pm Post subject:

Those thick balsa/other wood boards do work but take some getting use to because of their weight. One advantage is that slicing through chop is a breeze!
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LoTekSurf · Joined: 02 Jul 2011 Posts: Location: Philadelphia PA