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Wilken Bellyboard
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Birdie



Joined: 20 Jan 2004
Posts:
Location: so cal

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2004 8:16 pm    Post subject: Wilken Bellyboard Reply with quote

Found a 4' knee-bellyboard that one of the locals had shaped by Wilkinson (Palisades/Santa Monica area shaper) in the 70's. Has a long fin...haven't seen it yet, but it is on my to way to the pool and beach. Same owner, custom shaped, and locally glassed. A few small dings...owner gave it up as soon as the sponges arrived...

$60.00.

Will get pictures.

Birdie
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Nels
Dolphin Glider


Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 340
Location: Ventura County, California

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2004 8:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Probably a Wilkins. Didn't know they did any kneeboards, but I suppose everyone did in that era.

Also the guys who put out the "Meth" model..."for those who like speed". Ah, such simple, trusting times Shocked
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Birdie



Joined: 20 Jan 2004
Posts:
Location: so cal

PostPosted: Sat Mar 20, 2004 4:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm actually fairly excited about this one, as it was made in the area of my homebreak - which is unique...Pacific Palisades, and specifically as a belly or kneeboard, though at 4 feet, it's more in Bellyland than kneelo-land...and, it is from the original owner who had it custom made.

I have a feeling that the fin is modelled on Greenough flex....

Rick Wilken is a famous architect now....does the interiors of buildings Frank O. Gehry designs, etc..

Won't know if it's one of his boards til I see it.

The hunt and gathering for the paipoalooza continues....
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Birdie



Joined: 20 Jan 2004
Posts:
Location: so cal

PostPosted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ooooo, got it - it's a real bellyboard! Classic!

I'll get the pictures up soon. I just got the Nikon D70 digital SLR camera...so...can start to take photo's of everything and build a real website...in the near future.

I am pretty sure it is a Wilkins - I'll email Rick and see if he remembers it. His shop didn't glass it - a local guy did, and it could use a new glass job, it is rubbed down to the glass in places....and they filled some small splits in the rails with...silcone...looks like the white stuff for bathtubs...

The shape makes it worth getting it reglassed...I think it can just get sanded, cleaned out and Q-celled - as needed - and then, new glass and resin...

It's plain white...carved out deck...nose comes to a point - square tail, long center fin...wide..has to be maybe 24". I have to measure it.

It's very cool, and truly a custom bellyboard - 30 years old.

Will have to decide to keep the fin or...make it a twinny with a center fin box...since it needs reglassing...can put in boxes.

Think I'll bring it to Swaylocks Paipoalooza and get some opinions and we can test dive it before it goes in for new glass - fins.

I'm thinking the Speeedfin Carbon Fibers for the twinnies....

It's a keeper!

Birdie
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Poobah
Dolphin Glider


Joined: 09 Jan 2004
Posts: 696
Location: California, San Diego

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:09 am    Post subject: Wilken Bellyboard Reply with quote

The best time to restore a board, is when it hasn't been ridden for a long time. And no job is too big when you take it one step at a time. I say start with removing the wax. If you need to soften the wax by putting the board in the sun, then be sure it doesn't get hot enough to actually melt wax down into the dings. I start with scrapers. And then non abrasive 3-M pads or very fine sandpaper (gum them up and throw them away.) I use laquer thinner for further cleaning. Some folks like acetone. But be careful about disolving wax down into any ragged fiberglass with your solvents.

Now you're ready to take some pictures, and show us what you've got. No need to wait until next September to get advice on the ding repairs. We could also have a rousing discussion of restoration ethics and historical preservation.
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Birdie



Joined: 20 Jan 2004
Posts:
Location: so cal

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh, it's all cleaned up...

Came without wax.

I have to get my pictures smaller so I can post them on my scratch pad website.....

I am pretty sure it is basically waterproof, but....I don't want it in the water long....for a test drive...I think if I go with finboxes - on the reglass - it won't need a test drive...can just do it, and switch the fins in and out...single to twinnie or all 3.

Since it has to be reglassed - it won't be in "original" condition.

This is one of those boards I want to ride and have so others like it can be made...or, close to it.

It's the real deal.

I can email you pix! I will for the time being.
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Kneeridin
Matt Master


Joined: 07 Jan 2004
Posts: 41
Location: Rehoboth Beach

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 9:03 am    Post subject: Re: Wilken Bellyboard Reply with quote

Poobah wrote:
We could also have a rousing discussion of restoration ethics and historical preservation.


Well, Poo, let's get this thread started (are we on a casual first-name basis?...hahahahaha). As I see it, board restoration has to do with (1) future use and functionality and (2) condition of the board.

All my boards see action in the waves - except for the El Paipo Knee Machine 48", I'll never be 78 lbs again. If it's a clean classic, I spend the time to restore as close to original condition as possible. A beat up board may need sanding, re-wrappnig the rails, or a total rehab. If the fin box is in good shape, it stays. I keep original fins, or look for good after-market parts.

Now Birdie, if you have to do a major restore, and you plan to play in the waves with it, then yes - tune it up with additional blades, new glass, even a custom paint job. Make it *your* board. It's better to have a board in the waves than delicate wall candy.
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doc
Dolphin Glider


Joined: 09 Jan 2004
Posts: 171
Location: the Frozen Northeast aka New England

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 10:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Heh...I'm in complete agreement with the chap from Rehoboth.

A few things concerning dings and repairs and such -

Reglassing isn't worth it. All it'll do is make things heavy and for the work and expense involved you could pretty much make your own new board, an upgraded copy if you like.

Repairing is easy. In fact, I ran across a website Some Idiot wrote on that exact subject http://jfmill.home.comcast.net/dings/dingdex.html

Now, are we talking a restoration restoration here, or a get it watertight so I can use it restoration? Juicing it up with extra fins and such, that's another story entirely...... I'd almost say why bother.

Instead, what's the matter with your very own Birdie Special?`Right down to the multicolored Birdie Deluxe colors you like.

That way, you can have it all working together, instead of what's the equivalent of trying to stuff a supercharged nitro burning hemi into a beat up Morris Minor, y'know?

Leastwise, that's my call.....

doc......
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Poobah
Dolphin Glider


Joined: 09 Jan 2004
Posts: 696
Location: California, San Diego

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 10:36 am    Post subject: Wilken Reply with quote

Dead link removed. Sad
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Birdie



Joined: 20 Jan 2004
Posts:
Location: so cal

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 10:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I sent some pix to Poobah and Dale.

It is in great shape...and Doc, it's plain white. You'll love it.

I don't mean, clear, I mean, white.

Has that fabulous, I'm not finished look to it.

The shape is great.

It won't do anything special to anyones walls.

It was born to ride...
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Phantom
Dolphin Glider


Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 64
Location: state of wa....shington

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 10:44 am    Post subject: Restoration Reply with quote

Hey, this board could use some spice! Krylon spray some Birdie Stripes, Greenough used the stuff alot... throw on a deck pad too! A real street rod.
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Birdie



Joined: 20 Jan 2004
Posts:
Location: so cal

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 10:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Poobah, now see - that's a bellyboard!

It isn't a hacked up longboard or a kneeboard or a paipo.

It was custom made as a bellyboard.

The silcone has to come out and off for starters.

It was designed right down the road from my home break and went up to County Line alot, pre-sponge days. Early 70's. The owner said it was very fast! I'm sure.

It's named "Pali" after Pacific Palisades.

Birdie
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doc
Dolphin Glider


Joined: 09 Jan 2004
Posts: 171
Location: the Frozen Northeast aka New England

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah, a picture really is worth a thousand words..... Now I see it, I can give you a few ideas.....

{this was complicated by a mid-post keyboard meltdown - Rod, I don't wanna hear about it unless you're planning on sending me a bunch of freebies}

First thing I'd do is raid Mom's hallway for a polisher and a sander. Polish it, before even removing the caulking-smeg in the badly done dings. This will let you find out how much of that aaaghly brown is in the glass -sunburnt- or in the foam under it.

Ok, now it's time to fix the dings. Remove the caulking. Make up a batch of sanding resin, cabosil and white pigment. Weird but true, add a crystal or such of instant coffee to match the faint brown that's probably still there. Take some of it, mix in a few drops of catalyst and fill those rail dings and any others you can get to, smear it in good and scrape off any excess as smooth as you can. When it's gone off, sand it smooth with eighty grit.

Sand away the crud around the base of the fin, carefully, remove the fin carefully and sand the area flat. Fill with some more of your cafe au lait mix, sand that flat.

Ok, now it's decision time. Is the thing still ugly, is there some looseness to the bottom glass? Is that brown tinge revolting enough to get rid of?

If that's the case, okay. Sand the whole bottom with smooth and flat with eighty {fricking eight key is toast} grit and around the rails. Wash the bottom with acetone. Then, with laminating resin and white pigment, lay on 6 oz cloth, just like you were doing a new board with a cut lap. Re-attach the fin, using clear resin. Hotcoat with more white-pigmented resin or clear - sanding resin this time-, sand and gloss with gloss resin.

Otherwise, patch cloth over the rail and other dings and the fin area with clear resin, sand the edges, re-attach the fin, hotcoat, sand, gloss, you're done.

Leastwise, that would be my approach

doc.....
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Birdie



Joined: 20 Jan 2004
Posts:
Location: so cal

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Doc,

I agree...

On close-up tactile view, I think it has already had the acetone treatment.

It has that down to the bone feel- not much resin there, and so, I'm sureit was sanded a bit. It's down to the glass threads in places.

On the bottom, there are some thumb print and smaller delam bubbles.They don't pop up much. It has to be all sanded down.

The fin looks slightley askew, I don't think it's just the lighting, and under the white crud..has to be cracking...

One of the rail slit dings looks like it got pumped full of chaulk! There's a puffy spot like it ballooned...maybe when the silcone set? Weird. That all has to be dug out and sanded...and...I may send it out for that and the fin....altho, I'll probably start on the finbase by hand, just to see what is under there...

This board just screams hop on me....the deck is quite wide and it is all shaped with an eye on a bellyboarder.

Poobah, when you see it - you'll see what I mean....VERY attractive deck for proneriding..

Looks like a Greenough inspired bellyboard - you think Dale?

Dextra meets a spoon..

My main goal is to get it seaworthy, as I have a feeling, this one will be a great starter template for more....

Maybe go with an airbrushed hotrod flame motif off the nose...Wink

Nels what do ya think? An actual County Line early 70's bellyboard.
Prespongic!

I'm away from my desk on my powerbook and you can always tell as the keyboard is competing with Doc's for most funky award.

Off to press the sandpaper collection into service on the weekend.
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Nels
Dolphin Glider


Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 340
Location: Ventura County, California

PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah, 60's through mid 70's, Malibu through Ventura County to SB. So many things were happening. Ventura County (County Line, eh?) was kind of no profile back then, but the Bu People made it north a lot more than one would suspect. If I still wanted to rile people up (which I am trying to swear off) I would try to make a case that once The Change began most of the key elements of the Shortboard Rev had major fermentation stages up in this region of California - the Fish being one major exception, stings another, along with others I probably forgot. The whole Greenough thing, Liddle, Bonzers, Hollow W.A.V.E. boards...Morey spent a decade in Ventura after being a Malibu top dog. The key thing was open minds. By 1976 you could practically hear the metal door slamming shut as localism appeared like the proverbial Huntington Beach Poop Plume. After several years of riding Ventura point waves several times a week, I was stunned to find in 1976 the level of point wave surfing at Malibu on average was twice as sharp as what I was used to.

Following is a shot from Gary Steinborn most of us have probably already seen, but seems appropriate in light of Birdie's new sled.

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