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DIY Lightwind Board

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Created by CJ2478 > 9 months ago, 31 Aug 2015
CJ2478
NSW, 484 posts
31 Aug 2015 9:14AM
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Hi

Check out my latest creation with all it's cutting edge features, including:

- No rocker
- No Fins
- No concave
- [Almost] no curve in outline (approx 20mm each side in the last 200mm of the board).

The "black strips" are carbon fibre

Rode it yesterday and it goes great.










Plummet
4862 posts
31 Aug 2015 7:34AM
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Nice. Whats your dimensions?

PS adding small heel side fins helps the top end of a light wind tt without removing much bottom end.

CJ2478
NSW, 484 posts
31 Aug 2015 9:42AM
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Select to expand quote
Plummet said..
Nice. Whats your dimensions?

PS adding small heel side fins helps the top end of a light wind tt without removing much bottom end.


Thanks

It's 1440 X 460 made of 2 X 4mm marine ply layers.

Yes, on the next one I will add inserts so it can be ridden with fins. Just wanted to get this one done to see how the general design will ride before I invest more time and effort in it.

Plummet
4862 posts
31 Aug 2015 10:00AM
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Its super easy to add fin drillings at any stage on a ply core board. Simply drill them oversize by a few mm fill em back up with resin then re-drill to the correct size.

Here's my light wind TT 145x45. I've tried it with and without fins in various configurations. I've settled on 2 small fins on the heel side edge.







CJ2478
NSW, 484 posts
31 Aug 2015 12:13PM
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Select to expand quote
Plummet said..
Its super easy to add fin drillings at any stage on a ply core board. Simply drill them oversize by a few mm fill em back up with resin then re-drill to the correct size.

Here's my light wind TT 145x45. I've tried it with and without fins in various configurations. I've settled on 2 small fins on the heel side edge.









What material is your core?
What is the glass layup?
What is the depth of the sidecut on that?
What is the radius of the cuts on the corners?

I found that a good way to do the curved parts at the end was to graph a parabola in excel with the required amount of curve that meets an arc of a circle (15mm radius for me), then print screen and print it 1:1 in word, making sure that the picture has the right dimensions. Print the picture, trace onto template and cut using a router. See below


Plummet
4862 posts
31 Aug 2015 10:44AM
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CJ2478 said..
What material is your core?
What is the glass layup?
What is the depth of the sidecut on that?
What is the radius of the cuts on the corners?




What material is your core? 5mm vertically laminated bamboo
What is the glass layup? 600grm triaxle with an additional piece of 600grm triaxle in between the footstraps. (to be fair I used too much glass on this board...)
What is the depth of the sidecut on that? Parrallel rails until the corners
What is the radius of the cuts on the corners? Can't remember sorry. I'll have to measure them.

Also I have 50mm of rocker. Thats a bit unusual on a light wind TT. But I live in a big wave location. So I still need to be able negotiate up to and bigger than double head surf conditions on this board....

KiteDesigner
NSW, 169 posts
31 Aug 2015 6:52PM
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Check out MY latest creation with all it's cutting edge features, including:
No rocker -
No Fins -
No concave
Well nothing at all, its a plank of wood from bunnings.....

What material is your core?
Plank of wood from bunnings.....

5mm vertically laminated bamboo What is the glass layup?
Pfft glass is for knobs...

600grm triaxle with an additional piece of 600grm triaxle in between the footstraps.
Pffft foot straps are for knobs...

What is the depth of the sidecut on that? Parrallel rails until the corners What is the radius of the cuts on the corners?
Its a plank of wood.... from bunings..... Its the future.... :)

CJ2478
NSW, 484 posts
31 Aug 2015 7:11PM
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KiteDesigner said...



Yeah nice one. I have seen this and another video probably from you aswell. Convinced me that the flat/no fins/straight outline works pretty well.

Kamikuza
QLD, 6493 posts
31 Aug 2015 7:23PM
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I keep coming back to my boards with "square" outline. Why do they need to be curved?

KiteDesigner
NSW, 169 posts
31 Aug 2015 7:48PM
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The Bunnings board is excellent for light winds and dead flat water

Science says a square flat tail is the most efficient for speed and light winds.

For chop, add some foot straps and fins and you will have a very good light wind board, the flex of the PLANK auto adjusts as you ride.

For me it was a great experiment on how little you need, to get a good performance light wind flat water board.

I would add some fins and straps and front curve for choppy conditions...

Add some carbon fiber, graphics and a logo and make up some marketing words and sell roughly the same shape for $1200 ;)

A mate makes twin tips, after many prototypes, he found a rectangle no rocker is the best light wind shape...


Plummet
4862 posts
31 Aug 2015 6:06PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
KiteDesigner said...
Check out MY latest creation with all it's cutting edge features, including:
No rocker -
No Fins -
No concave
Well nothing at all, its a plank of wood from bunnings.....

What material is your core?
Plank of wood from bunnings.....

5mm vertically laminated bamboo What is the glass layup?
Pfft glass is for knobs...

600grm triaxle with an additional piece of 600grm triaxle in between the footstraps.
Pffft foot straps are for knobs...

What is the depth of the sidecut on that? Parrallel rails until the corners What is the radius of the cuts on the corners?
Its a plank of wood.... from bunings..... Its the future.... :)



Haha... bring your flat strapless plank to my double head surf conditions...... see how you go in chop and swell...

KiteDesigner
NSW, 169 posts
31 Aug 2015 8:20PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Plummet said..

KiteDesigner said...
Check out MY latest creation with all it's cutting edge features, including:
No rocker -
No Fins -
No concave
Well nothing at all, its a plank of wood from bunnings.....

What material is your core?
Plank of wood from bunnings.....

5mm vertically laminated bamboo What is the glass layup?
Pfft glass is for knobs...

600grm triaxle with an additional piece of 600grm triaxle in between the footstraps.
Pffft foot straps are for knobs...

What is the depth of the sidecut on that? Parrallel rails until the corners What is the radius of the cuts on the corners?
Its a plank of wood.... from bunings..... Its the future.... :)




Haha... bring your flat strapless plank to my double head surf conditions...... see how you go in chop and swell...


Send me a plane ticket....

Plummet
4862 posts
31 Aug 2015 6:48PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote




KiteDesigner said..


Plummet said..


KiteDesigner said...
Check out MY latest creation with all it's cutting edge features, including:
No rocker -
No Fins -
No concave
Well nothing at all, its a plank of wood from bunnings.....

What material is your core?
Plank of wood from bunnings.....

5mm vertically laminated bamboo What is the glass layup?
Pfft glass is for knobs...

600grm triaxle with an additional piece of 600grm triaxle in between the footstraps.
Pffft foot straps are for knobs...

What is the depth of the sidecut on that? Parrallel rails until the corners What is the radius of the cuts on the corners?
Its a plank of wood.... from bunings..... Its the future.... :)





Haha... bring your flat strapless plank to my double head surf conditions...... see how you go in chop and swell...



Send me a plane ticket....


Can you handle it?

KiteDesigner
NSW, 169 posts
31 Aug 2015 9:49PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Plummet said..





KiteDesigner said..



Plummet said..



KiteDesigner said...
Check out MY latest creation with all it's cutting edge features, including:
No rocker -
No Fins -
No concave
Well nothing at all, its a plank of wood from bunnings.....

What material is your core?
Plank of wood from bunnings.....

5mm vertically laminated bamboo What is the glass layup?
Pfft glass is for knobs...

600grm triaxle with an additional piece of 600grm triaxle in between the footstraps.
Pffft foot straps are for knobs...

What is the depth of the sidecut on that? Parrallel rails until the corners What is the radius of the cuts on the corners?
Its a plank of wood.... from bunings..... Its the future.... :)






Haha... bring your flat strapless plank to my double head surf conditions...... see how you go in chop and swell...




Send me a plane ticket....



Can you handle it?



Send me a plane ticket and I will do that on the plank....

Plummet
4862 posts
31 Aug 2015 9:00PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
KiteDesigner said..


Send me a plane ticket and I will do that on the plank....


If you backed yourself you would fund it yourself...... Seriously though. super el nino predicted for spring this year. That means a spring/summer of cranken westerlies and swell in the naki.

CJ2478
NSW, 484 posts
1 Sep 2015 12:12PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
KiteDesigner said..
The Bunnings board is excellent for light winds and dead flat water

Science says a square flat tail is the most efficient for speed and light winds.

For chop, add some foot straps and fins and you will have a very good light wind board, the flex of the PLANK auto adjusts as you ride.

For me it was a great experiment on how little you need, to get a good performance light wind flat water board.

I would add some fins and straps and front curve for choppy conditions...

Add some carbon fiber, graphics and a logo and make up some marketing words and sell roughly the same shape for $1200 ;)

A mate makes twin tips, after many prototypes, he found a rectangle no rocker is the best light wind shape...




Seriously though, the amount of times I have talked to people at the beach and mentioned that I was making a board or interested in making one and immediately told not to try or the idea was laughed off because it is too complex.

I would find it pretty hard to justify the decision to fork out major cash for a light wind board having ridden the one that I built that only cost a fraction. The exception of course is people who are time poor and or don't have the resources to make one.

bigtone667
NSW, 1504 posts
1 Sep 2015 12:40PM
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I went to Bunnings and purchased www.bunnings.com.au/selex-600-x-18-x-1800mm-clear-laminated-pine-sheet_p8490006 ...

I cut it down to 500mm wide into an Alaia shape (roughly like the Naish beast without the waist), added a point, a fish tail, some glass on the bottom and resin on the top to seal it (bunning glue is does not like water!!!).

Works a treat in light wind and is super skatey (new word).

$100 board.

CJ2478
NSW, 484 posts
1 Sep 2015 12:57PM
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bigtone667 said..
I went to Bunnings and purchased www.bunnings.com.au/selex-600-x-18-x-1800mm-clear-laminated-pine-sheet_p8490006 ...

I cut it down to 500mm wide into an Alaia shape (roughly like the Naish beast without the waist), added a point, a fish tail, some glass on the bottom and resin on the top to seal it (bunning glue is does not like water!!!).

Works a treat in light wind and is super skatey (new word).

$100 board.


Is the finished board 1800mm long? I have enough wood to make another board and I am thinking about an alaia shape.

Problem is I already cut it to 1500mm long, so I am limited in this dimension. I think it should be fine if I just chop off the front 200mm of an alaia shape so that it has a blunt nose and fits on the wood.

geordieboy
WA, 224 posts
1 Sep 2015 11:54AM
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what about a photo

bigtone667
NSW, 1504 posts
1 Sep 2015 3:42PM
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I just grabbed the cheapest piece of wood I could find near six foot for 100kg of fatness. It weighs a bit but I am was never planning to launch myself into the air with it and do grabs. I just wanted to know if I could do it.

1500mm should fine provided you keep enough width. You could try a North Skim Fish shape..... that would be a lot of fun to try.



I will take a pic and post it. It is definitely not sophisticated.

bigtone667
NSW, 1504 posts
1 Sep 2015 7:22PM
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JohnHS
WA, 34 posts
2 Sep 2015 11:14AM
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Plummet

Any chance you could post some detail about how you attached the foot straps?
Did you embed nuts or use some type of flat headed bolt?

Pix please?
Is the bamboo core you used that much stronger than ply? I was thinking of using 6mm ply and extra glass.

Lambie
QLD, 739 posts
2 Sep 2015 6:51PM
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Not wanting to hijack the thread - I got the chance to play recently on a Naish Alaia that Ant has at the QLD kitesurfari - kind of fun but then Im not really familiar with riding finless boards - and I was having a go in the dead shallows and out in the deeper water and chop - to be honest it seemed to be more comfortable riding it backwards!!
CJ2478 you have inspired me to have a crack a sensible home build - I really don't think I could be bothered with the Alaia shape - but that's a typical Naish thing!! (bat wing kites - what were they thinking!!)

bigtone667
NSW, 1504 posts
2 Sep 2015 6:55PM
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I was lucky enough to score a 3m x 500mm x 50mm piece of paulownia.

I can feel a few big skim boards coming on!!!

Plummet
4862 posts
2 Sep 2015 7:32PM
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Got some stainless inserts laser cut then threaded them.

Cost me bout $120 for 6 boards worth.


KiteDesigner
NSW, 169 posts
2 Sep 2015 9:47PM
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Plummet said..
Got some stainless inserts laser cut then threaded them.

Cost me bout $120 for 6 boards worth.



For $6 I am going to try future fin inserts, I will try a simple cut and superglue the inserts into the wood and see how it works out, then take pics in big waves for plummet :)

www.aliexpress.com/item/32407435522.html?spm=2114.01020208.3.243.3widUH&ws_ab_test=201407_5,201444_5,201409_5

CJ2478
NSW, 484 posts
3 Sep 2015 8:12AM
Thumbs Up

JohnHS said..
Plummet

Any chance you could post some detail about how you attached the foot straps?
Did you embed nuts or use some type of flat headed bolt?

Pix please?
Is the bamboo core you used that much stronger than ply? I was thinking of using 6mm ply and extra glass.



Plummet said..
Got some stainless inserts laser cut then threaded them.

Cost me bout $120 for 6 boards worth.





KiteDesigner said..

Plummet said..
Got some stainless inserts laser cut then threaded them.

Cost me bout $120 for 6 boards worth.




For $6 I am going to try future fin inserts, I will try a simple cut and superglue the inserts into the wood and see how it works out, then take pics in big waves for plummet :)

www.aliexpress.com/item/32407435522.html?spm=2114.01020208.3.243.3widUH&ws_ab_test=201407_5,201444_5,201409_5



Here's an even better method:

shop.shinai.co/?product=m6-ss-inserts

I used the stainless steel inserts available from this guy. I bought enough to do 5 boards and am thinking of buying more because the website says he is ceasing operations. There are the same kind used in snowboards and were really easy to install, glass over and then drill out after glassing.

CJ2478
NSW, 484 posts
3 Sep 2015 8:15AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Lambie said..
Not wanting to hijack the thread - I got the chance to play recently on a Naish Alaia that Ant has at the QLD kitesurfari - kind of fun but then Im not really familiar with riding finless boards - and I was having a go in the dead shallows and out in the deeper water and chop - to be honest it seemed to be more comfortable riding it backwards!!
CJ2478 you have inspired me to have a crack a sensible home build - I really don't think I could be bothered with the Alaia shape - but that's a typical Naish thing!! (bat wing kites - what were they thinking!!)



Yeah good stuff. I recommend keeping it as simple as possible. I actually had 2 failed prototypes before this one because I was trying to add too many complex features and just general over designing. Tried to do resin edges which was a failure and also had a router failure cutting it out. Another board I just put too much glass on it and it was too heavy.

dbabicwa
WA, 808 posts
3 Sep 2015 9:26PM
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Hi all,

I was reluctant to reply but unfortunately, I decided to close my DIY kite board building shop in Perth.

In about a few days time, shop.shinai.co will stop working.

Still have a few SS inserts for sale, and a few beautiful hand made boards. Topsheets are gone, carbon, fins and rails too.

Hopefully helped some of you guys on the way and thanks for your support.

Bye for now.


PS

CJ2478 Thanks mate for your order and posting, appreciated. Congrats for your build as well.

JHS, bamboo is strong as, but heavy. 10mm bamboo in 150x50cm size would be 10kg if not more, comparing to Paulownia same size of 2.6kg:
http://shop.shinai.co/?product=paulownia-wood-core

Loftywinds
QLD, 2060 posts
4 Sep 2015 11:40AM
Thumbs Up

I can't believe it's taken like over 10 years for kite surfers (Seabreezers actually. I see more intelligent responses and respect on other forums) to realise you can make just about everthing yourself, especially boards!

Kamikuza
QLD, 6493 posts
4 Sep 2015 12:26PM
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Select to expand quote
Loftywinds said..
I can't believe it's taken like over 10 years for kite surfers (Seabreezers actually. I see more intelligent responses and respect on other forums) to realise you can make just about everthing yourself, especially boards!


doesn't everyone have a 10-ton board press in their shed, just waiting to be used?



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"DIY Lightwind Board" started by CJ2478