Wood Surfboard Kit FAQ
Question: Does this kit include the planking for the outside of the surfboard?
Answer: No, it costs too much to ship long strips of wood. Plus no matter how well its packaged, shippers break stuff. And even though its insured, you end up waiting twice as long for a replacement. The biggest reason though, you should be the one to decide what your board will look like not somebody else. Picking up your own wood locally ensures that you get exactly the look you want and that you didn't pay too much for it.
Question: What is the best kind of wood to use?
Answer: Recycled lumber is the eco-friendly, cost effective choice. Reclaimed lumber such as redwood and cedar are an excellent wood choice as they are often already light and dry. If you are going for a light board you will want to use soft woods like redwood, cedar, pine, paulownia, or balsa. If you don't care about weight, go for exotic hardwoods. We have used mahogany, ebony, oak and others. The hardwoods are really strong but heavy.
Question: Where do I buy wood for the planking?
Answer: Lumber suppliers and home improvement stores are the obvious answer. Most builders love the challenge of finding the perfect wood for their board and they will search through pallets of wood to find the perfect pieces. We have found beautiful heart redwood being sold for planter edging in the garden department of Home Depot. Lumber suppliers like Austin Hardwoods will even cut a custom kit for you. The assembly manual that comes with your kit lists a lot of good sources and even tells how you can get free wood.
Question: Do I have to glass the board or can I just varnish it?
Answer: If you are only going to hang the board on a wall simply varnishing it is adequate. You should always glass a board that is going to be used. Not only to seal the water out but to give the board the strength it needs.
Question: I've never glassed a board, is it hard?
Answer: I don't think its hard, but it can be tricky. The assembly manual covers the main steps in glassing as well as installing a fin box, leash cup, vent, and more. If you are not sure though, watch surfboard glassing videos on www.youtube.com. This will help you see what's involved. Many builders decide that they don't want to chance ruining their beautiful board with a bad glass job and have it professionally glassed. It's probably not as expensive you think.
Question: What kind of fiberglass do I use?
Answer: Our glassing kits contain enough glass cloth and epoxy resin to apply 2 layers of 4 oz cloth to the deck and one to the bottom. This is industry standard glassing. Bigger boards such as the SUPs use 2 layers of 6 oz cloth on the deck and one on the bottom.
Question: How much woodworking ability do I need and what tools?
Answer: This is not the easiest project you will ever try, but its probably not as hard as you think. If you follow the detailed instruction manual you will be fine. As for tools, a table or band saw is a must. Also a belt sander and block plane are necessary. As for a power thickness planer, if you have one that's great. Lots of builders have made deals with cabinet shops or local school wood shops to plane the wood for them.
Question: Can the kits be modified?
Answer: You bet! That's why we call the Chameleon the Chameleon. If you build it according to plan its an egg. It can be modified many ways to make it faster and more maneuverable. The kits can also be narrowed somewhat if desired. The instruction manual has a complete section on how to modify a board.
HOW IT'S BUILT
Your frame kit arrives at
your front
door in an 8 ft.custom package
The numbered ribs are slipped into notches in the
spar with the matching number.
The ribs and spar are mounted a couple inches above
the building table using scrap sticks and a hot melt glue
gun.
