Step-by-Step: Hollow Wooden Surfboard

Hollow wood surfboards require significantly more time and expertise to create than a standard foam blank, but they are significantly more durable and less harmful to the environment. As a result, they tend to cost more than foam boards, it is possible to produce one yourself with only a basic set of tools. However, a great deal of patience and accuracy is also required, as all the parts need to fit together perfectly for the board to have the required strength and buoyancy.

Things You'll Need

  • Hollow surfboard template
  • Sheets of plywood, big enough to accommodate your board design
  • Jigsaw
  • Wood glue
  • Strips of light balsa wood, 1/2-inch wide, 1/16-inch thick, enough to cover the whole board
  • Sander
  • Fiberglass resin
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Instructions

    • 1

      Outline the shape of your board onto one of the sheets of plywood. Keep your pencil vertical as you trace the shape from the template. Trace the same shape onto one of the other plywood sheets. These two pieces will form the top and bottom of the board.

    • 2

      Cut the third sheet into ribs and a spine to create the board's internal bracing structure. Start by measuring a central spine and cutting it out using the jigsaw. Measure along the spine to the halfway point between nose and tail. Measure across the outline and refer to the template to get the dimensions for a horizontal rib. It should be as wide as the board will be, and share the same profile. Each single rib should represent a cross-section of the board at that point.

    • 3

      Cut the rib out from the sheet, remembering to cut a notch that will allow it to slot around the central spine. Measure along the spine again, finding the halfway point between the center rib and the nose, then the center rib and the tail. Measure and cut the ribs for each of these sections, and fit them to the spine. Continue to divide the intervals between them and add more, until they are evenly spaced across the whole board, from nose to tail.

    • 4

      Dab each point between the ribs and the spine with a spot of wood glue to ensure that they stay perfectly in place.

    • 5

      Lay the strips onto the frame to form the top of the deck, gluing them to the skeleton underneath as you go. Ensure that there are no gaps between the ends or sides of the strips by sliding each new strip up to the edge of the previous one. Paying particular attention to the "rails" that form the sides of the board. The curved surface may require you to create multiple layers if you feel you need more strength and thickness.

    • 6

      Allow everything to dry overnight, longer if possible. Sand the whole board down, so all the surfaces are smooth. There should be no visible gaps between the strips. Paint the whole board with the clear resin, then sand it down and repeat, until you have a slick, mirror-smooth finish. These multiple layers will also help with waterproofing.