12' Stand Up Paddle Board
Building a 12' paddle board was a journey of self discovery this last summer, fall and winter. A couple days before Christmas finished it after procrastination and raw determination(on a weekly basis)
If you want a BIG SUP then making a foam laminate is the hard way to do it.
As usual I must give the usual disclaimer of "do at your own risk" don't be a Darwinistic loser!
Using a skill saw and other sharp objects carry a risk and if you embark on this journey it's all on you. Not me.
That said, this is my first instructible and the final product is captured in video only as the shed I was working in was just large enough to finish it not take pictures.
It's big. Took about four or five sheets of insulation and twenty or so caulk tubes of glue I don't have access to outside the purchase guy at my work. It's from Michigan Adhesives. Formula 101 and 100. It's like rubber. I wAs inspired by others on this site and hope you enjoy this
If you want a BIG SUP then making a foam laminate is the hard way to do it.
As usual I must give the usual disclaimer of "do at your own risk" don't be a Darwinistic loser!
Using a skill saw and other sharp objects carry a risk and if you embark on this journey it's all on you. Not me.
That said, this is my first instructible and the final product is captured in video only as the shed I was working in was just large enough to finish it not take pictures.
It's big. Took about four or five sheets of insulation and twenty or so caulk tubes of glue I don't have access to outside the purchase guy at my work. It's from Michigan Adhesives. Formula 101 and 100. It's like rubber. I wAs inspired by others on this site and hope you enjoy this
Cutting the Board
Using a skill saw, a couple 8' boards as guides, and a couple clamps, proceeded to build this beast the hard way. A square helps by checking each ends length to get it as near perfect as possible.
Sandwich the 4'x8' insulation board with the amount desired sticking out to cut. The more accurate the cut the less hassle you'll have later.
All this and everything connected us at your own risk. Don't act stupidly and you may get through this unscathed but there are never garuntees in life!
I put the cord over my right shoulder and ran that sucker all the way down smooth as possible. Manipulating the guard is tricky thus the disclaimer.
After making a fortune of insulation boards go poof, stagger them so the middle prices are 8' and the filler prices are 4'
Disregard the plywood runners, I figured they'd not flex and break the glue once in use so there's another hundred wasted on this project.
Sandwich the 4'x8' insulation board with the amount desired sticking out to cut. The more accurate the cut the less hassle you'll have later.
All this and everything connected us at your own risk. Don't act stupidly and you may get through this unscathed but there are never garuntees in life!
I put the cord over my right shoulder and ran that sucker all the way down smooth as possible. Manipulating the guard is tricky thus the disclaimer.
After making a fortune of insulation boards go poof, stagger them so the middle prices are 8' and the filler prices are 4'
Disregard the plywood runners, I figured they'd not flex and break the glue once in use so there's another hundred wasted on this project.
Glue. Lots. and Lots and Lots of Glue
I would advise to have extra glue on hand. No matter how much I thought I'd use it was never enough.
Set the first layer of one 4' and one 8' length on top of twelve feet of plywood. Same width as the lengths of foam.
Trowel the glue as thick as you can afford. And ad another 8' and 4' length so the seams are opposite. Continue till you have about 4-6 layers. Make sure they are as even in the edges as possible.
Place another 12' section on top of the stack opposite lengths to keep the seams covered with solid wood. Then ratchet strap it like nobodies business. Putting chunks of wood under the metal parts so as not to indent the foam.
Also make sure the surface your doing this on is NOT bowed. When it dries it will take on the shape of whatever it's resting on. Makes a miserable time.
Set the first layer of one 4' and one 8' length on top of twelve feet of plywood. Same width as the lengths of foam.
Trowel the glue as thick as you can afford. And ad another 8' and 4' length so the seams are opposite. Continue till you have about 4-6 layers. Make sure they are as even in the edges as possible.
Place another 12' section on top of the stack opposite lengths to keep the seams covered with solid wood. Then ratchet strap it like nobodies business. Putting chunks of wood under the metal parts so as not to indent the foam.
Also make sure the surface your doing this on is NOT bowed. When it dries it will take on the shape of whatever it's resting on. Makes a miserable time.
Putting the Sections Together
After making three, four, or five sections 12'x6''x(however layers of two inch you want)
It's time to glue them all together making one huge monolith of glue and polystyrene madness! Make sure to use a lot of guild timbers and again, glue. Lots of mother living glue. I'm so sick of glue I can't begin to tell you how much. I think I used upwards of twenty caulk tubes or more and even then it was less than I'd have liked.
Use as many ratchet straps as you can. Hold this sucker together like your dryness depended on it.
It's time to glue them all together making one huge monolith of glue and polystyrene madness! Make sure to use a lot of guild timbers and again, glue. Lots of mother living glue. I'm so sick of glue I can't begin to tell you how much. I think I used upwards of twenty caulk tubes or more and even then it was less than I'd have liked.
Use as many ratchet straps as you can. Hold this sucker together like your dryness depended on it.
Shaping and Keeping Your Lungs Clean.
I had a electric sander lying around and it did the bulk of shaping while digging in, tearing it up and making me look like a smurf.
Some kind of air filter over you breathing holes and goggles over your little bloodshot maddened peepers are a must if you intend to live long enough to drown yourself on this thing! USE THEM! I preferred a bandana like billy the kid but time will tell if it was enough. And goggles would have been helpful if I'd thought of it at the time.
Smooth it all out. Use your artistic flair to make it what you want.
Then take the quarter inch luan that you shaped and sanded and spar varnished with two coats, and glue (oh that glue) it to the top.
This is another step that's pretty well self explanatory. I learned a lot on this project, one is that I'm not a ship builder but I could be if I wanted to. Maybe again some day. I dunno.
Some kind of air filter over you breathing holes and goggles over your little bloodshot maddened peepers are a must if you intend to live long enough to drown yourself on this thing! USE THEM! I preferred a bandana like billy the kid but time will tell if it was enough. And goggles would have been helpful if I'd thought of it at the time.
Smooth it all out. Use your artistic flair to make it what you want.
Then take the quarter inch luan that you shaped and sanded and spar varnished with two coats, and glue (oh that glue) it to the top.
This is another step that's pretty well self explanatory. I learned a lot on this project, one is that I'm not a ship builder but I could be if I wanted to. Maybe again some day. I dunno.
Bottom Side
On the bottom I layered more of that infamous glue and a 20 mil sheet of poly vinyle (excuse the spelling) I found a slide on skew for like $18 on Amazon and needed a heat gun to shape it flat as what it was supposed to be.
Base glued
Plastic glued
And frustration over puckering around the shaped areas. Your warned.
And it sits waiting for this springs first voyage.
All in all its a beast of a board and only weighs about forty pounds or so. Just bulky as all get out.
I will post the vids I made one day of the finished product once I figure this iPhone out. If I can. Hope you have fun doing this. Be safe and wear a life jacket.
Base glued
Plastic glued
And frustration over puckering around the shaped areas. Your warned.
And it sits waiting for this springs first voyage.
All in all its a beast of a board and only weighs about forty pounds or so. Just bulky as all get out.
I will post the vids I made one day of the finished product once I figure this iPhone out. If I can. Hope you have fun doing this. Be safe and wear a life jacket.