Gluing the Planks

So after a whirlwind of home improvement projects over the summer, I finally was able to get back to board building and glue the planks. This part was very easy, actually. I followed the instructions in the Grain builder's manual. The planks are taped together (masking tape along the joints and taped horizontally). It's best to lay the board down on one side on the rocker table (using the rocker table as an actual table), tape the joints and tape across the board horizontally, and then carefully flip the board over so the taped side is facing down on the rocker table. The taped side will be the outside of the board. You can either shift the board to the edge of the rocker table until some of it hangs over the edge (like what it says in the manual). In this case, the joints open up and the tape acts like a hinge. I tried this method, but I also took a 4x2X4 and slid it underneath the taped planks; I placed the 4x2x4 first in the middle joint which opened the middle joint and created a triangle-shape with the angles of the taped planks and the rocker table. I then ran a bead of titlebond III from top to bottom. Once the middle joint was glued, I moved the 4x2x4 to the next joint, and repeated laying down a bead of glue down the opened joint. If you adequately tape the outside of the board, you will be surprised how well the planks stay flush and even with each other. Next step was to place some slats across the board (above and below the board), clamp them down with c-clamps, and use 4 cross bar clamps horizontally. Although this is probably one of the easier steps, it's still great to realize how easy some of these steps can be. If you're building your first Grain board, my advice is to remember to have fun, and don't give up if you run into problems along the way. Problems happen, but persistence pays off!

Rocker Table

The rocker table is complete! This is a more technical design than what is explained in the Grain manual; the exterior includes threaded 1/2 inch steel rods that create a vice system for the board, which also allow additional control for creating the rocker. However, cheaper and more conventional designs work just fine. The most important part is to create at least 24 inches of width across, create either sturdy hand-built sawhorses or use collapsible ones as seen here, create flat/level measurements for the strappings, and 8 inches of space between the strappings. This rocker table is currently built for building a 6 foot fish, but actually 9 1/2 feet in length for potentially building the 9 foot Root...

(http://www.grainsurfboards.com/boards/the-root/). In the meantime, the length is long enough for building the Waka, with a removable working table at one end.

Grain Surfboards...

Surf with a board that you hand-crafted yourself! Yes, a board that you shaped from the same materials used to frame your home and make your furniture. I’m talking about Grain Surfboards.(http://www.grainsurfboards.com). As a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches, staff at the Surfrider Foundation have taken interest in sustainable board building. The concept and culture of shaping boards with “green” components are expressions of the kind of conservation lifestyle and coastal environmentalism we welcome. At the Surfrider Foundation Headquarters, a corner workshop is set aside for building our first wooden Surfrider-community board. Home grown kit: Waka – 5’10” Fish (http://www.grainsurfboards.com/boards/the-waka/). As the primary builder of this board, I also hope to offer some useful tips for amateur wooden board builders of Grain, and for builders of other wooden board designs. I'm really stoked to see all kinds of boards in the water! So welcome to one of the shaping rooms of the Surfrider Foundation….sharing the stoke of Grain and contributing to the collective online wooden board building community.