egg-citing renovation of old board

I have been calling this one el wave-o loco.  Its an old leaky 7-4 I took apart and am rebuilding from the ground up, using the old rails.  Almost finished with the framework, ribs at 2 1/2" on center, current weight 3.5 lbs.

gribblefodder aka zatarra

Finally decided on "zatarra" as the official name of this one - from a line in the movie Count of Monte Cristo (it means driftwood).  Got it glassed, and just awaiting some funds to purchase more resin, as it needs a final coat or two.  Weight at this point 10.5 lbs.

the gribblefodder

Its been awhile!  I get caught up spending my time on the forums, and neglect the blogs.  I belong to 4, one I own, two others I moderate, and the fourth is just for fun.

So here's my latest photos of the gribblefodder (food for the driftwood eaters).  Not done, but nearing completion after many months, and some time sitting while I took a break from the tedious work of assembling all those little pieces!

The bottom has been sealed, the top is still under construction.

The inspiration for this one was a large driftwood tree trunk that resides at Malibu beach, by the lifeguard tower.

artwork completed, ready for glass

egg crate framework: complete

It has actually been enjoyable doing this weird experimental build, I go into my shop and just cut and glue little pieces and I'm in the zone, low stress, just tooling around in my own little world LOL. Progress moves so slow you don't even think about it after awhile, hahaha. I plan on doing some more like this, trying some other variations on the theme which are floating around in my head.

I pretty much finished the framework, a couple pieces needed around the vent and leash plug. Next: seal the inside and apply the 'rice paper'. I have ordered some "polyspan" tissue, a tissue designed for lining dresses, it is synthetic, puncture resistant, water resistant, and very strong. It can be pulled tight with heat. It has a smooth side and a rough side, I'll apply it rough side out, to get a better bond with the fiberglass. I need nitrate dope to apply it, and the stuff is hard to find, I'll have to order some on internet.

Once the tissue is on, then artwork, and fiberglass it. My plan is one layer of 6 oz. fiberglass over the tissue, then see how strong it feels to see if I think it'll need more. After I glass the top and bottom, then I'll shape the rails. At least that's my plan. Then I'll glass the rails last. Its been a trip for sure, I bet there are over 1300 pieces in this thing.

"the Shoji"

As the board progresses, I've decided to go for a shoji screen type of look, with some kind of rice paper or maybe silk (if I could afford it) covering, then fiberglass.

I want to add some Japanese style graphics too.

egg, Japanese flavored =)

Something different this go-around. I don't want to say too much, because really so much is vague in my mind - gonna have to make it up as I go along. But my tentative agenda is this: to try a new method I've never done before, and never seen done. Based on boards (and other related disciplines) I have seen, as an inspiration.

The idea is to make a lighter board, or more accurately, to find a lighter system / methodology of making boards - but since this one is experimental, I'm not going to worry too much about the weight of this particular board (if its successful, then I can always tweak the details to get the weight down on later iterations).

Also, this is intended to be a personal statement of sorts - dunno if I'm saying it right, but I'm not seeking to find a method that will catch on with other builders. Like most of what I do, its not likely to be very expedient, or practical, LOL.

This method will draw inspiration from varied sources, not all of which are surfboard related. I'm hoping to end up with something like a Japanese flavored egg!