How to make your own wakeboard

DIYboarder · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 7

Didn't anyone ever builded his own wakeboard?

On the internet I found lots of DIY surfboard and snowboard sites, even kiteboard sites but I couldn't find any site that handles about building your own wakeboard... So I made one myself.

Check out how I build my own wakeboard on www.DIYboards.tk
There will come a forum and guestbook very soon.

Greetz
DIYboarder

Wallrat · Posted: Jul 07, 2005 6:37 am Post subject:

site worked, links didn't.

Damon · Posted: Jul 07, 2005 7:11 am Post subject:

Good work... I'm about to make my own fiberglass skimboard in afew days.

DIYboarder · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 7

I'm still building the site, so only the green links work. The site grows along with my board. Come back soon to see the progress

pyrocasto · Posted: Jul 10, 2005 8:51 am Post subject:

Keep working on it. I built mine ouf of wood and think I'm gonna build another. It's worked out well but I just put a little to much curve in it so that's something to rectify next time.

DIYboarder · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 7

Hellow,

I'm now at the final fase of the project. Lamination... Does anyone has suggestions on wich layup to use. I intend to use 3 layers of glassfibre at both sides. I'm not thinking of carbon yet, maybe I'll use carbon for my next board.

Let me know if you did some laminating and wich layup you used.

thx

PeeDeeRider · Criminal Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 77

I can't get the URL to work

Damon · Posted: Aug 23, 2005 11:47 am Post subject:

3 layers of fiberglass? Thats going to be a hefty board... most board companies only use one layer of fiberglass.

What type of core are you using? wood or foam?

And carbon is too springy for the application, you'll find it will be a waste of money, unless you get free materials. Carbon would be sick to look at, but would actually hurt performance, expecially with a foam core. The reason being the same for snowboards... Carbon isn't stiff enough to keep the board stable, sure its strong as hell, but it isnt ridgid.

There is a local snowboard company that is beginning to put in basalt (i think?) in their layups, but its rediculously expensive because they have to import it from russia.

DIYboarder · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 7

I'm using a foam core. I already did one layer of glassfiber(Keper) at both sides but it isn't strong enough yet. The board is still super light. I used an PU foam core that was very light. I have also a board I bought and the one I'm making is for the moment twice as light.

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

DIYboarder, a foam core? The DIY instructions for a wakeboard that I have read all say to use a wood core, plywood or balsa. Is the foam going to be able to hold up?

vawakemonster · Posted: Sep 01, 2005 6:33 am Post subject:

thats probably why ti isnt strong enough after one coat(not trying to be a smart ass)

Damon · Posted: Sep 01, 2005 11:18 am Post subject:

How did you do the layup? Did you vacuum bag?

Chad H · Posted: Sep 01, 2005 12:59 pm Post subject:

I think foam core would be plenty strong enough. Just put a coat or 2 more of glass.

Damon · Posted: Sep 01, 2005 1:05 pm Post subject:

It depends on the layup... foam cores are worthless if they arn't supported correctly.

Board companies are vacuum bagging their boards at 150 PSI (around there) which makes the fiberglass/resin extremely strong.

-=LoneStar=- · Addict Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 751

Am I the only one who cannot get to the site? I tried back in July and again today. I've tried from work and from home. No luck. No DNS or whois server that I know of has any idea where to look for diyboards.tk.

Give me the IP address.

Damon · Posted: Sep 03, 2005 9:03 pm Post subject:

try this

http://users.pandora.be/maartenuleyn/DIYboards/

splash · Criminal Joined: 21 Apr 2005 Posts: 92 City: Europe

Great job!

Do you still have time for riding with all this work?

Wallrat · Posted: Sep 06, 2005 6:37 am Post subject:

Vacuum bagging doesn't add any strength, it reduces WEIGHT by removing excess resin thereby increasing the strength to weight ratio. Tehnically you could say that you gain strength by filling in all the voids but a good glasser can do the same thing using conventional layup. Also laugh, I think you got confused about carbon fiber. That stuff is incredibly rigid! They did alot of experiments with kiteboards trying to make an all carbon board. Things were so stiff they rode like crap. Now what some companies are doing is running 1/4" carbon stringers diagonally across the boards to control twist. CF is roughly 3x as strong as glass so 18oz of glass would be equal to 1 layer of 6oz CF.

Damon · Posted: Sep 06, 2005 5:29 pm Post subject:

Ehhh I dunno, All the CF I've had is always flexible... Of course, its never been 1/4" thick... I've actually never seen any CF laid 1/4" thick? Anyway, I was talking in context for the wakeboard... you wouldn't see 1/4" of glass on a wakeboard... more like 1/8", maybe even less.

And vacuum bagging will add strength because it will set the resin into the glass and foam at a molecular level... which I dont think is possible with a conventional layup... I'm pretty sure I just made up the 150 PSI though Laughing

I have no idea how much pressure they usually run.

Oh yeah... did that link I provided work?

Wallrat · Posted: Sep 06, 2005 5:51 pm Post subject:

I've used both quite a bit. Most of my CF I get at www.carb.com (if anyone can find better prices, lemme know). Like I said before, you can substitute 1 6oz layer of CF for 18oz of glass, so on multiple layers where strength is key, even though its more expensive cloth, you end up saving money in the long run. If I'm trying to add bulk I just use fiberglass mat and throw some uni down over that. I've only experimented with vacuum bagging once with my friend's setup. I'd definately recommend it if every ounce counts (airplane wings for example), but for a wakeboard I doubt you'd notice 1/4lb either way.

-oh yeah and your link worked

Damon · Posted: Sep 06, 2005 7:57 pm Post subject:

Ya so far I'm just a hacker at the composite stuff... home depot supplies... The school I'm going to next year has a HUGE composite program, I can't wait. They carry all sorts of stuff... kevlar, carbon, tons of fiberglass... all for free... Mr. Green

What sort of projects are you doing?

And what type of vacuum bagging system is he using? the DIY home version... or a machine?

Wallrat · Posted: Sep 06, 2005 9:09 pm Post subject:

Nice man. I've got a sailboat I've been rebuilding for the past few years. Plus I've built skimboards, repaired surboards, made body parts for sportbikes, composite speaker enclosures, RC plane stuff, etc.

Next project (glass-wise) is a swim step, followed by a speaker enclosure/light rack for the new tower. Plus I've got some hull work on the SeaRay that needs some attention eventually.

He's got a kit he bought online somewhere. I dunno much about it really, aside from helping him set it up the first time I didn't tweak with it much. Seems like some of those DIY one's would work pretty well. Maybe if I ever have an old fridge dumped on my lap I'll have the excuse to get into it more myself.

Damon · Posted: Sep 06, 2005 9:21 pm Post subject:

Go to a junkyard... They've got fridges just chillin there, I don't even know what they do with them.

Who knows how good the seals would be though.

Wallrat · Posted: Sep 06, 2005 9:24 pm Post subject:

The fridge is needed just for the pump. You still use the regular bagging method. Just take the pump and trash the rest of the fridge.

Damon · Posted: Sep 06, 2005 9:31 pm Post subject:

hahah... yeah I've never even heard of that before, another moment for me to be an idiot

They do have fridges at junkyards though... I know that for sure... Laughing

DIYboarder · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 7

Hellow, I'm back again. I wasn't expecting that many replies.

It's true about the foam core. PU foam is what the wakeboardproducers like liquid force like to call AIROcore or POLYcore. It's an opencell foam so to make it waterresistant you will have to impregnate it. Without the glassfiber, the foam is wurthless, but it's super light. It's very easy to sand and you can bend it to any rocker you want, this makes it easy to make a continuous, 3stage or hybrid rocker. I'm now moulding my fins and the second layer of glasfiber has been done.
Someone asked if I had time left to board, well for the moment I'm doing an internship with a innovation company and after my work it's already dark so then is the moment to build. During the weekends I become one with the wake, a feeling you guys will probably know.

I can't wait until I can ride the board and push it to the edge.

greetings

ps. If the links don't work you should look to enable your pop-ups. I'll try to change the font a little so it's easier and bigger to read.

DIYboarder · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 7

more info about the vacuum bagging.
If you have a compressor at home (you can buy them at hardwarestores for about 70 euro) you just have to buy an extra piece, working on the venturi principle. It changes the airpressure into suction. then you just need plastic sheets, sealing tape and a valve. around your board you should wrap some breedingfiber that absorbs the exsessive resin. this produces the best weight-strenght ratio because at a certain amount of resin the board will not become stronger anymore, only havier.
If you don't have a compressor you can also use the compressor out of a fridge. On my site I placed an interesting link to the site of a guy who made his own kiteboard, and he used the vacuumbagging technique.
Because it was my first board I started with the hand layup method, but I probably use the vacuumbagging for my next board.

The things that have to happen now is still some more laminating, then sanding till it shines, then a PU white colour and the decals and then some layers of PU transparent coating to make it shine and to embed the decals.

UlysS · Posted: Sep 06, 2005 10:59 pm Post subject:

Knap gedaan... Cool

Lyle · Posted: Nov 17, 2005 12:54 pm Post subject:

DIYboarder,
So what type of foam did you use? Most of the boards I have made have been out of foam and balsa. Usually carbon fiber as the skin. Do you have picture of your board? If you look at my profile that is one of my boards from a couple of years ago. The one I ride now is a six fin but no graphics on it just straight carbon fiber black. Weight is approximately 4.5 lbs.

mcragun · Newbie Joined: 10 Dec 2005 Posts: 2

If you get a closed cell PU foam, it will work even better. Then there is no need to seal it.

McPie · Criminal Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 54 City: Sydney

I'm also making a board...
I'm considering a PU core with either a fibreglass or carbonfibre outer layer. I'm still deciding on the final materials. Which material do you think would be better? or is there any other materials for either the core or outer layers that i should also be considering.
Cheers.

DIYboarder · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 7

Hellow, it's been a long time since I last was here.

For the moment I'm busy making a snowboard for my thesis for school. That's way the wakeboard has been in the back for a while. Tomorow I will sand it for the last time and this weekend I will place the last layers of glassfibre at both sides.
I also made some fins since the last post. My site has to be updated and will probably change to an other location, but I keep you updated. I will also change the lay out and font a bit so it's better readable.

Greetings

PS: I added some pics of fin moulding and the status of the board

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

wow, looks exactly like a fish