dive board build on the cheap!!

[miguelitro]

Got a start this afternoon on my dive board.
I hope it to be floatable enough to make kicking out a ways a bit faster and easier.
-to be comfortable as a back pack for walking in.
-to have DRY storage.
-to be able to hold 2 guns.

I started with 2 old surfboards and sawz-alled the middles out of each one.
I finger planed the rocker out of the top of one and the bottom of the other to aid in adhesion(using liquid nails to glue em together). Obviously it will all get fiberglassed when done(i have a lot of 10 oz glass someone gave me a while back)
here is where i am at so far-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/miguelitro/IMG_1857.jpg
I hope to have time to set up my shaping tent tomorrow afternoon and remove about 1/2" from each board and glue em together.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/miguelitro/IMG_1858.jpg
this picture show a rough idea of the shape and some rough ideas.
The 2 smaller circles nearest to the nose are for running lines through for dragging it while swimming or if I use it for a float at some point.
the two larger circles will be recessed and covered with plastic "deck plates"
and the upside down U will be shaped out and glassed HEAVY to prevent buckles etc... from dinging the board(may cover this in something if it gives me problems).
Oh yeah, i will be putting in surfboard leash plugs with loops of mono for tie down points all around the board. and for the straps on the bottom.

Mike

[J-Hoss]

You might want to look into a product that stand up paddle boarders use on the tops of there boards. They're mounts designed to be adhered to the top of a paddle board or surfboard that you then run a bungee across to hold gear on the board. Might be simpler than installing leash plugs all over the board. I'll check on the name of them and let you know next time I go into work if you want.

[miguelitro]

I know what you are referring to, and agree that they would work great, but I happen to have @10 leash plugs in the garage:D
I am hoping to only have to buy resin, deck plates(which may come later anyways), and a dive flag.
As the title says- on the cheap!!!:D
Mike

[J-Hoss]

Well in that case the plugs sound like a good idea. No reason to spend money on something you don't need.

[miguelitro]

Well in that case the plugs sound like a good idea. No reason to spend money on something you don't need.

or just a few more bucks for beer while glassing:D
Mike

[Tred007]

how is the build coming along?

[miguelitro]

have no thad much time with the school year wrapping up but it will get done before vacation starts!!!
Mike

[Tred007]

no worries, good luck with finals! looking forward to build to pics

[miguelitro]

no worries, good luck with finals! looking forward to build to pics

no finals as i teach elementary school environmental science...just a lot of busy work and housekeeping stuff around school!:D

[miguelitro]

hope to get this thing shaped tomorrow, and colored and glassed next week.
got the "bow" rocker cut in today after thinking about how to do it for a week... duh a sawzall!
will get pics up when the shape is done

Mike

[Tred007]

sweet! try to post some pics of the process. Thanks!

[LunkerBuster]

looking forward to the progress as well

[miguelitro]

here ya go guys!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/miguelitro/IMG_1867.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/miguelitro/IMG_1870.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/miguelitro/IMG_1869.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/miguelitro/IMG_1865.jpg

[miguelitro]

I did not get pics of the gluing process nor the shaping process, sorry
the holes are for tying off a float line to drag it with, the bottom has a double barrel concave for no reason other than its a kinda cool detail, the top has a concave area for my belly if I decode to kick out on it:D
next step is to get some light weight spackle to fill in the gaps between the two boards.
then to do a bitchen color job on the bottom and finally HEAVY glass so i can abuse it. after glass the leash plugs go in then a gloss coat! the deck plates(holes not cut) will get glued to the deck somehow (along with some stainless screws I think)
will try to keep this freshly updated!
Mike

[Tred007]

wow looks great so far. very clean looking. what did you use to shape the board? also what type of glue did u use to stick the pieces together?

[juanjose]

beautiful is running.

[Marco]

Cool

[miguelitro]

wow looks great so far. very clean looking. what did you use to shape the board? also what type of glue did u use to stick the pieces together?

power planer
dry wall rasp
drywall sanding screen
finger plane

used liquid nails to stick em:D:thumps:
mike

[Tred007]

looks like you have previous experience shaping boards.

..hows it coming along?

..take lots of pics! : )

[Tred007]

any updates?

[miguelitro]

as a matter of fact I do!!!
got the cracks between the boards filled in a couple days ago with light weight spackle. LEt it dry up real good and sanded it back down.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/miguelitro/IMG_1874.jpg
Then it was time for an old school resin tint color job!!! Trip out man!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/miguelitro/IMG_1874.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/miguelitro/IMG_1877.jpg
*I do not drink bud light.:D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/miguelitro/IMG_1880.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/miguelitro/IMG_1884.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/miguelitro/IMG_1887.jpg
What ever color hits the board first will be vibrant and everything else mixes in between. i did the top as well with a more of a zig zag pattern.
Also all the glass laid up and will be hot coating today. Once that is done i will add in the leash plugs for attachment points, normally this would be done before hot coat but its kinda a moot point for something like this imo.
I will get more pics up as I progress today!
Mike

[Tred007]

sick! nice paint spreader btw

[miguelitro]

30 pack cardboard is a superior material and is used for everything from skweegeeing(sp?) resin to making templates for metal fabrication projects. Well at least at my house it is:D
Mike

[LunkerBuster]

amazing project man...if you had to price the board too, what have you put into this project? I like it a lot

thanks for keeping us updated and sharing the journey

[miguelitro]

so far i have @40$ into it for resin and catalyst but I had the foam, glass and pigment. I have some leash plugs to throw in for tie downs so dont need to buy those. I suppose i could have found a boogie board for cheaper but... I think this one os so much cooler:D
Mike

[miguelitro]

No pics, hope to get some tomorrow when it is finished. Leaving for baja for a month Tuesday and it needs to be finished.:D
The board is glassed, hot coated, sanded and the top half is glossed, looks great feels solid, not too heavy...time to shoot something and see how it performs.
Mike

[marioermes]

good!!!

[Tred007]

keep the pics coming! looks great!

[Tred007]

any updates? :)

[miguelitro]

I finished it, used it in baja and had to leave it in san diego when i moved here. I will be bringing it down in august so check back then. i have no pics on the new comp...
Mike