1. Shaping  is complete 
2. Glassing is complete 
3. Sanding  is complete
4. Insert are complete
5. Fin Boxes are complete
6. Priming paint is done
7. The finished project 

1.   Get a big block of foam and remove everything that does not look like the worlds most perfect waveski.
2.   Fiberglass it.
3.   Win the Worlds.

    Ok, so it is a little more complicated than that.  But it can be done in a small shop or garage with a few basic tools and $400 - $500 in materials.  I can show you the first two steps.  You are on your own for number 3.

This is only my second waveski, but I've built 22 windsurfers and a couple surfboards over the last 12 years.  The techniques are the same and the waveskis are much easier.

    The real secret to a great ski is R&D (Ripoff and Duplicate),  borrow and ride every ski you can get your hands on until you find the "Magic" ski.  Then copy it.  It is OK to modify the small stuff.  Make it thicker if you are too heavy,  make the seatpan lower if it is too tippy, but don't make major changes in the rocker or the planform (outline) unless you are willing to waste about $500 and 100hrs of work.  Building a turkey is a major bummer.   "Experience is what you get, when you don't get what you want!)  I love that quote and yes, I am "experienced".

Over the next couple months I will post photos of the stages of ski construction with a brief description of what is going on.  You can thank (or curse)  Bill for putting it all together and Rod Michaels for suggesting the project.

If you want more detailed info get the "Maui Boardbuilders Guide" and Tom Sullivan's video on "Vacuum Bag Board Building".  Both are available from http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/
Also check out this web site. http://www.viser.net/~anthwind/Building/building.html    It has info on surf and windsurf board construction, but a board is a board is a ski.  There are a lot of informational links here.

I'll start working on the intro to glassing next week.  It might be a little longwinded because there are so many ways to go about it. 

I'll try to keep it short and let the pictures talk but some explanation is going to be necessary.

Next step, clean up the shop and get out the glassing supplies.

I think the MSDS would apply here. 

It is on the door of my shop. 

    OK, you've finished shaping your "most perfect ski".  Now it's time for glass.  Since the blank is styrofoam only epoxy resin will work.  Which resins  are appropriate depends on your choice of clear or painted finish.  Any epoxy can be painted but only a few have the uv inhibitors for a clear finish.
    Then comes the choices in fiberglass material.  Price vs. strength vs. weight.  The best for a ski is probably two layers of 6oz "S" glass.  This is a good compromise of all three factors.  E glass is the most common and what you will find in most boatyards and discount stores.  S glass is 30% stronger, 20% stiffer, and 3 x the price.  Carbon is 50% stronger, 50% stiffer, and 8 x the price.  38" wide is perfect for most skis.  One custom builder I know uses a 7oz E and a 6oz S for his layup.
    In addition to resin and glass you will need a few other supplies.  Measuring cups, mixing cups, stir sticks, latex or nitrile gloves, dust masks or a respirator, scissors, acetone, papertowels, microballons, silica, razor blades, plastic squeeges, masking tape, and lots of sandpaper.
    The reason for the photo of the poster on my shop door is that these materials are quite toxic.  The basic rule is "Don't get it on ya!"  Buy your gloves by the box.  If you touch some wet resin, wash it off with soap and water or handcleaner.  Not Acetone!  This will disolve the resin and take it into your blood stream.  The second rule is "Don't breath it!"  If you work in a well ventilated area epoxy fumes are ok.  (Most brands have very little smell but are still toxic.)   But in an enclosed space a respirator is mandatory.  When working with the powders or when sanding, a mask or respirator is a necessity.   I even wear mine while cutting glass.  You can see the glass fibers floating in the air if the light is right.

    Some tips for working with epoxy. 
1. It won't stick to visqueen or any polyethelene.  I use a blue plastic tarp for a floor.  Visqueen on a table for my lamination and a poly wrap prior to vacuum bagging.
2.  Epoxy is temperature sensitive and exothermic.  (generates its own heat)   It will smoke in a 3oz cup in about 15 minutes.  But, once it is spread out on the glass it won't gell for an hour or more.  So never mix more than 9oz at a time.  There is always time to mix more.
3.  Warm resin will saturate the cloth faster and leave a lighter laminate.
4.  Always glass in a falling temperature.  This prevents pinholes from outgassing.  Heat the shop at first or glass in the evening.  Once the resin has set you can crank up the heat for full cure.  Full cure is 7 days at 77 degrees.  Prior to that the sanding dust is not only hazardous as dust but is still chemically toxic.
5.  Always measure accurately to your mix ratio and stir for at least 3 minutes for 3 - 9 oz.  Bigger batches require more time yet.  (My shop is wired into the CD player so I mix for a full song.)
6.  Wear your oldest clothes and shoes.  They will not survive the project.  Take the shoes off before you go in the house.  There is bound to be epoxy on the soles.

    I've realized that I have "glassed" myself into a corner with this article.  The glassing techniques that will show up in the photos are from the windsurfing industry and are really overkill for building a good ski.  I wouldn't recommend them to anyone for a first or second glass job.  A simple hand lamination on the blank with two layers of glass is totally adaquate for a ski.   I will try to explain the easy way while doing it the hard way.
 

    Sanding can make or break the whole project.  The idea is to sand only on the fairing compound.  Never the glass fiber.  Sanding on glass will compromise the strength of the laminate and give you the "itch".  Once the whole ski is sanded with 40 grit to knock off the major bumps, the real sanding is done with 80 grit.  Since this ski will be painted there is no need to sand finer than that.  The hand sanding should be done with 80 and 120 grit. 
    If you are going to buy any tools, this is the place to put your $.  You can get by without a lot of the tools I use but it is really hard without a good sander.  I'm using a PorterCable 6" DA with hook and loop paper.  It hooks to a shop vac with a hose and has really cut down on the dust problem.  About $150 at Amazon.  (I burned up a cheap B&D 5" in about 3 hours.)

    Sanding tips:

1.  Keep the sander moving and the face flat.  Even if you are taking down a bump don't tip the pad up very much and make lots of light passes.

2.  Use good quality production paper and change it often.  Sanding with wornout paper is frustrating and just generates a lot of heat.

3.  Have patience.  This takes time and requires concentration .  Take a break before you get burned out.  Total sanding time about 5 hours.
 

The inserts are all standard windsurf and surfboard parts.  Foot strap inserts for the seatbelt and toe loops and Fins Unlimited boxes for the fins.  All of the inserts are set in routered slots and bedded with epoxy putty.  The same mix as the fairing compound.

Next comes finbox installation.  This is a little more complicated than the deck inserts.  In addition to the epoxy putty, finboxes should be wrapped with a couple layers of cloth for added support.  Again, sand the boxes with 36d.
 

A:  It is a windsurf fin.  The longer fin gives me more leverage  to squeeze out the excess putty and makes it easier to get the  alignment perfect.  My first trial fin set up for this ski will  be 4 1/4" thrusters with a 3" center fin. 

This is a modern "fish" surfboard setup.  What the heck, it  may actually work.  Hope to give you a report in about two weeks.    That is if we ever get any surf. 

1. All three boxes are in and the maskingtape pulled.   Next sand them down until they match the level of the bottom laminate.  Put a strip of masking tape over the finslot and tape off the bottom surrounding the box.  Apply fairing compound and pull the maskingtape.  Once it is cured, sand and feather smooth.

2.  Cap all the inserts (including the deck inserts)  with two layers of glass.  This is one place where the wetting out on a table can really help.  It keeps resin from dripping into the fin boxes.  Cut two layers of cloth to cover each of the inserts and extend about an inch on all sides.  Wet it out on visqueen and transfer to the ski and squeegee tight.  Since the ski is now glassed it makes a great table.  Just tape down some visqueen and glass away.

3.  Sand the edges of the caps once they are cured to get rid of fuzzy glass and strings.  Then mask off just outside the edges and apply fairing compound.  Pull the masking tape and let cure. 

4.  Sand and feather the fairing compound over the inserts into the main laminate.
(No pictures here because these are just a repeat of steps than have been done before.)

5.  Cut out the fin slots.  A 1/4" laminate router bit works great but a dremell tool with a carbide bit will do, or cut the glass with a razor knife and finish with a file.  One important  step is to bevel the edge of the fin slot about 45 degrees to make sure that you can't catch the glass of the finbox cap with a fin and start a delamination.  Also dremell or drill the screw holes in the deck inserts and open up the leash and vent plugs.

6. Now it is time to turn this Ugly Duckling into a Swan! 

   On to the paint shop.  There are a lot of possibilities to get this job done.  One is to pay a car painter to spray it with car paint.   Another is to hit K-Mart for some rattle cans and if you can find some epoxy  or polyeurethane primer and finish paint this is not as crazy as it may sound. 
     A word of warning,  most of the better grade marine enamals ( one part polyurethane) paints will not cure over epoxy resin.   System Three makes a water base epoxy primer that will allow the use of the one part polyurethane finish paints. 
     My personal preference is two part marine or industrial epoxy primer.  This has been my finish paint in the past but has a tendency to yellow with time so this time I'm going to use a two part polyurethane top coat.  These paints are tough and flexable.  If there is a crack in this paint, get out your grinder because there is broken glass underneath and it needs to get patched before it takes on water.
    I'm spraying these days, but have done a presentable job in the past with really thin paint and a good roller tipped off with a brush.  Three coats put on thin enough to see through actually looked pretty good. 
    Keep your color choices on the light side.  In addition to uv protection the paint needs to reflect heat to keep the air in the core from expanding and delaminating the glass shell.  White is best with light green and light blue the next best choices.  Black is not a good idea.  I've mentioned a vent plug insert.  This is the reason for it.  If you live in a hot (over 80 degrees) climate, open the vent while the ski is stored.  Just remember to close it before you launch.
    The first coat of primer will show every flaw in your sanding, and expose all the pin holes that you couldn't see before.  No mater how careful you were, there will be some flaws.  So, if you used two part primer, mix a little batch with silica and putty up all the pinholes.  Sand smooth and you're ready for the finish paint.  If you use other paint, there is an acrylic spot putty available at marine or auto paint stores that will work.

This one is an 8'2" x 27".  It was designed to be a hybred.  A ski that would paddle like a longboard and turn like a short board (ski).  I think that I have suceeded in getting those qualities in one ski.   It is more stable than my Island 9'0" longboard and turns like the 7'10" HP. 

    My thanks to Wild Bill for doing all the work of getting this on the web, Rod Michael for suggesting the project and helping design the "Fish" and Ernie for the fotos on the beach. 
    Now that this one is done, it is time for a break.  Time to go surf.  Hmmm, I wonder how this shape would work as a 7'4" x 25 1/2"... Hmmmm?   Hmmmm? 
                                                                                                                                      Kim

Wild Bill

Oh no! not another homework assignment.  I thought those days were over long ago. Oh well it has to get fixed anyway and with the digital camera it is pretty easy. 

Step 1.  Get the heck out of the water before it takes on anymore water.  Do NOT do the "Well, it isn't all that bad, just one more wave."  Water and styrofoam do not mix.  If it really isn't all that bad get out the dingstick, slap on a quick patch, wait 20 min. and go surfing.  Dingstick is an epoxy putty sold in stick form.  Break off a little, mix it, and stuff it in place.  Smooth with a wet finger.  Take a little rest (like 20 min) and hit the surf.  Be sure to wash your hands after handling epoxy.

Step 2.  Survey the damage and drain as much water as possible.   Then proceed to cry in your beer.  (Dark beer is highly recommended.  It tastes good even if a little watered down.)
 

The best thing for all is a lesson on how to reduce the chance of breaking a nose.  Laying way back on a ski is the first thing we do when the nose starts to go in.  It is also the quickest way to break a nose.  By laying back, you are driving the ski deeper into the water and putting your full weight on the nose, snap!

As soon as the nose enters the water, you should bend your body forward as quickly and as much as possible while rolling the ski to the side.  When your body and paddle hit the water your forward motion will stop, thus preventing your nose from hitting the bottom.  Also by leaning forward, your belt will take much of the force of your body weight and so reduce the chance of a break to the nose if you do hit bottom.  Your belt box shouldn't break on a well built ski. 

 If you are surfing small waves in shallow water this will not work as well, in this circumstance, your best bet is to roll to the side as quickly as possible while still trying to lean forward.  I've done more damage in small waves than big.