Hollow Biscuit

[spork]

The blocks are set in a bed of epoxy to ensure they don't let water in and to be sure they are strong

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You should be able to see the cove and curve in this pic, the rail is already taking shape.

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The manual says to use an iron and a wet rag to steam the rails, but I struggled with this, maybe the wifes iron was not up to it! so i used the kettle and set the rail in the steam and that worked perfectly.

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[spork]

Have been gluing on the rail strips this week. Its very time consuming but easy enough once you get the idea. I'v also been making tail and nose blocks out of left over timber.

[spork]

The final rail strip is glued into place

Ha! the kettle works like a beauty, it won't be employed when I'm bending the deck boards though, I'll have to go back to the wet cloth and iron method.

The final rail strip is glued into place

Laminated strips will grace the nose

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Plane the bottom in line with the rail chine

The top and the side of the rails are planed and sanded into a rough shape. Pretty happy with the cedar rail strip which has added contrast and interest to the outline

[dUg]

that's really starting to look the shiz spork.

so the rails are like a "clinker" construction? like a series of spars bent into shape and all pushed together flush, then sanded smooth?

[spork]

Yes dUG, though they don't lap over each other like a clinker, rather they are coved (concave) on the bottom and rounded (convex) on the top and they fit together tightly. They twist as they go from front to back and eventually lay flat in the top, you can see this in the pics above. The tops are then planed flat to alighn with the top of the cross spars. This will form a long scarf joint for the top boards to glue on to. I'v been shaping the bottom of the rails and making sure I get the tucked under edge starting in the right place. I am fortunate that the CI biscuit has the same bottom and rail shape as my MSF (Machado single fin) with the exception if a softer rails in the tail in the MSF. This has been a huge bonus for me as I have been using the supplied rail profiles, which fit the MSF exactly, and a profile guage to ensure that both sides are the identical. Pics tomorow when I get the rails right.

[daryl]

Irons do not get as hot as they used to, it was a safety measure.

[spork]

What a weekend! excellent surf, a nice lunch at the Town Green Inn with my wife, a few Coronas and a lot of time spent planing wood while listening to music, seeing the board taking shape, then dinner with the family on sunday night sipping a nice verdhelo.

The rail profiles are excellent and I will be able to get them spot on

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The top of the rail strips are planed flat to accept the top boards

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Many clamps later and the deck is on!!

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[Beanpole]

Get that spokeshave moving spork.
How thick is the top layer?

[spork]

Using a spokeshave is a lost art imho, i last used one to shape the neck of a guitar. The deck is about 6mm at its thickest but it will vary across the length and width.

[offshore1]

well if it doesn't surf well it might make a decent bass fiddle.
Looks like you're having a good time sporkles but damn. Puts roy to shame.

[spork]

I'tl surf just fine, I owned the same board in glass and loved it, also my CI Gravy is basically the same board only thinner and much lighter. I though Roy was a boat builder?

[ric_vidal]

I though Roy was a boat builder?

Ouch!

Lovely work, sporkles.

[spork]

Its starting to take shape.

[Quangers]

That is looking great. I woulld love to see how you are doing the fins - are they going to be glassed on or a system fin?

[Jorgo]

Spork - loving watching this all come together. Sure looks nice job too - though I'll be there have been moments of "jeezus, should I do it this way or that ? Will I take a little more or a little less off!!" The old adage of measure twice and cut once and dont rush seems to echo in my ears.
On the pic of the Rail templates - i'm intrugued. They are numbered #2, #4, etc. ARe there #1s and #3s too. And I cant make it out in the pic - what are the measurements on the ply? Is it #2 so far from the nose etc down the board starting at the nose? :?

[spork]

The fins are FCS, you will see the blocks in the pic above that the plugs will go into. That is the all the rail templates, although there is also nose,tail, tailshape, nose shape and nose rocker templates. They are measured in inches from the tail, look carefully and you can see it written on the ply. It took me a while to find a tape measure with inches on it, bloody yanks are in the dark ages. I have made so many booboo's, that I'm going to write em all up when I'm finished. Hopefully that will help anyone else having a go at making something similar.

[spork]

The shape is pretty much all there, just got to straighten out a few kinks. The tail block is glued on and will be shaped tomorrow.

its a big chunk of cedar and balsa hanging off the tail

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[spork]

Still sanding and planing wood, the tail is looking heaps better and the nose is pretty much finished. Sanding and shaping a wooden board is a bit easier than a foam board imho, at least for non pro's, because the wood is more resitant so its actually harder to take off too much. The next few days will be slow going so I don't stuff it up and sand throught the timber.