Woodworkers: help needed

Rev-O

Rev-O

Messages
2,656
Hello All

I know there's some woodworkers here (Henk and Neo spring to mind) and I need something made as a surprise for my dad. He used to have a plywood bodyboard (basically a plank approx 50x18 inches, with a front end that was rounded and up-turned; I have a picture of it but that's the gist of it.) This Summer he'll be 65, my mum will be 60 and they'll have been married 40 years: cue lots of celebrations of the various anniversaries. I'd like to get my dad one of those old bodyboards but they're all fibreglass or whatever and the shape has changes to a shorter, wider and much deeper type of thing.

Is there anyone here who could make one of these (as I said, I have photos of the original); the issue might be "bending" (is there a technical term?) the plywood to curve up at the front.

I'll happily pay for the parts and labour.

Thanks

Ollie
 
I agree that the issue will be the bending.

I suspect that the guys that made those body boards will have made a jig/press to hold several veneers of wood together in a specific shape while they were glued together effectively making the ply, then once dry the edges would have been trimmed.
 
Jeltz said:
I agree that the issue will be the bending.

I suspect that the guys that made those body boards will have made a jig/press to hold several veneers of wood together in a specific shape while they were glued together effectively making the ply, then once dry the edges would have been trimmed.
Click to expand...

That is the standard way. Just as how (laminated) bent-shaft paddles are made (which BTW don't have a bent shaft at all, just a blade that is set at an angle to the shaft).

Personally, I would not be equipped to make such a thing, unfortunately.
 
Sorry Ollie, I've done a lot of work with laminations of one sort or another, but I can't personally help you out. If you can find a local cabinetmaker or a good joiners' shop with a veneer or vacuum press, they should be able to help you out, but it probably won't come cheap as there's a fair bit of work involved in making the formers. The easiest way to do it would be to use aeroply for the laminates because it bends very consistently. The finished item will need a coat of fibreglass or boatbuilder's epoxy - more expense.
 
Yes! Thanks. Someone said the old ones go for a thousand pounds. But bent ply is bent ply . . . . .

Many thanks for this.
 
Forgot to add: the above is another reason why this is my favourite webite. Men who like a good shave seem to be so much more informed and intelligent than Mach 3 or Braun buzz users. It's a small thing but a big signifier. (Cue smut from PigCat)
 
Rev-O said:
Forgot to add: the above is another reason why this is my favourite webite. Men who like a good shave seem to be so much more informed and intelligent than Mach 3 or Braun buzz users. It's a small thing but a big signifier. (Cue smut from PigCat)
Click to expand...

Whoa. There's both a mach 3 and a braun in my past (in fact 2 brauns, my father's original one (white) and the one I got for my 18th birthday...).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom