SURFBOARD ASSEMBLY
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
- The Egg
- Classic Fish
- Mini Mal
- Long Board
Periodic Surf Co
Any questions or queries? Send Jordan a message at
The following instruction manual is a general
assembly guide. Please refer to our website and
youtube channel for specific video instructions.
Website: www.diysurfboardkits.com
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/JordsWoodShop
need to know
(frame kit terminology)
Terminology
*see below diagram for parts breakdown*
Spines - There are two kinds of spines, the centre spine and side spines. These are
labelled C for centre, and S for sides.
Ribs - These index into the spine pieces. They are numbered from 1 upwards, with 1
starting at the tail. The number of ribs change depending on the type of board.
Rails - These index into the side of the rib pieces. They are labelled R for rails, with R1
closer to the tail and R2 closer to the nose.
Support Material - These are small pieces used to strengthen the spine joints. Labelled
C for centre spine, and S for side spine.
Ribs
Spines
Rails
Support Material
need to know
(materials and tools required)
Tools Required
Materials Required
*see below images for specific materials breakdown*
- Polyurethane Glue
- Nitro Glycerine Gloves
- Super Glue and Activator
- Masking Tape
- Water Spray Bottle
Note: the materials listed above are what we are using in this demonstration, other equivalent materials
can be used. Remember to check the contents before using to ensure that are suitable for the task.
Optional: Ratchet Straps and anything else that can be used for clamping
pressure (bricks, water jugs, etc).
Important: PPE is your responsibility. Always work safely!
- Spring & F Clamps
- Rasp
- Sand Paper
- Drill
- Saw (jigsaw or hand saw)
- Router (pattern bit)
- Weights (for clamping)
- Block Plane
we are using Titebond
Polyurethane Liquid Glue
we are using Black Shield
Powder Free Nitrate Gloves
we are using Scotch Masking
Tape (blue or green)
we are using ZAP Super
Glue and Activator
The surfboard creation process includes fiberglassing and using resin. If you are not
confident in these practices we recommend thoroughly researching these steps before
attempting them. Alternatively, seek an outside professionals assistance for these steps.
Pre-Assembly
Step 1: glue and reinforce the spines
There are three separate spines in our kits - the centre spine and the two side spines. They are
labelled C for centre and S for sides. The spine support material is needed also, they are
labelled corresponding to the joints they will be reinforcing.
Apply glue to the spine joints (C-1 / C-2 / S-1 / S-2) and spread it evenly using your finger.
Attach corresponding joints together (C-1 to C-1, C-2 to C-2 etc).
Apply glue to the corresponding support pieces and place them on either side of the joint.
Clamp and set aside to dry.
REPEAT with all the remaining spine joints (centre and sides).
These are the parts needed:
You will also need glue and clamps. Remember to wear gloves.
2x Side Spines
1x Centre Spine Support Material
Glue Attach Glue
Place Clamp
Pre-Assembly
Step 2: glue and assemble the rails
There are two sets of rails - these define the outline of the board. They are labelled R for rail.
The rails do not require any support material and can be installed on either side of the board.
Apply glue to the first joint (R-1).
Attach R-1 to R-1 and then hold in place using masking tape over the joint on either side.
REPEAT with second joint (R-2) (if applicable).
REPEAT for the second rail.
Set aside to dry.
These are the parts needed:
You will also need glue and masking tape. Remember to wear gloves.
2x Rails
Glue Attach
Tape Repeat
Assembly
Step 3: kit assembly
Depending on the board you're building there will be between 8 and 11 ribs. The rib with the
lowest number is installed at the tail, while the highest number is installed at the nose.
Starting with a rib near the middle of the board, apply glue to the slots and faces of the rib.
Insert the rib into the corresponding slots on the spines. (1 to 1, 2 to 2, 3 to 3 etc).
REPEAT for all remaining ribs.
The Egg: 8 ribs
The Fish: 8 ribs
Mini Mal: 10 ribs
Long Board: 11 ribs
These are the new parts needed:
You will also need your glued up
spines and rails.
Clamps may be required.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Ensure all ribs are indexed into the spines flush with no ridge, clamps
may be necessary to keep them from popping up. Your glue up should be performed on a flat
surface to minimise the risk of twist. Check the board periodically and alter where necessary.
Glue Glue Insert
Insert Check
Assembly
Step 4: more kit assembly
After allowing your ribs to dry. Take your rails and test fit them on your frame kit without
glue. This is called a dry fitment.
If there are any tight spots, rectify by sanding them down.
Apply glue to each hole on the rails.
Starting at the centre, press the rail onto the frame working your way along the board.
Ensure each joint is indexed by pressing firmly. Clamp if necessary.
Set entire kit aside to dry.
You will now need your glued up rails.
There are two ways you can clamp your ribs to your spines, if it's needed.
Glue Index
Check
The Skins
Step 5: deck blank glue up
OPTIONAL: Edge joint the Paulownia pieces. This will further ensure the join between
them is perfect with no gaps.
Lay out two Paulownia boards on a flat surface so that the joins are together.
Tape the pieces together across the joint so the edges are held tightly. This can be done
with a piece of tape every 300mm (add one down the centre of the skins to help reduce
squeeze out).
With the joint taped, carefully flip the skins over and form an 'A' shape.
Apply glue down the seam.
Lay the skins flat and apply additional tape across the seam to hold it firmly together.
REPEAT for the top deck.
Allow both decks to fully dry.
ALTERNATIVE: Use panel clamps if available.
This step is assuming you are using our Paulownia skins which have been machined to the
perfect size already. If you are using your own wood, you will need to have it machined to
6mm thick and to the length and width to suit your board.
Edge Joint Tape 'A' Shape
Glue Lay Flat Tape
The Skins
Step 6: template, trim, cut deck
Cut out the supplied paper template.
Using template as reference lay your frame on top of the template.
Looking at the tail, take the rails and bend them over to the centre spine (to follow the
outline on the template.
Mark where the rails should meet the spine and trim accordingly.
Using glue or tape hold the rails in place to form your profile (we used super glue).
REPEAT for the nose. (Note: The template is just a guide, get creative with your board).
Cut template Join (if necessary) Check profile
Mark and Trim Glue Set
Trace or outline the board shape on your glued skins.
Cut around the outline (use a hand saw or jig saw).
REPEAT with both decks.
Trace Outline Cut
Deck Lamination
Step 7: bottom deck lamination
Lay your cut out deck on a hard and flat surface.
Place a small amount of glue on all contact areas of your frame kit (rails, ribs, spines).
Place your glued frame on top of your laid out deck.
Clamp all the way around the edge.
Using a long reach clamp or an equivalent, clamp one rib at a time so there is no gap
between the bottom of the rib and the deck. This will form your concave deck.
Using super glue and quick set activator, apply glue to the clamped area and spray with
activator. Once super glue sets, remove clamp and repeat until all ribs are making solid
contact with the deck.
Note: We recommend doing a dry assembly of your bottom deck to iron out your exact
clamping and gluing method. You can use clamps, bricks, straps or anything you have on
hand at the time.
Important: Using a polyurethane glue you will have roughly 20 minutes of working time
before it begins to harden. Gluing the ribs should be done quickly.
Place Clamp Edges
Clamp Concave
Gap = Bad
No Gap = Good
Instant Glue
Glue
Optionally, use a rocker table to assist in laminating your deck skins to form more rocker
line. Refer to the build page on the DIY Surfboard Kits website.
Hardware support
Step 8: support materials
Using your paper template, mark the positions of the fin box and vent plug on the frame.
The Fin Box: Using the left over trimmings, cut them to an appropriate length. (You will
need to stack several strips together to get required thickness).
Apply glue to the off cuts and clamp in place.
Note: Support material is from the trimmings left over when you rough cut your decks. This
step can be done while waiting for the bottom deck glue to fully dry.
The Vent Plug: Cut the trimmings to size.
Apply glue to the cut offs and clamp in place.
Set aside to dry.
Mark Cut Glue
Place Clamp
Important: Ensure there is an air gap below where the vent plug support will be. This leaves
room for the heated air to leave the board when the vent plug is installed.
Check Glue Clamp
Deck Lamination
Step 9: trim bottom, top deck lamination
Using a router or an equivalent tool, trim the excess material from the bottom deck.
Trim
Lay the top skin over the frame and practice your clamping/weighing method.
Once you're happy with your clamping method, apply glue to all areas that will make
contact with the top deck.
Lay the skin on top, clamp the edges and weight the centre ensuring you have good
contact all around.
Set aside to dry.
Note: We recommend using a combination of spring clamps for the edges and bricks or
weights for the middle. Make sure your fin box and vent plug locations are marked or noted
on the outside of the board so you can find them when it's time to install them.
Glue Clamp Weight
Once dry, using a router or an equivalent tool, trim the excess top deck material
Trim
Rail Installation
Step 10: rail bent lamination
Lay your board on a flat surface.
Using a tape measure, measure from the surface to the highest point of the top deck.
Then add 10 or 15 millimetres for safety.
Note: We are using a process called 'bent lamination'. This consists of bending strips of
wood around the side of the board, and adding strips until you reach the desired thickness.
We first need to work out how wide our planks should be.
Measure
For this board each strip will need to be 90 millimetres wide.
This measurement will change depending on the type of
board and the method you have used to laminate your deck.
With the surfboard on its side, place the soaked strips on the side of the board.
Using a ratchet strap, strap around the board pulling your rail into shape. If the rails don't
meet the required profile adjust your strap and try again.
Apply clamps where necessary and allow the wet wood to dry out.
Note: Bending dry wood around the form of a surf board will be difficult. A trick we use is to
soak the boards in water for 5 to 10 minutes. This allows them to be more malleable and less
prone to breaking or snapping.
Place Strap
Tighten Clamp (where necessary)
(Test Bend)
Rail Installation
Step 11: rail installation
Repeating the same method as before, but this time using glue.
Apply glue to the board, place one rail strip on top.
Apply glue to the first rail strip, place the second one on top.
REPEAT untill you have the desired thickness (24-25mm)
Using the same clamping method you practised in the previous step, clamp and allow to
dry
Note: Upon removing the straps and clamps you will see that the rail material has formed a
slight memory of the surfboard shape. This makes it easier to bend back into place when
gluing. It's also important to have good glue coverage when laminating rails onto the board.
Glue Place
Repeat Clamp/Strap
Once dry, repeat this step for the second rail and set aside to dry.
Rail Shaping
Step 12: tidy up and shaping
Remove all clamps and straps, lay the board on a flat surface.
Using a flush cut saw or an equivalent, trim the excess rail material flush with the deck.
Use a block plane to continue to bring the rails flush and smooth.
Trim
Note: The technique used here is to keep the heel of the block plane is on the deck skin
while the blade is angled at a 45° or so and trims the rail only. Shaving of the high spots and
nothing else.
Block Plane
Note: The shaping of the board is made significantly easier with custom built shaping bench.
They allow you to stick your board on its side and shape it. Please refer to Part 3 of the build
on the Maker Addiction Youtube Channel for reference.
Tail Block
Step 13: cutting the tail block
Laying the board on a flat surface, mark where you want the tail block to be.
Using a jig saw or an equivalent, cut the tail off being mindful to keep it as straight as
possible.
Trace the cut off tail piece onto your solid block of wood and cut it out, leave it a little
oversized for safety.
Sand the straight edges so that the two pieces will fit together with no gaps
Note: The tail block is a solid block of wood (supplied by you). we suggest using something
really special to make a statement!
Note: Clamping the tail block onto the board can be quite tricky. Do a test clamp without glue
to perfect your method. The method we are using is using a ratchet strap and couple of
heavy duty rubber bands.
Draw Cut Trace
Cut Sand
(Optional Step)
Tail Block
Step 14: gluing the tail block
Apply a generous amount of glue to the new tail block and board.
Clamp or strap in place.
Set aside to dry.
Glue Glue Strap
Trim the tail block to be flush with the board using a block plane.
Trace the shape of the tail on the new block - this can be done with the paper template
or free hand.
Trim the tail block to match board outline.
Block Plane Chalk
Trace Trim
Shaping
Step 15: shaping the board
Note: Boards will come with a rail guide template. This is to ensure the board remains
symmetrical. These are just a guide and it is up to you the shaper to create the rail shape
you like. Most shaping can be done with a block plane with a rasp and sand paper to help
smooth everything out. For more information refer to the Part 4 video of the build.
Start shaping the rails using a block plane taking off the sharp corners and slowly
creating the round overs as shown on the guide.
Once your basic shape is achieved switch over to a combination of rasps and sandpaper
to continue refining the curve.
For more details refer to our website.
the top of the board
the bottom of the board
Shaping the underside will determine how your board will behave in the water. Leaving a
sharp corner everywhere might result in an uncontrollable board, while creating a soft edge
all over could result in a non responsive board. Refer to the Part 4 video of the build for some
tips.
Rail Guide Shape with block plane Check Progress
Refine with rasp Sand Smooth
Fibreglassing
Step 16: research and glassing
Note: Fibreglassing is a controversial topic when it comes to surfboards, for this reason we
will not be providing in depth instructions for this step. We recommend doing a fair amount of
research before you get onto the fibreglassing step. If you feel confident doing it yourself,
please do. If you do not, contact a professional fibreglasser near you. They may recommend
installing the hardware first. See what works best for them and you.
Part 5 of the Mini Mal build videos has a section on the fibreglassing process. Please refer to
this if you are needing more information or want to watch the video.
Mask off for zip cut Lay & Trim Cloth
Pour Resin Spread evenly
Zip Cut excess Mask for zip cut
Lay and Trim Cloth for top deck Pour and Spread Resin
Hardware Install
Step 17: vent plug and leash plug
Note: As previously mentioned, this step can be done before the fibreglassing. The hardware
would just need to be masked for the fibreglassing process.
Once the fibreglass is fully dry on the top and bottom, set the board (top up) on a flat
surface.
Double check the positioning of the marks for your leach plug and vent plug.
Drill a hole so that the vent plug sits just above the deck (1mm maximum).
Drill a hole for the leash plug so that it sits flush with the deck.
Fill the vent plug hole with resin and place the vent plug in, being careful to not get resin
in the plug. (Optional: use fibreglass cloth to reinforce the install).
REPEAT the process with the leash plug.
Set aside to dry.
Sand plugs flush once dry.
Drill Vent Plug Drill Leash Plug Cut Cloth (optional)
Pour Resin Fit Vent Plug Fit Leash Plug
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