I am looking at making a plyboard as summer is fast approaching and I want to hit some of the lakes. So I was looking at some kiteboards in SBC Kiteboard and the 2 tip designs I saw are below. I want something that will handle well for a beginer (no face spray, lots of pop for the jumps, and easy to hold an edge) Which would be better? Also....3/4 inch plywood? I will plane the tips down from 3/4 to 1/4 over 8 inches. the center will be 17" and the tips 13-10" I want to make it 145cm to start as my lightwind and make a 120 from there. How should I plane my side rails? Should I use fins?

Thanks,
NPW
i
c
k

how much do you weigh, and what kite are you using?

I weigh 135lbs and will be using my 17m Peter Lynn Bomba and a 14m Naish Boxer (again thanks to steve)

Fins will help keep the board tracking, keeps it from sliding so much, rround the rail top down to the bottom then take off the sharp edge on the bottom a little so it isn't lethal. definitely need a little rise on the ends so the will stay up. do the "jump and land and see where your feet are" to place the pads/straps. you will want something smaller. the fin thing it does help some but I 've lost them and really didn't know til back on the beach.

14m you will blast off no problem.. 17m you could go pretty light wind
@135 12-15mph you will boost like crazy.

the water and wind is so addicting you wil not get enough!
peace chad

So I will have my pads about shoulder width apart, skip fins, and round those corners off more. So should I put the divits in the tips? Does it make a difference? Should I put in any rocker or with the force on 3/4 ply give it some rocker when I start riding? I hear that no rocker is better for the plyboards. I'm really afraid of how much I'm gonna like kitesurfing......:o

my first two boards and the ultimate light wind boards

154x48
141x44
L to R 9'6,9'6,10'

you should be good for your first bord around 140cm @ 135 Im guessing.........

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2143/2439395071_10f3ea54c6_b....
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2113/2440223006_2cd8b65627_b....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/2439400565_3734415b8d_b....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3172/2439403301_e93ef31857_b....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3173/2439405687_98504d3c9f_b....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/2439408229_8bd73c572e_b....

3 to 4 coats of polyurethane, 4'x8' sheet of 1/2 inch ply, cargo straps, fins, PVC
straps, pads, grab handle..............

$10 to $15 bucks for the door
$80 for the 141
Longboards a tad bit more

no rocker............you will create it when the board is underway....fat and flat NPW

So when I cut should I do a straight edged board like urs or try to replicate a kiteboard shape as much as possible?

Should I use 1/2inch ply and go no rocker?

Or 3/4 inch and put in some rocker?

Or 3/4 and no rocker?

I was gonna go 1 coat of dark stain, and then 4 coats of polyurethane.

Im guessing dont go waterbased? Use oilbased?

For my pads I was going to get one of those foam tiles from home depot that you use on your garage floor. And just epoxy on if possible, or spray adhesive.

And I was gonna buy straps, I never had ANY luck making them. Tried making them for ATB that failed horribly.

For my grab handle I was gonna carve something or find something at home depot/ace.

I figure w/ 1 sheet of ply I can get 2 identical shaped but different sized boards.

W/ 1 can of stain and 1 can of urethane I can coat 2 boards.

With 2 floor pads I can get 2 boards.

And IDK what I will use for fins. But I should be able to stretch it to 2 boards, as well as the handle. And I will need 2 sets of straps.

Any tips?

Thanks,
NPW
i
c
k

1/2 inch ply no rocker, oil stain is fine, seal with ployurethane

for shape cut the board to square i.e 141x44, measure in a half inch on each tip and mark it.
Then from the tip measure up the rail two to three inches. Using a square edge, draw a line from the tip mark to the rail mark, then cut it. Sand the edges, round the tips if you like. Set your foot pads and mark your strap holes. Same for the fins, and grab handle. Drill all your holes prior to stain and urethane coats. Stain, urethane, assemble and head to the agua! Remember, practice water relaunch (shallow then deep), and body dragging upwind before you jump on your board...........

for kiteboard accessories, KGB kitesports in Jax, Florida are awesome

Sergi is the owners name..............

http://www.kgbkiteboarding.com/

I got my straps and fins from KGB - Great prices, fast shipping to Canada.

I'll try to make a point of getting some pics of my plyboards this weekend - I went with 2 ply 1/2" finished thickness - one with Rocker, two without, three different sizes, subtly different shapes. Thanks for the thread - re-motivated me to finish them off so I'm ready when the water opens up around here.

we can get ANYTHING from rainbow distributing: fins, pads, bindings, etc....

download the catalog at www.rdistributing.com

I pretty much duplicated the largest Spleen Door shape including 1/4" concave sides out of 3/4 ply and white epoxy finish, I have a feeling it will not float. It weighs 14 lbs. well above the 4-5kg range that I read other boards weigh with about 5lbs of that being epoxy. Wish I would have stained and varnished It would be just about right at 9lbs. Next one will be 1/2 marine or much better void-free ply and varnish.

Jerry

So looks like the Spleene Door is for sure my best bet as my 145cm board, I weigh 135lbs so that will make a good lightwind board for now. Does the Door work well as a smaller 120cm board? Or should I go smaller for my "high" wind? Does anyone have the measurements/plans for the Door? Should I use 1/2 ply or 3/4 ply? No rocker?

Thanx

There's a bunch of good info here - the consensus seems to be 1/2 ply, no rocker, tip-down edges.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Plywood-kiteboard/

Ok......what is tip down edges?

Sorry - I think "top down" is what I meant. The top surface is sanded down to the bottom edge and then the sharp line that results is gently rounded back up. Kinda like:

It has been decided (thanks to tridude) that I am going with a 150cm Spleene Door and a 135cm Spleene Rip. Half inch ply, no rocker, off center footpads on the 150cm, centered on the 135cm, fins on the 150cm, none on the 135cm. Pads will be some of that puzzle piece garage floor foam, buying straps, handle will be a large drawer/cabinet handle. And fins will either be bought, pvc like tridudes, or some form of DIY magic to get something to resemble a production fin.

Wish me luck!

...this just in. Post resurrected to see how NPW's build went and to let you know I'll be finishing mine tonight / tomorrow night for a trip to the lake (with fingers crossed) Saturday!

I need to get off my butt and do this someday

Actually never got around to building my board, cuz I wound up with my concussion, and wasn't going to be able to go kiteboarding this year, but I think I'm gonna just go ahead and do it fairly soon. I won't be able to use it ti'l next year, but it's cool. I think im gonna try making a 130 and a 150 red planet. And coat it with 2 coats of polyester resin, and possibly glass the edges, just or sake of dings in transport.

wow NPW how does a concussion knock you out for a year? must have been bad...or you've had a few already

Took me out of kiting for 6 months, and this is my first, however they are concerned that I'll get another one while my brain is "healing" so I can't for 6 months, screwed me out of paragliding as well.

we have some plans for the Flydoor if you want em

do tell...maybe worth looking into for the next board.

Hey powerzone are those flydoor plans the same ones you sent me. Update, my first attempt on the session failed. I had 4 layers of 1/8" 3ply baltic birch pressing up with a hand drawn shape to replicate size of the 141 session.... problem was.. i was using a bucket of water in addition to other weights to help laminate it.. there was a pin hole leak.. the top board warped and did not get a good lamination.. its still solid though, but if anyone goes this route.. this thickness feels a bit too flexy under my weight. (215). I think it could use a few intermediate layers of glass. that requires me to buy a bit more equipment though

yep same plans... i can post them here, but i'll have to really dig around to find em...

I've got them handy in my email.. Let me know if you want me to put them up.

big steve if you have those plans i would like them. thelaserman36@gmail.com