next »

[Benk]

Hello all,

I've been reading here for a few weeks to get a good idea of how to make a compsand board, I want to start one for myself soon, so thanks for all the info!!

Got me thinking if there was anything I could contribute that may help others...
I'm a woodworker, I make kaleidoscopes, and I'm often slicing timber down to a few mm so the process I use may be useful to you guys.

I use a bench saw fitted with a thin kerf blade (1.7mm) and cut to 5mm or so below centre along each edge, then shift the fence across the desired thickness plus 1.7mm ( so 4mm or so for a plank just over 2mm) repeat this for the whole board.
Then run them through a bandsaw with a blunt blade quite quickly (this stops the blade cutting into the planks as it just runs along the easiest path, the cut)
The planks can easily be smoothed with a belt sander or skimmed with a small planer.

This is a great method for figured timber as they don't need thicknessing.
It also reduces waste, out of a 19mm board 120mm wide I got 5 planks, that's 600mm coverage.

I did a demo this morning, I hope the photos are attached!

Well, hope this is helpful...
Ben

[Benk]

Hey one more thing, check out this veneer I scored!

[Kit Sidwell]

Nice trick man, I like it!
Woodworkers always have good tricks up their sleeve.

So your bandsaw doesn't do a good enough job by itself?
My veneer cutting has been revolutionised since I got one.

The other thing is, I get half tree trunks of Paulownia, bark and everything sometimes!
Pretty hard to deal with, I used to have to get the local shop to cut and true some slabs so I had an even block to slice myself.
I finally bought a jointer (bench planer, buzzer), and i'm a happy man!

How heavy is that veneer? It looks crazy!

[Benk]

Hey Kit,

Thanks, I use this method for my usual timbers which are about 500 - 700kg/cubic m, so my bandsaw used to wander a little.
But after I posted that I thought it probably doesn't really apply to balsa or the other light timbers as these would cut very easily.
Not sure if I'd be able to get balsa or paulownia here in tassie, not at a reasonable price anyway...
Can anyone suggest a good supplier able to deliver here?
The lightest local timber we have is King billy Pine which is about 345kg/cube, but it's old growth stuff so best left where it is!

sounds  like you've got all the gear you need!! It's great to cut your own timber from log form.

That veneer is heavy, around 700, but in a small amount it'd be a great feature! I got a pack of it for a kitchen I'm working on.

Those boards of yours are fantastic! I was thinking along the lines of a fish style board so I may have to get a few tips from you!

Cheers, Ben

[Sparrow]

Hey Ben,

Try Port Phillip Plantation shutters in Melbourne for Paulownia, those guys are champs I'm sure they can chuck some on the boat for you!
Speak to David. http://www.portphillip.com.au/
They supply Tom Wegener etc I'm sure they can sort something out. You'll love working with it.

Where abouts in Tassie are ya?  An old girlfriend of mine lived in Tassie, it has some insane waves, we walked in and surfed shipsterns before it was even known about in the media.

[Benk]

Thanks for that!!!
I'll contact David when I'm ready to build.

I live at Eaglehawk Neck, on the peninsula.

Shipsterns is the most insane place! there'll be some big swells go past this winter, been a few already.
Saw it once at 25ft maybe bigger quite a few years ago, I felt very small... not a place I'll be surfing!
There's some wild stories from the oldies who've lived there all their life, like on the real big stormy days froth can be landing in the carpark at the start of the walk!

Thanks again,
Ben

[Sparrow]

Great place to live, Eaglehawk neck was one of my favourite places.
Yeah, i think the biggest barrels i've seen with my own eyes were at shipsterns, crazy place.