How to make a chambered wooden surfboard.......The "Bogong".

A technique on making a wooden surfboard blank using plantation grown PAULOWNIA, how to chamber it and create a chambered timber surfboard.
A true timber/green board.....
Each board I create is unique so I like to name them. "Bogong" is named after the large 4 winged moth found in Australia.
Backing tracks - markbergin.net.au Water Photography - hewysurf.com

[@derrechef]

Absolutely cool. great video!

[@BodhiNDaddy]

Fabulous job and outcome!

[@maxjaramillo8999]

Thank you, god bless you for making this video. I love how you explained the process in the beginning. Very helpfull

[@eraserfeet]

Great tips and idea for a newbie.. thanks John

[@alexanderturl]

Looks phenomenal , really good job mate.

[@AndrewWorkshop]

Very nice, my next board project will be a chambered board.

[@markdobson3741]

Great video loved it

[@Brutananadilewski7]

I am building one of these. I just picked up my wood. I'll be making a video of it so you can see what I've done as well. I tried building a wooden board the other way with limited success. I believe this way is one of the best. I don't know why more people don't build boards this way out of different materials.

[@derekdodds]

Sick, great video John.

[@Acidwave88brah]

Stunning board mate

[@board-beard-beer888]

Awesome Vid!

[@MatthewJMcCarthy]

Well done! Cheers!

[@davidscott2099]

GREAT VIDEO !

[@impactlures]

Top notch Board!

[@erinsmith7219]

Gotta admit, that was a great video, and very informative on building and shaping a "wood chambered surfboard" that has got me jonsing for a bit of crafting myself.........!

[@DeepCreekTV]

thanks Erin....get jonsing !

[@etooooooo9]

great work

[@fabioprb3538]

.....by the way John, the shape is fantastic. Very well done.

[@Karakaboardriders]

Wow I love how you screwd it together. Great idea. The one I made a few years back I glued and cut it apart to chamber but had to allow the saw kerf to in the overall width so once it was cut it would be back at my dimensions. This was a huge hassle. I've been thinking of making another so thanks for the video got me inspired

[@celiohumbertto5356]

Parabéns, excelente trabalho!

[@jdm31181]

Beautiful board. Thought it was going to be a twin with keels. But I can dig the quad. Yew!

[@DeepCreekTV]

jdm31181 funny u should say, the fins on this board morphed into rear keels with tiny side bites.

[@TylersLifee]

Amazing

[@lowbus100]

Great vid

[@robarmstrong322]

no mate Not an overload of info, appreciate it. There is a mob near me on the Mornington Peninsula, they are associated with Grain timber surfboards from the US..... Classes are very expensive, I've got the plans and rocker shapes, will have a crack myself.. If they bugger up, back to the shed...lol

[@brodypayne2671]

awesome mate

[@positivevibes5938]

Fantastic video mate...and thank you for taking the time to answer everyone's questions.

[@exploringfloridatrails1834]

so awesome!👍✌ I shape my own boards and build wooden kyacks but this is a little above my skill, man I want one! 👍✌🌞🌻

[@SorieKondi]

bloody art

[@andrewporter7297]

The best I seen

[@DeepCreekTV]

Just to keep everyone interested up to date, last Jan 14 I trashed the "Bogong". I took off late behind the rocks at Schnapper Rocks GC on a 6' dredger & drove her into the bottom, agghhh...the results were 2 major splits length wise down the board, (imagine an axe splitting a piece of wood), she filled up with water an nearly sank, but the buoyancy of the timber kept her afloat, not sure if i'll repair, easier to make a new 1 i think & hang the "Bogong" on the wall. Needless to say I am missing it, it went soooo good.

[@DeepCreekTV]

well I repaired the "bogong" and she's back in the water....I had too, she's a magic carpet & they don't come round often.

[@joeypennell7648]

DeepCreekTV i found your video very useful in building my own board. would love to see another video. keep up the great work man.

[@MrSquidtubes]

ripper board John true craftsmen

[@WilliamSayer]

So good thanks!

[@theaxeandsax]

Ahh that's awesome thanks for the help bro. Sick vid as well.

[@jackclarke2479]

this is so sick

[@jasonseibel3434]

Thanks a million, mate! I just finished my first chambered surfboard. Thank you for putting up this video. I followed it step by step without stealing your "secrets" and my board came out beautiful and surfs like a dream!

[@DeepCreekTV]

Cheers Jason, happy to help ☺

[@electricskateboardhub8126]

@@DeepCreekTV which wood glue do you use, would love to know!

[@DeepCreekTV]

@@electricskateboardhub8126 I mainly use polyurethane foaming glue and Epoxy putty for nose/tail tips, fin boxes and plugs.

[@julienbaude9233]

Ok thank you i will try ! stay in touch greetings

[@bardetonalite5488]

Good job

[@sitesurfarquivo]

very nice.

[@familia.fuentes]

hey !! so nice video , Im going show guys from brazil

[@NanoSaxVegan]

Belo trabalho!... :)

[@bayardo8]

nice one!!

[@guillermogonzalez8417]

Hay que revelar los secretos dear!!!😉 Para poner en práctica su experiencia

[@PepeKedor]

man. your videos are awesome. seriously informative and entertaining. really creative ideas man! (video content and video making!)

[@DeepCreekTV]

+Pepe Kedor Thanks Pepe.

[@Mia-vk1dz]

nearly finished the board I started last winter, what a great project and has got me keen to do another out of some better wood. Would love to see a video of you actually shaping as all I could find was foam boards being done. I know same principles but the amount of time to do each step was greater. Cheers for the inspiration.

[@DeepCreekTV]

as you can appreciate making a board while also producing a video solo at the same time is massive amounts of work....maybe some time in the future.

[@guilhermebittencourtmdaroc6972]

Bem legal👏👏👏

[@wahinenuiloa]

Solid

[@jordant3512]

Thanks!

[@samuelbakerful]

F**king brilliant! One of the sexiest boards ive ever seen.

[@DeepCreekTV]

Shane, Polyester or epoxy clear filler, though epoxy bonds better than poly. Just brush it on just like paint, 2 coats, with epoxy do a second coat when first is tacky, this saves sanding between coats. Wet & dry sand then polish, personally I like the Oil finish, J.

[@dipologtom8261]

that board looks great, I'd hang it in my wall to nice to use, Ha!!!!!

[@pablosilvasanchez2299]

Ok.thank you

[@DeepCreekTV]

Hi Roby M, I used Paulownia with a western red ceder stringer, cheers John.

[@AndrewWorkshop]

Thanks for this video, I am just starting to build my blank now. Did you use polyurethane glue to assemble the chambered pieces or epoxy? I'm making a build video series as I make it, I'll be sure to link back to your video too.

[@DeepCreekTV]

Yes Andrew I used polyurethane foaming glue to reassemble the chambered peices. ✌️

[@kalebalaimo376]

Thanks :)

[@callum3623]

Great video! I'm planning on building one similar myself in the future. I was just wondering, did you contour the bottom of the board? Like shape concaves or a vee in? cheers

[@kalebalaimo376]

continue and make more videos!

[@mikepalmer7222]

Great video. Really inspired me to have a go myself .Dont know weather I could get hold of such an exotic wood in South Wales.will have to explore alternatives.Any suggestions ?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Thanks....I'm not too sure, you need something light with a tight grain, what do they use for boat building , could be a good place to start.

[@SLUSHPITFILMS]

Hey John great video mate, its Matt B from up the road. Couldnt believe when your face popped up haha been thinkking about making my own, might have to come have a look one day

[@DeepCreekTV]

+SLUSHPIT PRODUCTIONS no excuses Matt, get to it. ur welcome to drop in.

[@Hotwire_RCTrix]

John you need a profiler!

[@DadCraftsman]

This is so exciting. I’m in the US, and found some pauwlonia at a local saw mill. I bought a bunch of it, as it was the only tree the sawyer had ever had. The most exciting board is 10’ x 2.5’ x 2”, with the pith running right down the center. I’m wondering if I could use waterproof PVA glue, specifically Titebond III. any advice?

[@DeepCreekTV]

I have only used Titebond lll on wood wraps but I understand it does work well on chambered models, I usually use Polyurethane foaming glue.

[@D.V.K.]

Very beautiful board! I want myself to do the same board! How to become your apprentice!))

[@DeepCreekTV]

5kg with fins & boxes, strength wise much stronger than foam/fiberglass, it comes down to how thick u leave the chambers so the thicker the heavier, ( 6mm on bottom 8mm on deck seems about right) i did damage the deck on this board with impact from my knee but easily repaired with araldite or similar, weight can be an issue for some but I'm finding the extra weight gives u plenty of inertia, also you can paint 2 coats of resin (no cloth) then wet/dry & polish if u like, adds about 300gms

[@DeepCreekTV]

u use 1 rocker template firstly, then after cambering the board & before u glue up u can take another 2 templates 1/3 the distance between the center & rail, u then end up with 3 templates. This can reduce the amount of timber & cost needed on next board. athough this can be restricting especially if u want to change the shape to improve performance. I like to draw up a outline shape on concrete first then do the maths using the rocker & outline templates as guides, (hope this all makes sense).

[@Adam-hr3ff]

What dimension are the wood at the start

[@cyrildembinski4250]

Thank you very much for your answer but can't we chamber the board first and Then glue the parts together ?

[@DeepCreekTV]

There's no right or wrong way in any of this but with the aid of a CNC machine this may be possible. I reckon a method to do this by hand would be a very serious mathematical / construction challenge, too much for me to work out.

[@jackrussell19a]

You see a cloud, i see a rainbow, we're both looking out the same window

[@TrentSmithMusic]

Thanks...how do you cut your outline shape without hitting screws?

[@TrentSmithMusic]

nevermind....figured it out. duh.

[@guysoceanharmonics]

very clever, thanks for sharing. I have looked through your posts but I cannot see any info regarding the foam you briefly show, my guess its the spray on plumbers/builders gap filling foam?

[@DeepCreekTV]

guysoceanharmonics interesting you have asked about that...it was something I tried but with minimal success, yes it was expandable foam but I only filled the center 4 chambers, the results were if I had filled it completely it would've made the board 500gms heavier, also its porous so any leaking problems would have made it harder to drain.

[@braydonmadeley4605]

Brilliant build!!! Finally a video that helps me make a board at home. Where can i get the templates?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Braydon Thanks...I made hard templates so not available to download sorry, but I'm sure you could find something.... "Blending Curves" maybe.

[@kerem7546]

Another q: Do you have or suggest putting any concave on the board? If I wanted to give color to the bottom of the board should I stain first then paint over or vis versa?

[@DeepCreekTV]

This board has a V bottom, it's up to you if you want concave. I have never used stains but it's worth experimenting, it would look cool. Let me know if you have success. 👍

[@rachelhone1199]

Hi, excellent video thank you for uploading. I’ve read through a lot of the old comments but couldn’t find the answer, how did you install the fin plugs noting that you aren’t glassing? Is just the glue underneath good enough? Have you used a board created like this in heavier surf with it surviving? Thanks again.

[@DeepCreekTV]

Thanks Rachel, I used epoxy resin putty to install the fin boxes....yes this board did get trashed in a heavy surf. I did repair it, check my video 'How to repair a wooden surfboard'. In saying that though I feel that wave would have snapped any board.☹️

[@alexandrecancio]

Really cool video, thanks for sharing your knowledge 🙌. One question, what does the cedar stringer bring to the equation? Other than looking great 👌

[@DeepCreekTV]

Thanks... Yes, just for looks. 🙂

[@fishkc79]

This is a great video. Thank you! I'm probably going to try something this winter. I am in Canada - do any of the contributors or people who have tried this had success with other woods that are locally available? I doubt we have easy access to Paulownia (?). Have heard balsa is way too soft.

[@DeepCreekTV]

fishkc79 what about redwood or look for a light tight grained timber

[@fishkc79]

Thanks. Will have to do some research to what is readily available here. Seems like Paulownia would be expensive to import. Will defintiely try something else for my first go at it. Thanks again for the vid, very helpful.

[@mariusstoreide9580]

Very nice craftship there! Just have a few questions as I may have at this myself. 1) Do you find it necessary to have a vent system (in case of leakage) or do you think it could be done without? 2) Did you saw exact at the outline of the rocker template or leave a bit of space and trim/shape of later? Greetings from Norway

[@DeepCreekTV]

Hi Marius, no I didn't vent this board, just keep it from getting too hot. Not sure how you go with very cold conditions. If the board leaks I find a small hole in opposite rails at the widest point, put board on side and let drain then repair the small holes. 2 - yes when I cut the rockers I cut them oversize. Cheers.

[@undurdalip]

Board looks beautiful. Is there only one template to get the rocker for all the strips?

[@user-cd5oo9xu3w]

Very cool, 🤙from Sakhalin island. Is it possible to use another wood? Wat to try to make

[@DeepCreekTV]

Yes you can use other wood, cedar, redwood and Douglas fir work well. Just remember other timbers need to be sealed with a coating. ✌️🙂

[@angusdraffan6656]

Hi John! I'm almost up to clambering! Thanks so much for your video! It's helped so much. Any tips on how far apart to put the supports between the chambers? I'm guessing you stagger them too?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Good Q, it's been a while since I cut one. If I remember I think about 150mm/6" at the center then shorter as you get towards the rail. Bulkheads about 15mm thick. I'm sure I've answered this Q earlier so if you scroll down though the comments you may find that post. Yes stagger them Angus. Happy chambering ✌️🙂

[@Robin74800]

Hey bud! You inspired me to build my own board for kite surfing :) I'm a boat builder in the french alps! For the fins, would leaving some meat where the you put the mounts? And could you make the wood thinner? Thank you so much for you great videos! You're doing a awesome content! Cheers from France :)

[@DeepCreekTV]

Hi Yes leave some solid wood where you are planning to put fins. You can go thinner but you will sacrifice strength... but if you were planning to glass it should be OK, I'm not sure I've never gone any thinner. As it's a kite board I'd suggest you glass it with at least 6oz cloth but if you were thinking of a oil finish I'd leave it solid, no Chambers. I'm not a kite boarder but I'd assume there would be plenty of forces on the board.

[@claudiomauro8061]

What is the difference between giving a glass coat or a oil/resin coat? Why should I prefer the first one or the second one? Thank you for your awesome channel

[@DeepCreekTV]

Hi Claudio, the difference is weight and strength, if you glass with say 4oz cloth at a guess would add approximately 1kg+, if you paint on epoxy resin or vanish at a guess would add maybe 200 - 400 grams, if you oil it would add approximately 200 grams. All these finishes have pros and cons so it's what best suits you, cheers 🌞

[@joaolehodey9434]

hey, amazing video but I would like to know how do you get the leash plug onto the board, thanks

[@DeepCreekTV]

same as you would with a fiberglass board, so leave some solid timber where you want the plug when chambering, as you do for the fin plugs..

[@andyvo7256]

Hey how did you put in the plug for the leash? and can you tell me what kind of tool you used to shape the blank? the blank looks quite thick compared to the final board

[@DeepCreekTV]

For the plug I use a hole saw & router, to shape the blank I use a electric planer for the bulk then a belt sander & hand plane followed by an oscillating orbital sander, finishing with blocks and paper

[@nahnope8581]

That seems like a pretty extreme chamber. I've built 2 greg noll type longboards with chambers out of both pine for my first and ceder for my second. the ceder was for sure lighter but they're both heavy bastards. have you ever had a board break on you with those chambers or is it more the nature of the paulownia (which is inaccesable to me)?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Nah nope yeah sadly I have snapped the nose off, I find it's a fine balance between strength and weight.

[@nikhi1595]

do you shape con caves in to your boards and does it make a big difference

[@DeepCreekTV]

The Bogong has a slight double concave under your feet into a flat tail. If it makes a difference well...hard to say, though timber boards I feel seem to have a bit more Inertia than mainstream boards.

[@angeloorioli7091]

Hi John, my name is Angelo. Great vid. Really appreciate all your tips. Do you think using expandable foam in the center chambers will work as long as the board is glassed?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Thanks Angelo for the feedback.....no mate don't use the expandable foam, it was an experiment that had bad results. Firstly it will add close to a kilogram of weight, secondary it will absorb water if you do happen to get a leak or damage. If you don't want to add a breather you can fill with pieces of XPS foam or even ping pong balls but they may rattle or something light & waterproof that will reduce the air space inside. ✌️

[@martijnvanduijn9974]

Awesome video! But can you show more of how you put in your finboxes and the resine u use and how u do it?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Hi mate thanks for the feedback..... when I made this video 10 yrs ago I was using ProBox , I'm using Gearbox now. Here's part 2 of a 3 part series on how I put them in a wood wrap board. The technique is very much the same as I would for a chambered board. Hope this helps you 🙂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6a3dXSse66ZZtE

[@martijnvanduijn9974]

That helps alot! Thank u!

[@rohanmilliken5929]

hi, i am constructing a chambered cedar surfboard for my end of school woodwork major, what would you reccommend i use as an insulator to fill the hollowed out parts?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Rohan, i used expandable foam in a can in the video but with bad results, it will make ur board appox. 500grams heavier & it holds water if it leaks, that's why i made a joke out of it (my secrets...???) I wouldn't use anything but if u do want to do something about air expansion u could use bean bag foam, ping pong balls, small foam blocks etc, or put in a breather.

[@NomadicShapes]

Hello John, Thank you for sharing your process the video is great! It lit me up, and now I'm having have a go at shaping my first chambered surfboard for static river waves. I've just got one question that I couldn't find answered in previous comments. When screwing the board together how do you prevent placing a screw where one of your chamber dividers will later be? Going with cedar and hemlock fur on this one. Thanks Again, Paige

[@DeepCreekTV]

Cheers Paige Thanks for the feedback and good Q. It's not to critical where you screw, if a screw hole ends up where you want to leave a bulkhead ( piece left between the chambers) just move the bulkhead position forward or back a little to suit. Another tip is just before you pull the board apart and take out the screws I draw up on the bottom of the board approx where I'd like to put the chambers, remembering to off set them like brick work, then when apart and in pieces transfer those marks to the sides of each piece. So if the screws holes are where you want a bulkhead, as mentioned above just move them a little. 🙂

[@NomadicShapes]

@@DeepCreekTV Thanks for the quick response ill be sure to do that thanks!

[@jjcella328]

Fantastic video! Was wondering though about how many timbers you used for this board?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Thanks, I used 16. Check at about 4.00min, the outside ones are thinner so as to remove the maximum timber in chambering process. ✌️

[@EntertainedOrNot]

What kind of resin do you use if you dont use cloth?

[@julienbaude9233]

tank you! i would like to try with red cedar but it may be to fragile isn't ?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Julien Baude I feel red Cedar would be OK but a little heavier, an extra 1/2 - 1 kg maybe.

[@pedrocoelhomusic]

Nice board :) What is the final weight of the board? Regards

[@DanAdamSmith001]

Great video! Was just wondering what type of finish you used to seal the board at the end there. Keep up the good work

[@DeepCreekTV]

a mix of oils & wax.....but i have found tung oil works well, it just takes a long time to dry.

[@christophLoves2Surf]

Hi, how do you plane the inside radius? With a common plane it's not possible?

[@DeepCreekTV]

I generally use a small block plane or spoke shave , u can also use a belt sander or heavy paper with a curved block. ✌️🙂

[@itamarnachum3124]

Hi, thanks for the informative video and hello from Israel! A quick question, what is the benefits of the stringer, if it is being chambered? Does it maintain the properties of a whole stringer?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Gday, the stringer is purely cosmetic, it was chambered during the process....✌🏼🙂

[@itamarnachum3124]

@@DeepCreekTV Thanks for the quick response! Indeed it came out nice 😁 Can't wait to start my own built. Cheers 🤙🏽

[@cyrildembinski4250]

Hello, How do you do to separate the different parts of the board after having shapen it?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Hi, I explain that @ time code 5:49 , just be careful. You then remove the screws & your board will be in pieces, make sure you mark chamber positions & number all pieces before you pull it apart for chambering.

[@mcru14]

What's the thinnest you would go for the deck and bottom during the chambering

[@DeepCreekTV]

8mm deck....6mm bottom

[@angusdraffan6656]

this is such a great video. thanks so much for posting. got a heap of wood and ive attacked it in a slightly different way. i used my rocker template to cut out the bits with a router. love your trick with the screws. i dont think i would have figured that out. what did you glue it together with? and what did you finish it with? does oil need maintenance after a while from being washed off?

[@DeepCreekTV]

cheers mate, I used aquadhere wood glue (pre chambering) to temporarily join the center. small dots about 3"inch / 75mm apart , polyurethane foaming glue to join post chambering. & yes you do need to maintain the oil coat a little, interestingly saltwater is slightly abrasive.

[@alxvasils]

DeepCreekTV ν

[@patrut8698]

Awesome build... I may give this a whirl. Did you use a vent?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Thanks...no vent, just keep it 🆒

[@teurathomas]

Great Job, I would like to do one with my two kids during summer...just 1 question, I think I will try to find some Balsa (As I located in Portugal and don't believe I can purchase Paulownia wood...what should be the dimensions of the raw pieces of wood (I understood 2000mm long x ?? wide x ?? thick) Thanks

[@DeepCreekTV]

Benoit Giran thanks... I use 150mm X 40mm X the length of the board you would like, just remember if you need more rocker you may need 200mm wide or scarf/join a piece to accommodate nose rocker. You will need to glass balsa or varnish and that's all I know as I have never made a balsa model. Good luck 👍

[@teurathomas]

Thanks

[@grumpygator2011]

Good Afternoon John,Great video. I have been wanting to build a wooden surfboard for some time, but didn't want to just buy a kit. Your video has given me a new direction. Thank you.After watching this video, I questioned the polyurethane glue being strong enough to hold the seams during extreme flexing or after a violent impact, without glassing being involved. After reading through the comments, I also found the video about having to repair it later.Given your experience with the process and the results, would you recommend leaving enough meat in the chambers to use fasteners (stainless screws / dowels) to add structural strength? I know it will add weight.I really like the look of oiled wood and would prefer to avoid glassing if possible.Thank you in advance for any advice you may give.

[@DeepCreekTV]

Hi Cliff, thanks for the feedback. I have found that the polyurethane glue is very effective because of the fact that when it did come to grief the joins did not fail, the actual timber split . Remembering too that the impact that it took I feel would have broken or damaged any board. The amount of meat you leave in the chambers is a fine balance, take too much its lighter but weaker, too little its heavier but stronger.....doweling with stainless could make it stronger but then the flex may cause issues, personally I wouldn't dowel. I like to make the ends of the chambers round not square as I feel this is stronger (as in architecture). Glassing you would think would be stronger (& heavier) but for me the whole wooden surfboard thing was to get away from petros, I really like my natural oil/wax finish it works exceptionally well, but.....that's the only thing I like to squirrel away as it took me a while to develop the mix.... tung oil works well but stay away from linseed I've found it promotes mold, cheers. PS in saying all that it's all about my experience with using Paulownia, on other timbers this may not be true.

[@gettinthingsdonemusic9876]

Just a comment about what you said, "I like to make the ends of the chambers round not square as I feel this is stronger (as in architecture)." Actually by rounding the ends of the chambers it creates a smoother transition for the stresses within the wood as it is flexing while surfing. If you didn't round the cut outs in the chambers I would bet that the stress concentrations would tend to create cracks and break at those points. Beautiful board

[@TheClamaur]

hello guys,what kind of glue can I use to put together the chambered pieces of the board?

[@DeepCreekTV]

Hi Claudio, I have been using Polyurethane foaming wood glue, light and easy to sand but I'm sure there are other glues...or epoxy putty products. 8-)