How to make your own Sandboard!

In this DIY tute, I show you how to build your own sandboard, a snowboard for sand dunes! This includes fundamental skills like bending plywood @2:04 (if you cant be bothered to laminate your own) and applying formica to timber! @4:17
For sandboard strap links, see the following;
www.oceanculture.com/index1.html
www.venomousboards.com/produc...

[@NadavG12]

One of my dreams is to be build a sandboard wish me good luck! Update: I just finished making my first own sandboard my dream came true!😱

[@NadavG12]

It's been 6 months and I made it

[@luciosegovia9490]

Congrats man!! cheers for that, i think i will try too

[@NadavG12]

@@luciosegovia9490 thanks man good luck notice me!

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Wooo 10000 views! Thanks guys! Good to see people are interested in getting out on the dunes!

[@bartthatcher5799]

Yeah!!! Very cool!! I'm about to hit the Dunes down in Monata de Oro State Park here in Los Osos, CA. I use a old first Gen Sim snowboard. This would be a great alternative. I also didn't realize they had bindings for sand boards as well. Time to go shopping and building!! Thanks!

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

I bought the bindings and footpads for this board from Venomous Sandboards over in the US, however on another board I have used ones from Ocean Culture in SA and they have worked well. On my latest board I have bolted on some kids snowboard bindings (so they don't need a boot) that I picked up for $50 brand new, haven't tested these yet on dunes but they feel pretty solid and are quite cost effective. Rigidity and heel hold is very important!

[@AndrewUnruh]

Thanks! I remember first sandboarding as a teen in California around 1978. We must have been among the first to try it. As a recently retired engineer, I decided to try it again and purchased a sandboard. I am very disappointed with what I got. Even on very steep dunes, it hardly moves, even when waxed. I will definitely try building my own.

[@kait23lin1]

Awesome I will let you know how it goes. I did see some in a retail store so using there model and your technique. Thanks again Carolyn

[@susandavis5660]

sand is mainly quartz which is a piezoelectric material(a material that generates electricity from pressure or vibration) I wonder if there was a way to exploit that so that the board would throw off sparks during the ride, that would look so cool particularly at twilight.

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

I'm actually based in Australia, I have heard there are some great dunes in Oregon though! Much more vegetated than most of the ones here so way more natural lips to hit! With good paint skills you should be able to make some really cool looking boards,just remember that the paint will soak in very quickly into untreated timber,so if you want to make some nice graphics you probably should treat your top deck with varnish, resin or similar before painting. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

One 12mm thick sheet of ply, if you were going to use thinner sheets I would glue them already in the correct shape using a mould/press Thanks for watching!

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Originally, I was getting formica off a friend who was a carpenter/cabinetmaker, as I couldn't find it in any bunnings stores. Now I get it off Bills Boards, which is a plywood supply store. Ive seen it also on ebay, search also for the brand name Laminex. It can be difficult to source, but I assure you it is the best all round base material and adds strength to your board.

[@anzaeria]

A very nice looking sandboard. Though there's a better way to get the bend in the plywood. Instead of buying a single sheet of plywood, buy three separate sheets of very thin plywood (about 3 ply each.) With the first two sheets, glue them together on a flat bench with both ends raised on blocks at least 2 inches high (this will create the bend and the layers will be held together with glue.) Clamp the middle of course (just behind each block.) After the glue dries, remove the clamps and blocks and glue the third sheet on top of the other two and then replace the clamps / blocks at each end. Then cut out the shape afterwards. I note that the bend you got from using the water method is a very slight curve and that can make the front of the board easily sink in some sandy terrain. There's also a tendency for wood to want to return to it's original shape. The bends on my sandboard are much higher (from glueing different sheets together) and are also permanent as well. It's more work involved (glueing sheets of ply together) but worth it in the long run. By the way, I recommend some kind of epoxy resin for the glue (very strong stuff.)

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Hi there, you can use any type of plywood you want, however I would recommend that you use structural ply as a minimum to make the board as strong as possible. Marine ply is good for this application as it is more resistant to the bends creeping down over time. Hope that helps! P.S. I'd hardly worry about your English, seems fine to me! :)

[@directjcs1]

Thanks for the great video! I helped boost your numbers since I had to watch it about 25 times to build my board. * On the big warm dunes here in Nevada the wax runs out before the dune does. Any suggestions here? I was thinking of ironing in a very hard base wax and then rubbing speed wax over the top, but perhaps the sand takes off any wax quickly.

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

I haven't tried it on water, I imagine it would work (I have wakeboarded on stranger objects haha) but you would need to waterproof it with a layer of resin or lacquer on the top surfaces. Thanks for the compliments!

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Hi there, I have a router, but prefer to use the jigsaw as I feel more comfortable with the directional stability offered by the blade when performing long, sweeping cuts. With a fine tooth blade, the finish from both is very similar. Thanks for watching!

[@hamza-chaudhry]

Incredible channel

[@jonteelangton7058]

Hello Kyle, I know you did this video a while ago but i was just wondering the width and length of the plywood in order to build the sandboard. Cheers!

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

hmm having never tested it on the snow I cant give you a definite answer, however I am certain it will work on snow, just not quite as well as a snowboard. The flex of a full size one is very similar and with snowboard bindings on the handling is very similar. The base would be the main difference, as formica does not retain wax well, however it is much smoother than P-TEX so it probably will work. Also not having steel edges may mean you want to keep it in powder and off ice! Hope that helps!

[@GuapoVino]

Does the board retain the rocker that you mold into the tip/tail or does it flatten back out over time?

[@dafyddmorris5589]

great video, would it be possible to use 18mm plywood for bending or is that width too big?

[@mapleleafer74]

Nice work!

[@TheThumbsUpChannel]

I am totally making one right now!!!!!!!

[@NadavG12]

How was the results?

[@wolphy1]

Hey, amazing video! I am in the middle of making the board and I was trying to buy bindings from Venomous Boards link, but it does not let you checkout and I was not able to get through by phone either. Any suggestions for a US outlet? Thanks!

[@justingarcia7653]

You need to make us 3 of these for our trip to White Sands in the spring!

[@rebekahcrane9353]

So if I was going to make this but for snow would I have to change anything. I was going to see if I could get more secure foot holds. Is there anything else that would be a good idea to change?

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

For the tip curve I used some simple screw clamps (seen around the 3:00 mark), you should be able to find these at any hardware store, and they will come in handy for quite a few things. If you don't want to buy clamps, you can hang weights off the end of the tip and this should achieve a similar effect. For example, when I put rocker in my boards, I do it by placing the tips of the boards on two tables and putting a heavy weight like a car battery in the centre, then leaving it for a few days.

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Hmmm I get mine either from my local cabinet maker or a plywood supply store near my house, not sure where to look in Germany, maybe on ebay you might find something? It took me a while to source it at first, you may just have to ask around until you get a lead... Thanks for watching!

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Thanks! Are you using formica for your base or running a raw timber base? If you are using formica for the base ironing the wax in will not help as the formica is non-porous, however a timber base will respond to waxing it with your iron set at a fairly high temperature, just make sure you give it a very good scrape! May I suggest a change in wax? I personally run red hot nugs from Dr Dune on hot days, and they hold to the base long enough for a few runs. Hope that helps!

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

As a base material or a board material? Havent tried it, but in my experience with perspex and sandboard bases, perspex will be too soft, as it will wear quickly and slow you down. As a board material, it will not be strong enough unless it is really thick = heavy. If you cant get formica, sand the bottom of your timber with fine sandpaper, then lightly how wax it as you would a snowboard, this will generally work decently well, and is faster than non-broken-in formica. Hope that helps!

[@alexpalomaress.7302]

Te quedo increíble y explicaste excelente,muchas gracias amigo ,desde México

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

To cut the formica, get a sharp knife and put a few scores in the soft side, then you can usually bend it and it will crack clean. For final trimming I usually use a jigsaw with a fine blade. My plywood is 12mm (roughly 1/2inch) spruce or pine, haven't tried birch, I assume it will be a bit harder to get the bend right as its a stiffer and less creep prone timber, so maybe let it soak and bend a bit longer. Should give a good board when done I would think. Let me know how it goes!

[@TheThumbsUpChannel]

will it work on snow to?

[@CNERail]

Hi, I have an old kids snowboard and was wondering if sticking formica to the bottom would make it into a good sandboard? Thanks, also, why do you choose to use surfboard bindings rather than snowboard bingings? thanks

[@renacuajo]

how about the thickness of the plywood? What did you use, or what do you advice?

[@Albertron3000]

Yo buddy, I love your video it motivated me to try yo make one of my own. i almost got everything is just wanted to ask where did you uy your Formica and what was the size or dimension of the Formica Sheet. Ive been looking around and I found some in the HomeDepot and its size is 24in. x 48in. is that a good size. Any suggestion woould be helpful, and thanks again for the video upload.

[@trentonminson2587]

What else can u use on the bottom insted

[@jonteelangton7058]

Also what type of screws do you use? Thanks!

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Hi, I get my formica from a local plywood supplier in a 0.8m x 1.8m (31in x 71in) sheet, 24in wide is a good width for the sheet (2 boards worth), however 48in long isn't ideal as it limits your max board length to around 48in, and depending on your size/riding style you may want to go longer. Not the end of the world, but if you can find a longer sheet, I would go for that. Thanks for watching!

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Hi, If its fairly short (around 140ish) it should make an excellent sandboard, mainly on sand you want a shorter board then you have on snow as its a bit harder to carve. Just remember that adding formica to the base will make the board a bit stiffer, although shouldn't be a problem on a kids board. I used straps on this board as they are very quick and easy to get in and out of, I actually used this board to walk/board the length of stockton beach (around 24km through dunes) Cont. below

[@danieloliver540]

Thanks for the vid mate. I made one and it works great! :D

[@VodhrBlodh]

so I snowboard and the edges of my snowboard are sharp. Did you sand the edges or will the flat edge work?

[@KickMeTV]

Hi, I tried curving the tip using the clamp method, but it only gave a small bend which gradually seemed to get smaller, is there any advice you could give me?

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Snowboard bindings give a lot more control, so are what I am using on my latest board. I didn't want to wear boots as they are annoying to walk through sand in, so I used kids bindings and just strapped in wearing shoes (I have a size 13-14US foot) Both bindings and straps will give you control, it just is a question of A)Whats your riding style - surfing/snowboarding/skating B)How easy do you want your hiking/strapping in process to be I think given you already have a snowboard, use bindings

[@gvdbuz99]

Hey Kyle, where do you buy the dakine sandboarding straps? Thanks

[@r1ppr]

hi Kyle, I have a question can you give me a link where I can buy formica or can you say me where I can get Formica in Germany ?

[@goo701]

And any advice as to what size bit and bolts?

[@CNERail]

Thanks man, I'll try out both sets of bindings and see how it goes, 24km?! sounds bloody awesome

[@ryanharding4240]

Hi, did you use only 1 sheet of thick ply or glue a few thinner sheets together?

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

The length of a short-ish board is 1.2-1.3m, with a width of about 0.2m at the waist at 0.25m at the tip, although these numbers change dramatically depending on the riding style and purpose of the board. In softer sand, longer and wider boards work better, for long dunes a longer but narrower board with thicker timber is better for high speed riding. My boards have varied between 1m and 1.6m, and I have made skis almost 2m long. 12mm ply is my general board material, but you can vary that.

[@mapleleafer74]

Hey lad, did the bends both stay or did they warp over time?

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Hi, the link for the straps is the venomous boards one in the description, however after using this board I have to say I prefer the ocean culture straps as they are more rigid and responsive (link also in the description). Thanks for watching!

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

It's not really something I would do, I really just make boards for myself and my friends. May I suggest checking out the board manufacturers in the description, as they both make quality boards. Thanks for watching!

[@sandracanizales1527]

I’m sorry what is the black sheet called? Trying to buy some to make my board. Thank you 😁

[@OsamhAlshaalan]

Awesome work here, I am in Saudi Arabia and we have a lot of sands, som i am making mine now :) got a question, did you make the bending on two steps? because you put two lines for the bending to make it smooth. Thanks

[@LittleBigJosh119]

Any chance you could link where you can buy the foot straps from?

[@jrs80920]

I wonder if a lager, sled for two would work?

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Contact adhesive is used to join the two, the yellow bucket is filled with water and is a plastic bucket. The board itself is plywood.

[@semanticks]

do you know if anybody has just bolted shoes on as bindings? it seems like you would have a lot more control than just straps.

[@lucasfr]

where did you get the base material? great vid

[@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess]

can you use a snadboard like yours on snow as a snowboard????????

[@everyTANGawesome]

Do yow think you could ride this on the snow

[@adamatef7825]

hello, please tell me how many centimeters should be the height of the curve ??

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Also, the less angle is in each bend, the less drag the board has and the faster it goes, so if you have a tip rise of say 40mm on a board with 3 bends it will be faster than a board with a tip rise of 40mm and one bend

[@mariyatarazanova]

nice way of bending! thanks a lot for the video!!!

[@rinadaF]

hello from greece!this board is good on water?i wonder if it makes good work as a kiteboard!you are making a great job in this video and it seems to easy to build a board!thank you....

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Hi there, I had this problem a lot when I started developing my bending process, there are a few techniques that you can use to improve the bend: 1. Screw down the bend clamps harder, as hard as physically possible, the wood will make a few little creaks but will not break 2, Make sure the board is clamped down properly on the end which is not free. If this end is bending up even a little it can cause a much weaker bend. See next comment for a continuation

[@masondarnell9896]

Where did you find your Dakine straps at?

[@idrizpjeshka5493]

Can also be used for snoboard?

[@otisverhamme6608]

What exactly is the black think you put in the board ? Sorry, I don't speak english very well, I'm belgian...

[@liammorris7644]

Does it work in snow

[@NadavG12]

Whick type of Formica did you use? Please help

[@SillyBattleGoose]

I was wondering if you are able to make a custom boards at request?

[@belindaguerrero5093]

Hi i relly Want to do it but i dont have the things that you use like for Ping pong i dont know the name so what else can i use to do it

[@browningbowman8813]

Hey mate where can I buy them straps from or what’s there name cheers

[@warnaks1]

hi there, did u use any specific board? or just any plywood will do.. sorry for my bad english..

[@imeggcellent4903]

How fast was the board on sand?

[@tjebbstein794]

What do you need to make it

[@logangervais5091]

Do you know we're I can get a template

[@idrizpjeshka5493]

which is material to united PLYWOOD with Formica?

[@rafalopez26]

Hola Angelica, los materiales que usa son una pieza de plywood de 12 mm de grosor y 1.3 metros de largo y 0.3 m de ancho. Una pieza de formica (la parte lisa) del mismo tamaño, luego solo haces lo que esta en el video, al final spray, y adesivo. Espero te sirva.

[@Baby_goat_]

Where did you buy the black stuff you put on the bottom and what is it called thanks

[@NadavG12]

Formica it's called

[@idrizpjeshka5493]

like material called in the yellow bucket?

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Sorry for the late reply, this must have slipped past. You can use your snowboard as is and you will have very good edge hold on hard sand, but the sharp steel edges do slow you down more than a softer timber or formica edge as they dig in more. Your bigger problem is base material - p-tex is not great on sand compared to formica. If your dunes are steep enough, a regular snowboard will work fine! Hope that helps and thanks for watching!

[@jakehicks3648]

Does Perspex work as well

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Sure thing, the straps I used on this particular board were from Venomous Sandboards, however I personally prefer the ones from Ocean Culture as they have sharper response at a still reasonable price. Both links are now in the description. On my latest board I run kids snowboard bindings so that I can strap in without a snowboard boot, but still get a high level of control. Hope that helps!

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Yes I have bolted shoes on, you actually end up with less control than straps as good straps are far more rigid than a shoe, and when you fit them you try to make them as tight on your feet as possible. Also, shoes are difficult to attach effectively and take longer to put on when your on the dunes (as you have to re tie the laces every time to ensure good control). If you are really after the best control, get kids snowboard bindings and wear shoes that strap into those! Thanks for watching!

[@belindaguerrero5093]

Hi again when you salid the matereals i dont got the 5 one

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Hi there, the material I put on the bottom is a laminate sheet commonly known as formica or laminex (brand names). It is often used by cabinetry makers as a facing sheet over an mdf or particle board sheet, commonly in kitchens. You will either find it at your local hardware store, or a local cabinet maker, who may be able to buy in sheets for you or sell you cheap offcuts. Just be sure that you are getting just the laminate sheet and not the attached particle board!

[@lowkooboybee2323]

Does the size of the board matter your height and weight

[@ginoalvernaz7632]

Can you ever take the Formica off your snowboard? If you wanted to use it in the snow again or would it ruin the bottom of your board?

[@michaelfraser7622]

You can remove with a heat gun but it will most likely be rough and unable to be used on snow

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Ok those are the clamps that I use for the bending process at 2:40, I would highly recommend that you go out and buy some as they are not very expensive and quite useful, however if this is not an option you can use some heavy weights to bend the board, such as a car battery. By placing the board on a block of timber and putting weights on either side, you will get a bend, but you may have to leave it for longer. Hope that helps!

[@eduardobortoli4774]

What is the name of foot protection?

[@fredjen89]

🤙🏽 this is dope!

[@MagMausen]

Hi, will it work on snow? :)

[@brockparnell2595]

Hey, I'm in Aus as well. Having trouble with the formica stuff, does Bunnings sell it ? I have a cabinet maker around the corner from my place would they have some ? Thanks, awesome video

[@hayleylorraine1]

Brock Parnell I got some off a cabinet maker not the cheapest stuff though

[@marco21falcon]

It's a pity you DU folks can't get Formica. Us yanks have it around every corner.

[@belindaguerrero5093]

Thaks for everything since you pu that i already did my board

[@AngeAscorreta]

No entiendo nada lo que dices,pero está muy bueno el video.Ojalá supiera bien que materiales usas.Osea de qué madera específicamente hablas.

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Thanks Rafael, couldn't work out how I was going to answer that one! My Spanish is not great.

[@drumlineprop3]

Do you have a video of how you turned your old snowboard into a sandboard? How well does that work?

[@KYLEENGINEERS]

Scott Coombs That was actually just a sandboard made with this same method, but using the outline shape of my snowboard. I have ridden actual snowboards as well on sand, and they don't work very well, the base isn't great and they are way too long for sand use, making it really hard to turn them. I suppose you could laminate a formica base onto an old kids sandboard though... I actually have a board the same size as this one where I put kids snowboard bindings on to make it handle better and be easier for me to get in and out of without snowboard boots, and that works great! Thanks for watching!

[@mikeell1]

Is it possible to just use a skateboard and add formica and the foot straps to make a good sandboard?

[@gametutorials550]

Mikhail Llauder yes

[@rjfpace]

Much Props to a woodworker in bear feet. That's laid back, yo.