Introduction: Upcycled Body Surfing Hand Plane - Board Shaping and Fiberglassing

By Narwhal Labs
About: Narwhal Labs is a community and makerspace that encourages and supports creative building, learning, and experimentation.

Narwhal Labs is BACK! In this build Andrew reclaims and repurposes an old beat up surf board into a wicked cool body-surfing-hand-plane.

A handplane or handboard is used by bodysurfers to enhance their speed, lift and control whilst riding a wave.

We'll go through the materials, process, and give you the info you need to make your own. Check out our full build video for some great shots, more explanation, and to better understand our process.

Supplies

  • Broken/damaged surfboard
    • Or expanded polystyrene, pink panther insulation, or surfboard specific foam
  • 2 small pieces of fiberglass - 1/2 yard will be more than enough - https://www.totalboat.com/product/6-oz-fiberglass...
  • Balsa wood for the stringer - a small scrap might be enough
  • High performance epoxy resin
  • Pigments - Optional https://www.totalboat.com/product/pigment-dispers...
  • Thickened epoxy - we used TotalBoat Thixo, but you can add silica to thicken the same epoxy resin you use for the rest of the project - https://www.totalboat.com/product/thixo-fast
  • Composite lamination for fins - micarta, G10, or otherwise. Only a small amount needed. Even fiberglass over wood would be great.
  • Plastic epoxy spreaders (often included with epoxy purchases from totalboat)
  • Sandpaper, optionally a random orbital sander
  • PPE! Don't forget safety glasses and a particulate respirator/mask when sanding epoxy resin.
  • Surfboard leash anchors/plugs x 2
  • Nylon/polypropylene webbing for hand strap

Step 1: Reclaiming a Broken Surfboard

If you're starting with brand new foam, you can skip this step. We started by sanding all the edges of the broken surfboard to make it a little easier to cut/peel the original resin and fiberglass off. There's no specifically easy way to go about this, but if you can get a good grip on the edge of the original fiberglass, it should peel up nicely.

A band saw makes quick work of removing the original stringer and breaking the board down into stock for your project.

Step 2: Preparing Stock - Glue Up

In this step you'll need your foam, balsa wood, thickened epoxy, and clamps. The board will be 3 pieces - 2 foam rectangles, and a balsa wood stringer between them. Glue them together with silica thickened epoxy. TotalBoat Thixo is pre-thickened, mixes right in the tip and makes quick work of this. If you don't have appropriate style bar clamps, you may even be able to get away with a handful of rubber bands to hold everything together while the epoxy cures.

Step 3: Shaping the Board

Using a simple plywood template we cut out on the laser (file attached - print or laser cut a template for yourself!) - shape the board to your desired thickness and design. This is very subjective and a bit of an art - but try your best. A block plane, files and rasps, sanding blocks, and a band saw can all be helpful in shaping the board. Make sure you don't go so thin that your leash plugs won't fit. While a perfect shape and weight might make a difference to a seasoned pro, getting it just roughly the right size and shape will be fine for a first timer. Don't be afraid to experiment and maybe even make a few blanks to work with.

Attachments

Step 4: Resin and Fiberglass

Prepare three pieces of fiberglass. Two just about the right size of your board and a second one about 2 inches wider on every edge. Wet out the board and fiberglass with high performance epoxy resin. Put the board sized ones on first - this will be the top of the board. Spread the epoxy evenly through it and ensure there are no air bubbles under the fiberglass and let it cure. Do the second side, carefully tucking the fiberglass under. If it's frayed up, that's okay. It'll all get sanded smooth. TotalBoat High Performance with slow hardener provides a reasonable working time and excellent laminating properties for this application. Add some pigments to your resin for cool colors and effects. Andrew did a traditional acid splash look with his fiberglass layup.

After the fiberglass and resin is all cured, sand to smooth out the board. Wipe it clean with some acetone or alcohol to remove dust before moving on.

The whole board is coated in a thin layer of clear epoxy for the final coat.

Step 5: Installing Fins

You can always buy pre-made fins for your hand plane, but Andrew's friend at Hydrophile Surfcraft makes these cool laminations to make your own fins, and even makes and sells some pre made fins.

These fins are glued on with thickened epoxy and fiberglassed over with fiberglass cloth and resin for some extra strength.

Step 6: Installing Leash Plugs and Hand Strap

Using a forstner bit, CAREFULLY drill out two spots appropriately sized for the leash plugs you purchased. Glue them in with thickened epoxy. Install the strap and adjust it for your hand.

Step 7: Grab Some Friends and Catch Some Waves!

Enjoy your new hand plane and have fun doing some body surfing! Always be safe in the water and use the buddy system whenever possible.

Andrew had a blast with this, and we got some great footage in the water, and we'd love if you could check it out. Thanks for following along!