# Finishing a wood surfboard with stripes (using stain?)



## chuckp27 (Jul 28, 2010)

I am making my son a surfboard growth chart and I want it to look like a classic wood surfboard. I want to put some stripes on it, like one down the middle and I'm having a hard time figuring out how to make the middle stripe light wood. My initial idea was to tape it off and stain the outside parts, but I found that bleeds in my testing on scrap wood. So then I thought I could get different pieces, stain them differently, and then glue them together, but I would need to sand and smooth it out and that would remove some of the stain. So now I'm thinking of doing 1 piece of wood, taping it off and spray painting with a brown/redish paint from very far away using multiple coats and lightly sanding. I want the wood grain to show through and I want a nice, consistent look with a perfect stripe. Does anyone have a better idea??? 

Also, what can I put on top of it to seal and gloss it? The stuff from Home Depot is always pretty weak and you can see brush strokes. I'm thinking maybe a surf board resin? I want it to model a real classic surfboard.

Attached are some samples for what I want to achieve.


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## Streamwinner (Nov 25, 2008)

Why not use different colored woods? Trying to make different colors with stain will inevitably lead to the problems you have mentioned, and I'm afraid spray painting will not give you the results you are hoping for.

I'd suggest maple for the light stripes (or clear birch if you're on a budget) and perhaps cherry, jarrah, or padauk for the reddish wood (or black walnut if you wanted something even darker). I am close to finishing a small table with a top made from birds-eye maple and cherry. I'll post a pic when I get home tonight if you are interested in seeing how they look together. 

Finishing with a polyurethane will be most practical and probably sufficient for it's intended use (try a wiping varnish instead of one you brush). The finish on the surfboard you posted looks like an epoxy or resin finish that you mix and pour. Very sturdy finish.


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## chuckp27 (Jul 28, 2010)

Yeah, using different woods was my first thought. But I want the grains to sort of match up or look consistent. I like your idea though and it doesn't involve staining or painting. Would I just glue and clamp them or should I also dowel them? Also, any idea where I could find better wood like that? I'm very limited at home depot or lowes. 

I would love to see pics, that would be awesome.

And yeah, even though it's for the wall, I wanted a nice surfboard looking feel, so I might consider doing an epoxy. I don't know exactly where to get them or which one might be easiest to use though.


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## Streamwinner (Nov 25, 2008)

Try looking in the yellowpages or Google for "hardwood lumber" in your area. Usually these stores also sell molding (such as crown molding), so you may want to search for that, too. Depending on your tool arsenal, you may want to ask how many sides are finished on their boards (finished three sides means both faces and one edge are flat and square). Using only glue will be plenty, no need for biscuits, dowels, or splines (this doesn't sound like it will be under any notable duress). I use Titebond II. Be sure to either joint the edges before glue up or use a quality or finely-tuned table saw with a good blade. 

I don't use epoxy much but I don't think it will be hard for you to find. I'll post a pic later. 

Good luck, -SW


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## chuckp27 (Jul 28, 2010)

Streamwinner said:


> Be sure to either joint the edges before glue up or use a quality or finely-tuned table saw with a good blade.


what do you mean?


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

The stain is going to leach across tape big time. If you want the grain to match, stain some of the wood separately, don't stain some of the wood, and/or stain it different colors, then trim it to width in single color strips, then rejoin it.


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## woody woodturner (Jul 9, 2010)

chuckp27 said:


> what do you mean?[/quote you need to make joints that you are gluing square and true before gluing them together,
> Or you will not have a neat and strait joint:thumbsup::thumbsup::no::no:


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## Streamwinner (Nov 25, 2008)

These pieces of cherry have perhaps an unusually high amount of figure. The colors of these two woods, however, are very complimentary.


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

You could do it like I did the inlay on this conference table...


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## bofa (Jul 17, 2010)

That conference table is amazing.


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## chuckp27 (Jul 28, 2010)

All this is great and the examples and photos are amazing. That conf. table is unbelievable. I'm not that good, yet. 

Anyways, I've found some nice pieces of wood and cut them as straight as I could using my table saw. It's looking great. 

I guess my next question is now that the pieces are cut, when i push them up against each other there are some slight gaps here and there from the table saw. What should I do? Do i sand or plane the sides to get them all to line up perfectly or just use a lot of clamps and the pressure will make them all line up nicely, and then sand and plane the top and bottom? I don't think I should use wood filler because you'd see that I think.


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## Streamwinner (Nov 25, 2008)

A jointer here is what would work best. You could also use a hand plane or power hand plane. You can often prevent crooked cuts on the table saw by having it tuned up well, having a nice sharp blade, and using a featherboard to keep the stock against the fence.

Gaps can sometimes be held by glue if they aren't too big. A problem, however, is that applying too much pressure during glue up will cause a starved joint. That is, you will squeeze out all the glue that's supposed to be holding the boards together.


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## chuckp27 (Jul 28, 2010)

Streamwinner said:


> A jointer here is what would work best. You could also use a hand plane or power hand plane. You can often prevent crooked cuts on the table saw by having it tuned up well, having a nice sharp blade, and using a featherboard to keep the stock against the fence.
> 
> Gaps can sometimes be held by glue if they aren't too big. A problem, however, is that applying too much pressure during glue up will cause a starved joint. That is, you will squeeze out all the glue that's supposed to be holding the boards together.


Thanks for the advice. I don't have a jointer, but I was able to cut a few new strips to eliminate some gaps and I used a hand planer and sand paper for a few areas here and there. Overall, the seams match up almost perfectly now. It's in the clamps being glued. 

I did clamp them tight, and am aware of starved joints, but I'm not sure how to tell if I did it too tight. I guess when I remove the clamps tomorrow we'll see. I did get some beads of glue easing out, but I believe that's completely normal. 

Thanks for the advice!


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## chuckp27 (Jul 28, 2010)

*Thanks!*

I just wanted to say thanks for everyone's advice. It worked out. I'm really happy with the end result. Going with nicer wood and jointing them was definitely the correct way to do it. Thanks again! Can't attach a pic, it's giving me an error. Sorry.


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