Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Building a kiteboard, need advice

Here you can exchange your experience and datas about your home build boards
nafets
Medium Poster
Posts: 78
Joined: Wed May 09, 2012 11:31 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: Building a kiteboard, need advice

Postby nafets » Sat May 12, 2012 8:13 pm

oh, i wish there were any kiters where i live :)

What about the straps, any ideas?

BWD
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 3848
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2003 3:37 am
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 81 times

Re: Building a kiteboard, need advice

Postby BWD » Sat May 12, 2012 8:31 pm

DIY straps/pads is not worth it in my opinion, have to get the real deal to have a solid connection to the board.
That will help you learning fundamentals, edging, transitions, eventually jumps etc.
Becomes difficult when you realize you can get a used board for $150 or build a board for $50 and spend $100 on straps, pads and fins....
Scrounge ads for cheap gear/parts, but build a board for the love of it. It's fun.
Guess you could find some cheap windsurf straps and stick surfboard traction under them for <$50, but it might not work well.
If you go on and pay for good straps/pads, you can shift them to a new board as you progress...

nafets
Medium Poster
Posts: 78
Joined: Wed May 09, 2012 11:31 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: Building a kiteboard, need advice

Postby nafets » Sat May 12, 2012 8:35 pm

Im not building the board primarily to save money. I would be building it because i like to build :)

BWD
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 3848
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2003 3:37 am
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 81 times

Re: Building a kiteboard, need advice

Postby BWD » Sat May 12, 2012 9:19 pm

I hear you.
Have built a bunch of boards over "a few" years since first learning to arrive at a couple I like.
Would have been easier/cheaper to just buy another good board or two,
especially before I had experience. The first couple I made were not that great, but it was fun.

If you think making bindings too will be fun, go for it.
I found it was a pain and the results did not compare to what I could buy.
Yes, it's possible but...
...maybe I just didn't put enough time into it.
Anyway, sliding into my liquid force straps is a "luxury" I can't duplicate at home.
Enjoy your build! 8)
Last edited by BWD on Sat May 12, 2012 10:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

plummet
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 6819
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:25 pm
Local Beach: EE
Favorite Beaches: NZ
Style: Terrain riding
Gear: Old wornout ozone.
Plummet hydrofoil and mutant
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 224 times

Re: Building a kiteboard, need advice

Postby plummet » Sat May 12, 2012 9:36 pm

Here's my suggestion. buy a cheap second hand board. learn to ride on it. then you will get an idea what you like and don't like in a board. then you can go about making a sweet replacement. if you build one now without any riding experience you will have no way of knowing if its good or what to do to make it better.

User avatar
foam-n-fibre
Frequent Poster
Posts: 491
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:50 pm
Gear: DIY boards and OR kites
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Building a kiteboard, need advice

Postby foam-n-fibre » Sun May 13, 2012 2:27 am

If you DO go with the insulation foam, do your research. Not all are the same, some are higher density with higher compressive strengths. Home Depot type places may sell for 20 and 30 psi stuff. Dow makes stuff with 100psi strength for under foundations, but it's hard to find (depends on the climate where you are I suspect), and the one time I used that stuff 10 years ago, it was ony available 2" thick so had to be hotwired.

Peter

tazzpowerup
Medium Poster
Posts: 171
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2003 1:17 am
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 0

Re: Building a kiteboard, need advice

Postby tazzpowerup » Fri Nov 23, 2012 11:36 pm

Sandwich Board. (formica - 4 oz cloth - 1/4" birch ply - formica) in that order from bottom up and
you can install the thread inserts in the ply and drill the top formica before apoxi sandwich within your own homemade press. makes a fast asome board. overnight. you can install fins after. Concave and rocker can be installed with what ever shape you want.

Cheers.

tazzpowerup
Medium Poster
Posts: 171
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2003 1:17 am
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 0

Re: Building a kiteboard, need advice

Postby tazzpowerup » Fri Nov 23, 2012 11:39 pm

You must melt wax into your inserts to prevent the apoxi from srewing your threads.


Return to “Gear Builders”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: DanielorDani, evan and 126 guests