Wood availability issues!!!

[Riaan]

I live in South Africa and really want to build my own boards. Unfortunately we dont get maple or baltic birch here. Why do most people not recomend pine or a simillar wood cos that's readily available down here? Wouldnt marine ply work?

[ZampraZ]

Pine is soft and it would break. If you can't find any suitable woods, you can try to make v-lam boards. If you don't know what a v-lam is then search it. You can use basically any hard wood for that

[Riaan]

I got some stuff on vertical lamination but dont think that I'm able to make such complicated stuff. Is there nothing I cound put on the wood to harden or strengthen it. Are there any other types of wood that maight work? I'm sure there must be other types of hardwood available?

[silospen]

So far I've build my boards out of whatever I found, which is some form of cheapass (probably not marine) ply.

Find some wood, feel it, bend it, cut it the right way to the grain and it'll work. Sure, it might be heavy as hell, but it'll work.

Avoid softwoods, but you can pretty much use any hardish wood you can get your hands on, just you can't create thin, light, flexible, etc boards. Gotta remember some of these guys on here are perfectionists

[Riaan]

Thank you, I actualy just want to build a speedboard like the Raine Hell Cat. I was wondering if I could maybe use solid wood instead of ply, I just dont know how i would put concave in a solid wood deck either. I have made a deck out of pine already but its a camber type deck so it sucks for bombing. I just want a simple deck with wheel cutouts and concave to lock my feet in a little.

[ZampraZ]

You won't be able to make concave with solid woods...

[hoch92000]

Thank you, I actualy just want to build a speedboard like the Raine Hell Cat. I was wondering if I could maybe use solid wood instead of ply, I just dont know how i would put concave in a solid wood deck either. I have made a deck out of pine already but its a camber type deck so it sucks for bombing. I just want a simple deck with wheel cutouts and concave to lock my feet in a little.

The Hellcat is 2 layers of 1/4" bamboo I believe, pressed into concave. Go to your local fine hardwood supplier and ask for the strongest 1/4" ply they have. Also ask if they have the bamboo. Then make a simple concave press. Your done.

[Oligreen]

You won't be able to make concave with solid woods...

]

thats utter bull, no offense but you can make concave with solid, theres loads of techniques you could use, steam bending (depending on wood thickness) making a v-lam and using a barrel making technique of gluing it, get an angle grinder and grind out the concave, all hard, but definately do-able!

[Ted]

You live in South Africa.......The type of woods you have access to there people would sell their first born for here in North America!

Here is good site that describes the uses and properties of tropical woods. It will help to find an alternate wood from maple or birch.
Tech Sheets:Index

Did a search on the internet and came up with a couple of leads that might help.

Pretoria Woodworking | Wood Supplier | Timber Supplier
Timber Showcase - Woodmans Timber Merchants - Wood Suppliers Knysna, South Africa
Wooden Boat Kits, Boat Building & Plywood Suppliers - CKD Boats
Hardware Centre Front For sure someone will know here where to buy veneers.

Ted from Roarockit

[usrockband]

what about douglas fur wood. i used it and it seemed ok.

[Ogre]

My favorite DH decks is a Project Speedboard..Made by Justin in South Africa. Check with him!!!

[Haro]

You live in South Africa.......The type of woods you have access to there people would sell their first born for here in North America!

Yea, Alot of the high priced exotic woods in America come from South Africa or South America's. Some really beautiful stuff is from there. Basically look for hardwoods and get veneers made out of that. I made some stuff out of paduak before.

[ZampraZ]

]i

thats utter bull, no offense but you can make concave with solid, theres loads of techniques you could use, steam bending (depending on wood thickness) making a v-lam and using a barrel making technique of gluing it, get an angle grinder and grind out the concave, all hard, but definately do-able!

Sure it's possible but it appears he hasn't got the tools for even a v-lam and buying a shitload of tools and stuff just won't be the best way...