Plant a Tree Program Note

PROGRAM NOTE! Rich will be overseas from March 10-26th and so will not be able to process orders until March 28th (I'm filming a story on Zebra for National Geographic).

Tutouna Bada!

Announcing the Tree to Sea Planting Fund

Hello friends of Tree, Sea, and Me.

Last fall on a perilous collecting expedition to the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, I harvested a surplus of cedar seeds. OK so it wasn't all that perilous walking around picking up the cones and shaking out the seeds, but I did have to dodge the management (why I'm not sure). Anyway, Spring is just around the bend (hallelujah!) so I'm gearing up for another round of plantings. This time, I'm asking for a little help. Exchange a little green for a little green, if you know what I mean.

Please participate via the buttons to the right --> .

PROGRAM NOTE! Rich will be overseas from March 10-26th and so will not be able to process orders until March 28th!

Clicking on one will bring you to my PayPal page where you can use either PayPal or a credit card (100% secure guaranteed).

If you’re a builder, this is also an opportunity to get a free set of templates while you’re at it - more details via T2S builder’s forum here.

Once the ground thaws, I’m on it and I’ll post pics and stories as they happen.

Side Note: Did you know cedar trees can live to be 400 years old!.

Peace out.

Check out the T2S Builder's Forum

Hey Folks, Thanks for visiting my Tree To Sea Blog. After you sniff around here, I suggest you check out my T2S Builder's Forum for the nitty gritty of building your own beautiful wooden surfboard.

Stay warm!

rich

delay update

Sorry for the delay on this blog...at the moment, professional life is making it's demands felt. I'll be back to building asap. Finally had the chance to see "An Inconvenient Truth" Now I gotta get back to trying to save the world... my buddy snapped this photo of me hard at work
r
Ps - Hope you guys are planting those seeds I've been sending.

Growing up green

Remember these little guys from seven months ago.


Well here they are now, happily photosynthesizing in the summer sun.
Soon they'll be on their own, out in there in the big open world.

Born on the 4th of July

I just can't stop thinking about a new design - a thin 9' hi-performance longboard I've been dreaming of. So today, I sat down and started to sketch out templates.
Stay tuned, in the coming days, from conception to completion, new webcast instructional videos will begin to stream...

Exposed roots

Want to glimpse the roots of Grainsurf? Check out the July-August issue of Wooden Boat Magazine for an AWESOME article (on newsstands now). I think it really captures the essence of those formative times. Thanks Sherry and Matt. Very cool! Read it here page-by-page: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5.

No doubt about it, reading it made me miss those early days - the good parts anyway - like the seemingly unshakable camaraderie, sense of community, and the feeling that we were doing something truly organic. Those ideals persist, just with different faces and ambitions I guess. Hope all is going well Mikey, your shop looks awesome.

Curious device

I've been thinking about building a new 9' design. It has always been a challenge to try and transfer shapes from an existing board to a paper template that can be used to guide frame shapes. Usually I'd use computer software to generate and print out an original shape. But this time I'm thinking I want to "reverse engineer" an existing board that I really like.

On a hike I came up with this little idea for a tool:

It's a set of curve transfer calipers. The rounded ends rest on the board and gauge it's thickness at any given point. The other end has little felt tip pens installed in threaded holes that will draw the shape to scale on a piece of paper. I only need half and then mirror it for the full frame shape. When that shapes are traced and cut out of marine ply, presto, perfectly shaped renditions.

The idea is to slide the tool perpendicular to the keel at 8" intervals (one for each frame). The elastic band keep constant pressure on the contact points.

I haven't actually tried it yet, but if I do I'll let you know how well...or how lousy they worked. If anybody out there has a better idea (or knows of an existing tool) feel free to leave a comment.

Now I'm sure you just can't wait to try these yourself. Feel free to download the full size plans here. and make your own set.

Good luck!

Feels good...

... to finally finish a project and have it come out well.

After the delivery of the MB's Striper (left) I got to work on the 6'9 "Shingle fin." Here's a happy family photo:

The "Shingle Fin" has very little rocker which makes it easy to paddle and launch into waves, and makes it really slick down the line.

A nice "Rising Sun" single fin made from recycled cedar shingle. Nice halo (that's the whitish outline).

Here's the view I hope to have soon.. just in the line up! I'll keep you posted on how it surfs.


Up next? A nice 9' "Wing" longboard. Stay tuned for that.

Thanks for visiting.

Shingle Fin Fin

Almost forgot a photo of the Shingle Fin's namesake.

No doubt about it, fins are A LOT of work (design, mill, glue parts, assemble, glue, shape, sand, coat, shape, sand, laminate, sand, make halo, glass halo, sand halo, laminate, sand, tack to board, lay roving, glass roving, shape, sand, laminate wings, sand, sand, hot-coat, finish).

The Shingle Fin

I've finally had a chance to get back to work on a board I started this winter. It is a 6'9" Channel Islands Inspired "single fin."

Since it's a revisited board, the rail construction method is the "old" cork and bending ply type. It still works really well so I'm stoked. The bottom countours of this board have pretty extreme double concave in the exit - hard to pull off but I'm very happy with the way it came out. This board catches waves like a dream so it could be my new daily ride.

Here's a few photos:







The fin for this board is made primarily from recycled cedar shingles I salvaged off a construction site (hence the name).

Thanks for stopping by!

Mission Accomplished...

Hey MB, your board is ready.






Next up, a 6'9" single fin.

Striper Update

Finally warm enough (and dry enough) to get to laminating the deck of the MB Striper. Optimally it would be 80 degrees and very low humidity. Otherwise I risk making the finish cloudy.
The first step is to cut the glass cloth to size.
Next, pour out the epoxy mixture onto the surface and gently squegee it out, working it to saturate the cloth.
Much time spent saturating the cloth around the rails. This is the one place where the weave overlaps.

Fin Supervisor

This weekend, even though I wish it was a little warmer, I had the chance to work a bit on MB's Fins and glassing.

I find the hardest part of the process to be making fins.

So I hired a supervisor.


Now she's always looking over my shoulder to make sure they're perfect.

Can't complain though, she works for dry food.

Back to building...and surfing

After a few bumps, we've finally come to rest.

For me, building (and surfing) these wooden works of art has always been a labor of love. So I'm psyched to announce the new home for this blog and the "Tree to Sea" Wooden Surfboard Builders Forum. Here people wanting to try and build their own can post questions, see the process (video clips coming soon), get advice and inspiration - all for FREE!. I'll answer any questions I can.

I'm no longer a part of GSb, but be sure to check out the beauties Mikey is building in his new shop at Grain Surfboards. There you can order a custom built board and see some quality craftsmanship. I wish you all the luck in the world Mike!

Had a great little sesh at Welfleet the other day. Surfing alone gives one the chance to worry about "charlie" (sharks). But at least it was warm and sunny.

New Striper in the lineup

Just finished the latest Striper 6'4. Check it out...DT your board is ready!




More photos are available via the Builders Forum.(navigate to the "Projects" thread).

Winds of change

As I write these words, a low-pressure system is churning its way up the North Atlantic latitudes. Under an ominous sky, strong winds offshore whip the Gulfstream into a fury of confused seas. All of us ashore can feel grateful that we are not in a small boat at sea.

But in the context of a huge ocean, all storms are local and ephemeral. Time and fetch sort out the chaos and mellow the drama. Within a day or two, things will be different. Here on the coast of New England, we’ll enjoy warm sunny skies, light offshore breezes, and clean green trains of swell.

And so it is too, that the winds of change have arrived at the shores of GSb.

Over the past few months, it has become clear that Mike and I have tended to gravitate toward different aspects of the business. So, we’ve come to an amicable agreement to separate our efforts. We’ve decided it would be best if Mike focused solely on building and selling custom boards, while I direct my energies only toward developing kits, plans, and instructional media for the home board-builder. We feel this agreement best fulfils both of our common desires for the future of Grain Surfboards and frees each of us to get back to work doing what we love.

This site (grainsurfboards.com) will continue to be a point source for wooden surfboard enthusiasts. The homepage will serve as a portal through which both buyer, and builder can access what they want. So keep checking in during the coming weeks for more good news.

One thing is certainly clear; both Mike and I care deeply about wooden surfboards and the supportive community that has sprung to life. To maintain all of the stoke it deserves, I intend to enthusiastically promote and encourage Mike’s side of the business. I will now direct all potential board buyers to him (please email Mike directly for all new board orders). I also genuinely believe we will each do our best to keep the spirit of GSb alive and well. We are pretty psyched on the shape of things now... and to come.


In the meantime, I think it best to try and capitalize on some of the current offshore ocean fury. The buoys are reporting 10’-15’ groundswell now making its way in orderly succession westward. If the timing is right, I hope a few of those waves have my name on them. Mikey, I hope to see you in the lineup too.

GSb on TV

GSb is featured on a short spot airing every couple of hours on CurrentTV (Al Gore's venture into democratizing television).



Click above to watch it.

Personally, I'm pretty stoked that they are promoting the "green" side of things.

The piece was produced by Andrew Chapman of AC Imagery.

Let us know what you think.

A Festivus for the restivus

According to their website, "Vermont Family Forests is a non-profit family forest conservation organization that promotes the conservation of forest community health, and when appropriate, promotes careful cultivation of local family forests for community benefits... VFF promotes management which provides for human needs while preserving the forest's capacity to maintain itself as a healthy, natural ecosystem."

Next week they are holding their 3rd annual Beltane Community Forest Festival.

"Come all ye lads and lassies, join in the festive scene.
Come dance around the maypole, that will stand upon the green."

Not sure I'll dance around the maypole, but this sounds like the kind of party for a tree hugger like me. See you there...

A 4/20 APB

Calling all "beta" builders: Please check in to GSb HQ via email for further instructions (you know who you are).

The Zoo in York

No not York Zoo.

For the past few weeks, pro surfer Ben McBrien has been gracing our basement workshop in York, ME. He surfs for Zoo York Institute, one of the oldest and most soulful skate/surf companies in the world.

Ben and I sat down and designed a Steve Lis inspired 5'4" fish. Now he's building two of them pretty much on his own using the GSb method. Not only can the guy rip water, he's can re-saw wood.

Stay tuned for the christening this spring.

Sharing the stoke

A few weeks ago I got a call from a guy named Kevin. He was very interested in trying to build his own surfboard using the GSb technique. Turns out he lives right down the street (as he says, within a mile "as the crow flies"). He came to the shop a couple of times, we exchanged ideas, and then he set off to build himself a ten-footer. Today I visited him in his shop just to catch up.
Your board looks awesome Kevin, thanks for sharing the stoke!

GSb on NPR

National Public Radio's "Only a Game" recently did a short story on us. Ferret around on the Only A Game website for pics, to listen, or find out when OAG airs on your local NPR station. Although in some ways I wish it was, this is not an April fools joke.

Surfs up so you know where to find us...

It's a Cedar!

After much trial and error, it is with great pride, pleasure, and promise, I introduce thuja Occidentalis #1.



I'm handing out cigars.

###
UPDATE: On April 3rd, 2006, I counted 54 new sprouts (for a total of 77) . Me thinks I've got it dialed so I went ahead and planted another 500. If anyone out there wants to give this a try, send me an email with your address and I will reply with 50 seeds and instructions. You'll have to act quickly though as planting time is fast approaching.
###

GSb Pot Bust

This post is in response to the previous one regarding the story by Josh Pierce, and particular the following part:

###

...La Vecchia answers the door wearing jeans covered in sawdust, a dust mask hanging from his neck....[he] leads me down the narrow stairs into the low-ceilinged basement of their rented house, where Blundell is checking on a hand-fashioned wood boiler—a 10-foot long, 4-inch diameter capped PVC pipe being filled with steam from a boiling pot sitting under one end of the pipe. Mike’s brother Nick pops his head down into the basement to warn Mike and Rich that his girlfriend will kill them if she finds out they are using her good pots to steam their wood.

“It’s just a prototype. If it works, we’ll get our own pots.”

Read the full article here: The Wire Magazine "Cold Swells."

###

Well Josh you've done a great job with this article - a great job getting us in trouble. We were in the clear until you just HAD to have your journalistic "integrity."

Allow me to explain. You see, the day you came to visit, yes it's true, we were experimenting with a home made steambox, and yes, I had carelessly grabbed one of Jess's VERY expensive pots to serve as the boiler. And Yes Nick did specifically warn us of her potential for displeasure if she found out, and that she was coming home to collect her pots that afternoon (she's a personal chef who cooks on-site).

But here's something you didn't know...

Because Jess was out all day, I had procrastinated in putting the beloved pot back in the kitchen cupboard. Then as I was sitting in the den, SHE CAME HOME. Knowing that the beloved pot was in the basement, still hooked up the the steam apparatus, I was overcome with a wave of dread.

I quickly devised a desperate plan.

I knew she would pass though the kitchen and go upstairs just for a moment to talk with Nick. So if I could time it just perfectly, and move like a NAVY Seal, it might just work. This moment would be my only window of opportunity to return the pot without her ever knowing.

I sprang into action.

I ran downstairs, extricated the beloved pot, and with it stuffed under my shirt, made a fast break for the kitchen. I could hear her at the top of the stairs (which land in the kitchen). So in absolute silence, I swiftly returned the beloved pot back to it's home shelf. As I was making my escape into the den, I glanced over my shoulder only to see her feet descending the stairs. I was sure she had busted me. With an undeniable look of guilt I, waited in the den for a much deserved scolding.

But instead, I heard her head straight for the cupboard, open it, collect her beloved pots, bring them out to her car, and leave.

By the skin of my teeth, I had made it... that is of course...until you printed your story. Nice going Josh!

Sincerely,

Rich (guilty as charged - sorry Jess - Really)

GSb featured in "The Wire"

Grain Surfboards was just featured in "The Wire Magazine." Here's an excerpt;

From: The Wire Magazine
Date: 02/22/2006
By: Josh Pierce

###

...Everything in the basement seems to be a working prototype. Handmade wooden stands hold up the skeletons of several boards in various phases of construction. A layer of sawdust coats the floor. Low-slung ductwork blocks head space. Plastic sheeting hangs from the ceiling, separating the shop from the rest of the basement. Every few minutes a motor whirs to life for a few seconds. “That’s the sump pump,” LaVecchia explains. An 8-foot-long frame, the backbone of a board-to-be, sits on a stand, circular holes drilled out of its keel and frames. Laying on top of another board is a full-sized computer printout of its shape...

###

Read the full article here: The Wire Magazine "Cold Swells."

bad news - good news

Thanks for all of your guesses. I know, that was pretty easy (especially considering the hint I gave you - maybe the question should have been - What was the hint?).

Anyway, the bad news is, my first attempt at parenting cedars has not gone well :(.

I planted the first batch of 100 unstratified Northern White Cedar (thuja Occidentalis) seeds on 12/09/06 and they have not germinated (and I don't think they will). No matter how much I talk to them and play the ukulele for them, they just sit there - nary a peep nor tendril. On some of the cups, a mold has begun to grow. I fear this mold and so do the seeds.

Here you can see no seedlings.

The good news - on the same day, I also put 100 seeds in a cold water "stratification" bath. This is one method used to encourage germination by softening the hard seed coat (similar to scarification by birds). This week I'll try again with a fresh greenhouse (and different ukulele songs). Wish us luck!




PS - You may be wondering why we've not been posting news about new boards, designs, DVD's and kits. Rest assured, we are hard at work developing these things and are getting ready for a new launch. We just want to do things the right way and the right way takes time. Thanks for your patience...

What are dees?

Post your guesses in the comments.

More in a few days...

RSS Site feed

This GSb News Page is now available via an RSS site feed. That means depending on your browser, you can view it in an outline form and get automatic updates whenever we post a new entry. Check your browser preferences for the RSS options to set it up. The link at right brings you to the atom.xml page.

DVD etc. Update

Well after a delayed start, the how-to DVD has finally begun filming. It's been crazy at GSb because we've also got six boards underway (two 6'4 fish, an 8-footer, 2 9' Wings, a 10' Waterlog, and a couple custom fins).

And there is certainly plenty to film. To those of you waiting for boards (you know who you are), the rest of these photos show your boards underway. We're psyched to be building again.

Endless Winter meets Endless Summer

At the World Surf Expo we met up with Endless Summer and board-making legend Robert August. "Make'm flat boys, it's all about speed down the line with those retro fish" he said. We spent some time chatting about board design and snapped a quick photo. I guess we made an impression too. Later that day he was overheard talking about those grain guys.

Happy New Year

We just finished up a new board in the Wing Line. It's a beautiful custom 9' nose rider for a customer from New Jersey. The board has a squash tail, turned down rails in the tail transitioning to 50/50 for most of the length of the board, Some nice hollow in the nose and an in-house custom made glassed-on fin. Keep an eye out for it next time your surfing some Garden State waves.

"Tree to Sea" How-to DVD Update

I'm pretty active on some of the better known Surfboard design forums, sharing ideas and insights with the surfboard building community (and it's surprisingly vast). It occured to us that a video DVD would be a great way to broadcast GSB methods and techniques. I have a fully equipped production company, so why not? We'll be keeping the camera in the shop to record the process of the next few boards in detail (including tips, tricks and trade secrets).

Example Chapters will cover:

* Board design and selection
* Techniques for reverse engineering (acquiring key dimensions from an existing board)
* Employing Computer Aided Design
* Tools, safety, and supplies
* Wood Types/qualities and Lumber Selection
* Construction (Keel/Rocker, Frames, Re-sawing/Gluing Planks, Railing out)
* Shaping
* Glassing

This is just the start. We're working on CNC routered kits too.

If this interests you, or you have any suggestions, please let us know. Send an email to grainsurf@omniscopic.com to reserve your copy.

Also keep checking back. We'll be posting sample clips as they become ready.

1940's Waikiki remembered

Here's the kind of email we love to get (Read it here).

New fish joins the boardline

Just off the glassing rack - a new fish joins the quiver. The "Flounder" is 6' x 22" x 2 3/4" with sweet five spine fish fins.
Here is the first look but check our photo gallery soon for more shots.







In the meantime here's a few more:

Associated Press Covers GSB

About three weeks ago we got a call from an AP reporter who wanted to do a story on GSB. On Sunday, December 18th, the story went national (to all AP papers across the country). We are very happy with the story.

Here's a couple different versions:
The Honolulu Star Bulletin
Portland Maine Herald

Check your local papers.

GSB signs major long-term deal with manufacturer

In an effort to practice environmentally responsible ways, I've devised a plan to give a little back. I already spend plenty of time in the woods so this really wont be that hard. It's a very simple idea. I commit and promise to plant at least ten cedar seeds for every board we build (I asked mike to promise too and he agreed).

Board Building Update

We have two boards under construction right now in the shop, one is a 9' performance longboard, and the other is a 6'9" single fin. Both have been planked, and are in the process of having the rails put on.

Here is the 9' just after the top planks have been glued on. It is the first time we truly get to see the shape of the board and breath a sense of relief.

Perfect rocker, couldn't be happier.


Here' I'm gluing on the top planks to a single fin.

Good thing trees never go out of business

I guess this is HUGE news in the surfing world:

Clark Foam shut down by EPA

Honestly, I've been too busy building boards to be following this issue. But a friend of mine said recently "Surfing never needed foam."

Be that as it may - our longboard and single fin projects are coming out absolutley beautiful! Mike will have an update soon.

Back to the grind

We've been commissioned to build a couple of boards. Mike has undertaken a custom 9-footer and I am begining a 6'9" retro single fin called the Samurai. I'll let Mikey tell you about his project, but for me, I'm experimenting with using my computer to help in the design phase. I drew keel and frame patterns in Illustrator. The idea is to print out these patterns full size and use them as templates. As of tonight, I've got my frames shaped.





To the left you can see the Illustrator file I've generated (click on it for a bigger version).



Here we are down in the workshop. Mike is showing off the deck template for his 9-footer and I'm punching numbers into my computer. By the way, that fish I'm using as a table is just awaiting a shipment of epoxy. Once it's glassed it will need a good home ($1250 call for details).

Here you can see frame templates being dealt with at the kitchen table.

A little more publicity...

This one came out of the blue Lycos Top 50 blogs for November 25th 2005

Revisiting a fish - Part III

OK, just to finish up this thread...
Here's an earlier shot I found that I think is cool. It shows the Striper getting her planks clamped.
Here you can see one of the pre-glass fins in place, the other fin slot routered out, and how the swallow tail rails are constructed. Wetting down the wood helps us see the fine details in seams.
Here she is just about ready for final rail shaping.
Here it's ready for finishing. There is Mikey's longboard on the left there too.
All glassed and ready - I'm going surfing.

GSB (etc) gets some press...

Check out these three links:

GSB featured in N'EAST Magazine story on the revival of the wooden surfboard download the pdf here.

Richie B is caught in the act on Martha's Vineyard. Check out the cover shot and story in Martha's Vineyard Magazine.(photos taken by Nick Lavecchia - and please forgive the "not wooden board." This photo was taken a few years ago).

Maybe a little off topic but what the heck, news is news Real Screen Magazine article

Revisiting a fish - Part II

Now, where was I... Oh right
Here I'm laying the planks I've ripped out onto the frames. Your looking at the base towards the tail. In this early method, we used to have the keel (or stringer) extend up between the two primary (innermost) planks. We'd leave them proud and then plane them down to the deck surface later. Besides the nice stringer line, this method just adds an extra seam to seal and worry about. We've since solved the problem by keeping the whole frame structure inside the planks. Also visible in this picture are the fin reinforcements that span the last two frames.
In this photo, the planks are all glued down (making a long story short) and I'm jigsawing the tail. On this fish, I experimented with a lamination technique for railing out the wings. Sorry the photo is kind of blurry, but what you see here are 24 layers of thinly-slied red cedar strips. They are glued up and clamped into a gluing jig. Once the glue sets, the curve is retained. Me thinks it worked pretty good.Here you see those very same wings glude and clamped onto the tail. Working on curved surfaces, with no opposing surface to clamp is very tricky. We have to be clever. In this photo you see a broom handle inserted through the frame. Clamping it to the table gives me a surface to wrap the bungees.Here begins the arduous task of rail glue up. Notice the wetsuit drying in the background (hey we gotta test these things!) - and there is Mikey too - lofting up the next longboard. A real production line.

More to come...