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This is a blog interview that Mr. Mike and I were involved in. Nothing new for most of you regulars. What is a little different is that we chose to do the interview with an activist blog, rather than the usual surfing choirs that we preach to.

http://obrag.org/?p=64746

Cher sent me a link to the article which I have listed and linked in the Paipo Interviews. Nice job, boys!

Cool.
Love OB.

Hi. New to the forum. Great piece & beautiful work on those boards. I was buying paulownia from the east coast for my work but you guys inspired me to re-use wood. I'll give it a shot.

As for sustainability, my original intention was to avoid toxic materials (no varnishes or paints etc) & I was trying to carve & shape by freehand without electric tools. Two alaias were successfully made this way--a 6-6 and a 7-6--however the second was cut for two 45" paipos, and I ended up using a borrowed electric saw & disc sander to save time. Still sticking to the non toxic idea though. I use boiled linseed oil for the coat.

End result: 6-6 alaia, & two 45" paipos that have seen Venice & Dockweiler so far. One paipo has a scooped up nose as counterfeit rocker & the other i left flat-bottom wide nose--great nose-lift & noticeable speed.
I've shared them with three friends and a few kids on the beach. the verdict so far is that they're fast & fun. I'll post pics as soon as I can. I would like to get your opinions on them. Peace

cool! pass it on, that is how we learn not by going to the store and just buying it from china.

Boiled linseed oil is not a non toxic choice. Your oil most likely contains metal salts to make it polymerize faster. That can include compounds made from Cobalt. The solvents in the oil are also something to consider. I think an oil finish is something best done outdoors under a patio or porch cover. An oil varnish can aslo be done outdoors if you have a drying tent, like a tarp overhanging a banquet table.

We just skimmed the topic of finishes in that article. I always like to say that it's sometimes best to use up a product that you already have...or is sitting unused in your neighbor's garage. Here in California paint thinner is getting thinner, and I can't help but wonder that the movement will result in more chemical additives. Perhaps getting a cup of paint thinner or turpentine from that old man that lives down the street is better than going to the store. Make new friends, too.

Tainted paint thinner is another green option. Cleaning a paint sprayer with thinner can generate a lot of tainted product. If it's white, then it can easily be used to thin down primer coats and oil-based finishes. I once worked at a hotel where they generated 15 gallons of tainted thinner. Ya...I know it can be hard to paint a nice wooden board, but a tint or whitewash is something to consider.