Hey everyone, I am trying to make a 5’10" twin fin retro fish. I can’t decide whether to get a kit or make one using templates and balsa wood. I cannot find a kit which fits my wants entirely but this is also my first board I am making so a kit would help. Any suggestions on what is the better route?
Didn’t you post what basically amounts to the very same question just two days ago? Why ask again?
http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/wood-retro-fish-project-help
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Party foul…
Sorry guys, new to the forum and jsut wanted a more specific answers. Don’t know where to start for this project and just needed help. sorry again
I would look in to buying a “kit” from one of the suppliers that sell glass/blanks etc. etc. They can put together everything you need. US Blanks has great fish blanks. I like the ones designed by Pat Rawson. Where are you located?
Just get a foam blank they r not too difficult to shape. Time wise, to shape it, it took me around four hrs using hand tools to shape mine. If you want a easier build - definitely look into pu foam or eps. While I haven’t tried shaping on eps yet - blanks can be found in the $ sixty dollar range. Tools you find at a local hardware store, Sears etc… +3 to the gentlemen who are steering you away from wood. Dunno, but a true ‘retro’ fish should be made from pu foam !
Templates are great! I just learned how to design my first-ever spin template thanks to this site!
I’m located in Southern New Jersey. The waves are smaller which is why I want a twin fin. I would like to build a wood one but from the feedback it seems like a balsa wood board is alot harder than a polyurethane one.
That’s why, when you asked about this two days ago, I asked whether you had ever built any kind of board before.
Start simple and get a kit from one of the all-in-one supply houses.
Doing a blasa board as your first effort will lead to frustration and more expense than you might realize.
try green light .com.they are in NJ ,they have a kit for $375 free shipping. I just made my first board from the kit. blending curves has free down load-able templates,I went with a 6’ 4" egg but they have fish also.Should be cheaper on 2nd board after kit purchase.
TT
My first board was a wood retro fish, turned out OK but was a big project. A foam board would be a more logical choice for a first board.
There are a lot of wood board builders on the tree-to-sea forum, you can get some insight from reading the threads over there http://www.grainsurf.com/forum/search.php?search_id=active_topics&sid=056cf877328a780f766a8d1d9d25e3b2 Wood surfboards are really just a whole different species.
If ur not too bent on having it wood, they got nice eps blanks for $59.00 +tax, and all you need is a planer + shop toools. On the low I shaped a less than
Handfull with only a surform + block. But if you have time (took me 5 hrs) to complete it. First board that is.