6'-7" Rounded pin build thread

General Discussion
1

Hi Guys,

Another build thread!  6’-7" x 20 1/8" x 2 5/8". Tahiti - here I come!

[img_assist|nid=1048177|title=6'-7" Rounded Pin Template|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=781|height=388]

I’m 6’-6" and 210 pounds. The board is designed for hollow Island surf, no wetsuit, and clean glass.  The nose rocker is 6" and a real smooth transition to the midpoint.  I was most concerned about making the drop and not sticking at the bottom.  For me, nothing worse than loosing speed when you need it most by pushing water, and not rising up over it.  The tail rocker is 2 1/4".  The main contour was a slight vee in the nose, 1/4" max concave starting 13" from the nose, and ending in front of the fins.  At the front fin plugs, the board goes to dead flat, and out through the tail with 1/8" vee.

What I’m thinking is a little nose vee to push the water aside and keep up speed if the nose ever gets that burried.  If it plows water, speed is lost and the ride is over. 

I ended the concave at the fins.  My idea is that if the concave runs through the tail, the board would have a little more tendency to support my weight in the back.  That’s just what I want for fun turns on mellow waves.  But this one is more for keeping the nose up on a free fall take-off.  The waves this board is going to be ridden on are the “JUST PLEASE DON’T PEARL!!!” variety.

2

Stretch uses vee in the entry on a lot of his boards… almost all of them, I think.

3

I use AutoCAD to draw my templates. 

[img_assist|nid=1048192|title=Tail Outline|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=301|height=401]

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve tried the free AKU programs, and just didn’t find them very accurate.  I wanted to be able to define exactly what the radius of a curve would be, not just estimate from a miniature view on a computer screen.  After Surfding swearing how good the US Blanks Red were, I had to give it a try.  They were pretty good, (not that I would really know a bad blank) but they did tear if I planed too fast.

[img_assist|nid=1048193|title=Nose outline|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=293|height=391]

4

[img_assist|nid=1048199|title=Rocker Check|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=379|height=285]For me, rocker is so critical.  I’m sure that others are as fussy as me, but watching the videos of the pros, I don’t see it. 

I’ve been a professional woodworker for thirty years now, and I couldn’t imagine running a board through a table saw “by feel”, and expecting it to be straight.  Smooth yes, but not true.

I set the stringer rocker first.  When it is close, I have rocker templates that I use for fine tuning.  The right rocker gives the board its smooth glide.  Too abrupt at any spot will push water.  I stay away from the “nose flip” that I see on some boards.[img_assist|nid=1048201|title=Rail Template|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=377|height=283]  For the rails, I also double check with a template.  I have widepoint as well as 12" in from the end templates.  It’s the only way to reproduce a previous board.  Again, working by feel won’t pick up 1/8" differences.  The most critical part of the rail is the transition from tucked edge to hard edge in the fin areas.  Move that corner bead six inches forward completely alters the rails bite.

5

I put a double layer of 6 oz x 6" over the fins.  

[img_assist|nid=1048204|title=Carbon Fiber Band|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=255|height=340]

 

This will help support the deck from crushing, and it will also give a more direct connection from my back foot to the fins.  I used FCS, and the H connects to the underside of the carbon.  [img_assist|nid=1048205|title=Cut Lap|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=263|height=350]

 

The green tape is the set up for the cut lap.  I also mortised in where the carbon would go.  That way the top of the carbon would lay smooth and flat with the rest of the deck.[img_assist|nid=1048206|title=Cut Lap Carbon|desc=|link=none|align=none|width=253|height=337]

6

I was wondering why the carbon is layed horizontally?

Wouldn’t the strength and flex difference between carbon and the rest of the board create a possibly weak point for easy snapping?

Anyways, the rest looks awesome. I like the foil of the rails

7

Hi Tony,

I wasn’t after stiffening the board, but instead I wanted a solid connection under my foot to the fins and rail.  When a normal deck gets crushed down, the glass and foam both get weaker.  It could get to the point of a delam, where no connection exists anymore.

I’m thinking that a damaged area would lead to breaking boards more than a stronger spot would.  The real test will be how the board stands up to some serious waves.  It’s already been ridden in some double overhead tahiti reef pass.  I’ll get to that in the end.

8

[img_assist|nid=1048213|title=Deck lamination|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=255|height=191][img_assist|nid=1048214|title=Carbon under cloth|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=303|height=227]I  tinted the bottom of the board a light green to match the color of the lagoon, and the deck a sky blue.  The carbon under the green looked out of place, so I got out the airbrush.[img_assist|nid=1048215|title=Painting the Rails|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=421|height=316]  I did a fade between the green and the blue with liquitex acrylic on the sand coat.

9

[img_assist|nid=1048219|title=Bottom pin line|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=381|height=286]The pinline was liquitex acrylic airbrushed onto the sanded hotcoat.  Only the slightest bleeds, that were cleaned up with some 400 grit wet dry. 

[img_assist|nid=1048221|title=Sanding|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=376|height=282]

 

The enemy of epoxy is heat.  I read on another thread whether wet or dry sanding is better.  Epoxy gets soft and rubbery when heated by sanding.  When it gets soft, is when it gouges.  A spray bottle, and wet/dry is the way to go for me.

10

You guys who think through every detail blow me away.  I'm in hws shaping 101, we aim for waterproof and floats me!

11

Hi Huckleberry,

Don’t be blown away at all!!!  For me it’s more of an obsession than anything else.  Always wondering what I can tweak next time.

12

[img_assist|nid=1048238|title=Bottom|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=393|height=522][img_assist|nid=1048237|title=Deck|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=392|height=522]Here’s how it finally turned out.

Fins were set at 4" and 12" with 1/4" toe.

Now for the ride report.  I went to tahiti over Christmas.  The first day was head high to slightly overhead.  Everything was good.  FG7 fins were installed.  It rode just like a rounded pin should. It was so smooth, felt like riding on air.  The drop was effortless, with no hint of bogging at the bottom turn.  Held a line well, but just a hint a slipping when the wave face got steep.  Big roundhouse cutbacks with no loss of speed.  I thought  this one’s a winner.

Second day was a different story.  I got cocky.  The waves came up to double overhead, and were perfect!  The current was strong, but rather than running down the line like it would at home, it went in the opposite direction.  Barrier reefs cause the water to flow out like a rip tide. 

Only me and one other guy, a local surfer who has the place so wired!  Top to bottom, and flawless.  Each wave broke exactly the same along the reef’s edge.  I saw where the local was sitting, and sat fifty yards down the line and watched.  It all seemed too easy.  After watching a couple of sets, I went deeper to join him.  First wave came through and he went.  Just like in the movies.  Second wave came and I paddled.  As I was about to drop, I noticed that I was a little too deep, so I pulled back.  It went off with an explosion, and fired down the line.  The third of the set was starting to rise, and I thought this one’s it.  What I didn’t notice was how strong the current pulling me deeper was.  By the time I caught the wave and got to my feet it was critical.  Double overhead air drop.  I made contact about half way down the face, and thought this one is epic!  Sadly, the wave had a different idea.  The lip caught me from behind, and slammed me harder than I’d ever felt.  Was like being in a car crash.  I tumbled over and over, but no reef, so all was good. 

When I got to the surface, is when the trouble really started; I’d ruptured my eardrum, and had total vertigo, no idea what was up.  The wierdest feeling, worse than getting dizzy as a kid.  It looked like the ocean was spinning aroud me.  Water - Sky - Water - Sky…  all with the next set wave coming.  I tried to duck under, but with no idea which way was down, I just grabbed my board and held on.  Got trashed a second time.

Thank God the second beating was the last of the set.  Some how I got on my board and paddled the 1/2 mile into shore.  Got to dry land, and staggered back to the hotel.  I had water and blood draining out of my ear, and felt liked a whipped puppy.

The doctor at the clinic gave me antibiotics, and asprin.  Where’s the Vicodine when you really need it!  I see the specialist in a week, but it looks like no surfing for at least a month.

13

Nice board. Bad wipeout.

Given up on the compsands already?

I wonder if earplugs would have savd your ear?

Get well soon.

14

Wow.

15

Hi Llilibel,

No, I’m still working on the compsand idea, just not for travel. Airplane pressurizations, hot sun, dings in far away locations.

The last compsand hit a rock on one of the fins.  Just knocked the fusion box a little loose.  I got out of the water right away, but I couldn’t believe how much water the thing sucked in!.  Right now it’s in “drydock” getting repaired.  I’ve got a little free time this month to work on it.  Carbon fiber stiffeners etc.

Doc’s proplugs are in order before I go back in the water.  In the past, I wondered how the “big boys” survive those wipeouts.  Mine was about a 12’ face taken on the head.  Couldn’t imagine how Laird handles 60’ waves!

I’d love to hear from some of you big wave riders stories of survival and “tricks of the trade”.

The day after the wipeout, I talked to the boat driver who dropped me off at the pass.  He is a local surfer, who said, “I thought your board was a little small”.  I’ve got a 7’-6" blank in the workshop, and I’m itching for my next trip.