Just after some suggestions for the deck of this old blank.
I picked it up super cheap. SO BROWN, even pre shrunk with age.
I do a fair bit of hand shaping in my experiments but this one was a bit beyond me. So I had it cut to a file I made up based on an album surfboard outline.
As you can see there is a. Bit of twist left in the deck crust.
I have some thoughts about how to even them out and get an even curve across the deck profile.
Just thought I would throw it out there to the brains trust to see if my ideas match.
The board is 5’9” by 19.5” by 2.5”
I think there will be considerably less thickness. Maybe 1/8 less.
Are the rails preshaped too? If I had this outcome I would be tempted to leave it like it is. Its an interesting design. If it is possible to glass that brown crust… Sorry for being not helpful. Otherwise railchannels could be a solution …
So I hit the brown sections with the little mini planer obviously that left me with two asymmetric flat spots on the deck.
I then attacked the with the flat sanding block to even them up. As in extend the flat spots at opposite ends. Looking down the blank to see the even spread of the flat spots against the ribs of the machine lines. The after the I did a bunch of diagonal passes in both directions, initially with the hard pad the the flexy pad. Considering the terrible lighting I feel I’ve done a reasonable job so far.
Needs some more tweaking and the rails done.
Deck smoothed out as best I can rails kinda done, very hard to see in the crappy light.
My kingdom for a space where I can set up proper lighting…
I’m gunna leave it alone for a few days or maybe a week, come back and look at it from fresh eyes.
And yes as usual it’s turning into a build thread. hahah
Even though I swore off them due to a lack of interaction, but someone might see something useful or give some suggestions somewhere.
First off, I love your huge shaping bay under that building with plenty of ventilation. Second, a 1/4" here or there won’t ruin the ride. I know your tolerances are better than that even. Love your approach.
I would paint the blank white before glassing just as a precaution against discoloring that might not become visible until it is glassed. Tape off the stringer and paint it white. Your other option would be to do some art or a resin tint. I just wouldn’t do a clear glass job without painting the shaped blank.
aw, you coulda handshaped it, I did a few old brown eco-tech blanks that had skin as hard as rock, its a challenge but you know what they say, challenges build character! Looking good, keep up the pics.
Thanks a bunch for the responses, your positivity gets me super stoked and amped.
The board is sitting on the shaping stands under the building about 300 m away from my office at the moment but with end of year events, budget finalisations, timetables for next year and a bunch of other stuff i cant get to it right now, but I can hear it calling me.
I have a bunch of fabrics in a box in the shed that are left over from skate deck building days so I’m planning on some kinds of fabric inlay on the deck, that should cover any discolouration.
And yes the hand shaping thing. I had a window of time to see my mate with the machine, and the windows to work on it are always small. So a precut file it was.
Had a bit of time yesterday, fixed up the rails as best I coul checked each side with my new calipers. Surprisingly it didn’t need much at all. Then cracked out som acrylic artist paints and got arty. Just to hide any of the brown on the blank
Everything about that board is epic. Fun looking outline, good shaping, sick paint job, clean glassing. Good job skatement! I wish I had your patience when it came to shaping. I rush through things because I just want to ride them and my boards look like shit.
I always feel like I’m rushing. Fitting in around work and other people’s spaces. It just needs a leggie plug a sand and then a seal. But I have another one to glass first.
Gotta say I am outrageously excited today cause my mate who owns a local company. A solid one factory one set of hands kinda guy has offered to sand it for me while I’m at work.
YEW!!! He does an awesome job so I can’t wait.
