Just had to throw my 2 cents in here. I was taught that the first rule of shaping a fish was to NEVER cut the swallow out until you were almost done shaping due to the flex of the foam tips hanging out there that might not shape uniformly with the rest of the rail line - or - just plain break off under the tension of shaping. You see alot of people doing it but it’s just plain dangerous - for the safety of the blank and your sanity. Leave the tail squared off until the rails are 90+% done then cut the crotch in and blend the rails - much safer.
I only say this to maybe help you avoid some heartache because you seem like you’re hooked now - and that’s a good thing - and more fish may be on the way.
The first board is alot like the first time having sex. You don’t know if you’re really doing it right - but it sure is a hell of alot of fun figuring it all out - and you definately get off on it - “Hey, It Works!!”
Sounds familiar, Pete. My shaping “first time” looked like this: sketchy lighting, had a few beers in me, didn’t take my time, wasn’t adequately protected, spent a lot of time on the internet before and afterward… oops, I think I just took that one step too far.
Board looks good, Insighter. If you haven’t yet glassed it you might want to think about reducing that nose again by about a half. Just take your block planer and kind of scrub back and forth pretty aggressively from the tip of the nose for about 1.5-2" back, about the distance from the tip of your first finger to the second knuckle (make sure your blade is sharp). Then you can blend the rest of the nose foam down to the stringer and into the rails. Sorry for such an inarticulate description, but just picture a beak nose as you do this.
If you’ve already sealed or glassed, fuhgeddaboutit. The board’s going to ride great anyway.
I recommend the ProBox setup. Buy the kit, it comes with everything you need. It’s by far the cheapest and easiest way to install fin boxes. I found that the Sears All in One cutting tool is the perfect size for routing out the boxes. It’s like a Dremmel tool on steroids. (No, I don’t work for ProBox.)
I second the comments of Sr. Pato. I found the ProBoxes installed very easily, even with my That 70’s clunky Craftsman router. The starter kit is a good deal and they have an install video on their web site.
Ray, Pete, Jamie, Sr. Pato, Johnny; Thanks so much for the comments.
Ray: Regarding the basement, I’ve hit my head on the pipes too many times to remember (or is that why I don’t?). It seems to happen when I’m totally focused on the board-- probably a good reminder to back off for a moment. It makes me think of Oldy’s post on the quad he’s making: the comments from Balsa and MDS regarding the need to take breaks during the process ring true for me as well.
Pete and Jamie, I like the analogy to sex-- very funny! I haven’t glassed the board yet so I’ll take some more off the nose and post a few more pics.
Sr. Pato, Johnny-- I contacted Probox and they were very cool. I like all the flexibility of the box, and how one can adjust position and cant. I’m most likely going to give them a shot.
Also, I cut out some canard style fins from 9mm plywood using a handsaw, then sanded them down with sandpaper and a wood block. What a mess. However, with enough sanding they seem to look alright-- I’ll post some pics later tonight.
