Hi everybody,
thanks to all the people on this forum who inspired and educated me, I’m finally shaping my first board. I choose a Fish (of course), but I tweaked the template a little, slightly pulled-in nose, and slightly narrower than most I’ve seen.
I’m 37, lame surfer, 6’2" and 190 lb. any comment on the template I came up with welcome.
the board is 6’0"x 21 1/4 x 2 3/4 (roughly)
As for the rocker, I used a 6’2" c with standard rocker, and I kept as much of the thickness of the blank as I could, I think I’m around 2 3/4 in the thickest point
As you can see, I’m still not done with the rails, but it’s coming out nice, despite the fact that I don’t really have a space that’s appropriate for this, I’m using two chairs as stands, and I have to rush things before my wife comes back in town.
I’m also doing all by hand, as I tried a power planer to skin the blank, and then spent over an hour to fix all the damage I had done to the surface.
couple more pics:
now, after all your comments (and if I survive them), let’s get started with the questions:
-I’m wondering in which way it would feel different if I use traditional, double foiled keel fins (straight or 1/8" toed in), or the slightly smaller, single foiled (think CI fish fin template), toed in and cant. And If I choose, let’s say, the lokbox system, and put the boxes in with 1/8" toe in angle, would it still work fine with both kind (like I can swap them inbetween sessions?)
-Glassing: I know you guys probably don’t approve of this, but I’m so excited about this board, that I don’t wanna take the risk of messing it up with a lame glass job (besides, I really don’t know where I could do it), therefore: Can anybody reccomend an affordable glass shop in S.Diego? I have called a couple of the big ones, and they were asking over $ 200, and without anything fancy (not even gloss coat), not to mention the 4 weeks waiting list. I know glassing is bad stuff, but that price is out of the world, I think: I bought a new board from a shaper for 260. any suggestion, or reference, or discount, anything welcome.
-one last thing: this morning, while taking the board inside, I put a small dent in one of the rails (D…MN), nothing huge, it’s like 1/3" deep, and in a “non functional” area(near the nose), should I try to fill it in (with what)? should I just let the glasser go over it and fill with resin? should I just sand down the rail (on both sides) and lose 1/3" on each side? (I know this last one sounds dumb, but hey, i’m open)
I also remember someone menioning a shaping/glassing fest in SD sometime soon, if that’s coming I’d love to take my baby there, see if anybody can help me grow it 
thanks again everybody,
and please, post comments/answers
Moai