I’ve got a polystyrine blank. I am using a 9’0 Template. I’ve made the cut and it’s time to start shaping. I’ve got a nice Boshe planer but am very scared of making a mistake. Do I plane the stringer at the same time I’m planing the blank?
The following advice continues to serve me well. If you can, try to get a feel for your planer on a junk piece of foam before you have at your blank. Really try to visualize what the board looks like in your head and just get rid of all the foam thats in the way. Make lots of shallow cuts, this will minimize your screw ups should you make any (most do). Go slow with your planer as the EPS beads tend to tear out if you go too fast. Since your using EPS, if your happy with the thickness of the blank I wouldn’t touch the stringer with the planer. Just focus on crowing the deck and shaping the rails. You can take the stringer down with a hand plane when you are sanding. Planers are awesome tools, always pay attention to where the sharp spinny part is and you’ll be fine. Oh ya, have fun with the dust. It has a strong static charge and sticks to everything. You’ll be finding it around for months. Unless you have a vacuum system. Have fun.
Hey man. I’m working on my first board too. I did what JC did on the video–go straight on the stringer first a little bit, then work along the rails inward. Do not hit the stringer crooked or on an angle because it will splinter it. Don’t get crazy with the depth the first time. Sit back a lot and look at what you’ve done. Don’t worry too much; it’s too fun.
-Zander M.
Great stuff!
Making your first board is like joining the mob… your never getting out 
With eps it is as mentioned, if your blank has been wire-cut to the profile thickness you need not electrically plane the stringer. I find the easiest thing is to ensure that the stringer is as close to what you want prior to glue up but heck that is a different story…
Under the assumption that you have a blank to thickness (if you don’t then you need to search the archives on hotwire cutting…) your planer is a rail band and deck crowning tool in the beginning, you won’t want to get into bottom contours just yet with the electric. Practice on scrap to cut bevelled edges, play with depth setting to get a feel for it… and lastly have fun don’t fear errors, they happen be the best teachers…