OK, you pretty much have the shape you want figured out. I would suggest you buy the Shaping 101 video. It’s probably the best resource out there you can find when starting out. Unless there’s someone from this BB that lives near by that can help you, cutting out templates, or use of power tools, maybe your dad could lend a hand? If you know of any shapers or board factories nearby that would’nt mind letting you watch, that could be a real help too. This has been said to lots here to newbies; study the books, videos,etc; get the proper tools and set up and take your time. I really admire your ambition to shape a board, lots of girls would’nt think of tackling the task. Good luck.
FD
ps- be careful too…some of them tools are sharp and make sure to use the proper safety equipment; respirators, eye protection, etc.
Some people may bash me but I think a old school fish is a good idea. It has been said that fish are for more advanced surfers, but I find them to be similar to an egg, in the respect that they glide (don’t have to pump) and paddle well. I am 6’0" and 200lb and I ride a 5’7" fish and have only been surfing for 4 years (i don’t rip). Just a thought, I like a wide variety of boards, you may too.
To start off, Daisy your design is very cool but I do also think that dutch’s coments about a fish are really good too, it would be easy to carry, surf etc.
you could use a fin system so if the twins were hard to learn on you could go thruster and you could even just cut a square tail if the butt crack was too hard and have a stretched stubbie like 6ft1 21 1/4’ 2 7/8’
thanks for your advice foamdust. However, I do not live with my parents, and I feel that I would be better adept with the tools than my boyfriend. But I have been reading every possible thing on this site and others about shaping. the basics: even strokes, minimal shaving (the less I take off the stronger it will be), and symmetrical lines. However, my neighbor across the street shapes boards so I may go over and ask for some guidance. I guess my eagerness for shaping comes from wanting to understand every aspect of what I love doing the most, surfing.
I will come back with more questions as I go along. I need to custom order a blank from Clark so I don’t have to mess with the rocker much. Do you think the 7’3 blank work? Do I just chop the extra length from the tail, or equally from nose and tail?
It just depends on the rocker of the 7’ 3" blank as to which end to cut down… just measure the rocker (you need to work out where the high point of the rocker is on the blank and see where it is on your design) and you will know which end(s) to trim from the blank.
I would suggest a quick trip to surfer steve’s (www.surfersteve.com) also… very good for a beginner… he has some really good ideas for approaching your first board. For yours, I’d suggest that if you are getting the blank close to or right on the rocker you want then don’t play with it too much - just basically skin the bottom and get the board close to the thickness (remembering to leave enough thickness to skin the top).
Setting your template on different places on the blank will give you different results. Say if I wanted a board with a lot of nose rocker, I’d place my template as far forward on the blank as possible, utilizing all the nose rocker that came with that particular blank. If I wanted more balanced rocker, I’d place it in the center of the blank; and if I wanted as much tail rocker out of the blank, place it as far toward the tail of the blank. I’m not too sure of the specs of the 7’3", but for your first board maybe go equal from nose and tail. Hopefully your neighbor will let you in on some shaping basics, maybe even let you his shaping room. Having a properly lit and ventilated shaping area is one of the biggest hurdles a person starting off will face.
Do you think the 7'3 blank work? Do I just chop the extra length from the tail, or equally from nose and tail?
may have just been marketing hype, but I read somewhere that a wahine egg had more tail rocker to enable woman to turn the board from further forward. Just something to keep in mind when you order you rocker and/or lay your template out on the blank.
b.t.w. your APS template looks nice. Your making me want to move my egg up my list of boards to build.