hey i am thinking about making boards this summer… does anyone have any tips, help that anyone can give me to help me? are there any websites out there that could be extremely helpful or any books, dvds, websites that you all have found to be extremely helpful when making your first boards? also, does anyone have any equiptment that they could sell? also, does anyone live in northern VA that could possibly meet up and help me? thanks
Welcome novasurfer…first off, you are in the right place to start learning about first time board building. I would start using the SEARCH function of this website and doing a TON of research…print it out or bookmark it, compile it somehow and read it five times…then start asking questions.
There is a ton of useful stuff on this sight, for sure enough to get you through your first board. Just read about what others have done, look at pictures, read stories…it’s all hear.
Good luck and if you can, document your first board (and second and third…) with pictures and summaries for the newbies that come after you!!!
what should i search for? b/c i just searched the forums and couldnt find anything helpful…
I find that hard to believe…what were you searching for? Use the search box and type in keywords you want to find more info about. Did you do that? Or where you just randomly searching through the pages?
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what should i search for? b/c i just searched the forums and couldnt find anything helpful…
I think that maybe you would be better off getting yourself a DVD. This website is bursting with information on how to make surfboards. There may be no single “how-to” because there are as many ways to make a surfboard as there are opinions on what the best template is. A DVD or two will show you a way to make a board or two. That will get you started.
That being said, I learned everything I know from reading these forums, and giving it a go myself. Good luck, whatever path you take.
–BCo
Thats not possible. I shaped and glassed my first boards solely from information gathered from this website. Its the best thing you could have stumbled upon. If you dont have the patience to search through this forum I doubt you will have the patience to learn how to shape a surfboard. Keep reading and you will learn.
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what should i search for? b/c i just searched the forums and couldnt find anything helpful…
Novasurfer,
Welcome to the sometimes rough world of Swaylocks…
Try a search for “shaping videos”.
That could point you to some vids to check out that could help.
Course, you could do like we did in the late 60’s - go get a blank and a pair of saw horses and see what you come up with with what tools you think will work. You might be surprised with what you come up with…
Good luck
Hey Nova,
I studied this site for about a month before i had my first attempt… I have documented the process so far and yesterday nite finished glassing the deck…
Here is a link to my forum Posts:
http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=343692;search_string=tomo;#343692
I have shaped a PU blank (retro fish), Made my own fins (quad twinzer setup), glassed the bottom and top using Cutlaps and now my next step is to glass the fins to the bottom, then hot coat, i have posted some pictures of the process, so if you want a look at the basic process then it may be useful for you as i have found some fully documented threads very helpful. (Especially Oldys journey of a quad and Figure 8’s project frog!!! Do a search for those they are full of good info). I will post some pics of the progress as it happens, so far its taken me about 1 month to get it to this stage just doing bits and pieces here and there after work and in the weekends!
Hope it helps!
Tom
yello novasurfer,
i’d recommend http://www.surfline.com/mag/features/how_to_shape/index.html
and then fellow swaylockian special k’s blog noviceshaper.blogspot.com
and then the [search] function on this site (check out/browse the ‘resources’ section - i highly recommend that)
and then finally,
if you can pick up a copy of ‘essential surfing’ by george oberlian. i really like that book because it’s got all sorts of design info and it’s easy to read with simple yet effective diagrams, in my opinion at least.
good luck!
, jeremy
hi nova,
good to hear from a fellow northern virginian. i grew up in NOVA (great falls/mclean), but live in NYC now. i usually go back home for the holidays and will be back home this thanksgiving.
as JDM said, feel free to check out my blog. (dunno whats up with Blogger, sometimes the pics don’t show up) 
look at posts from May to Aug. i’ve got some stuff about setting up shop, getting carried away with concaves on my #1, and my first attempts at tints and cutlaps on #2 and #3. also check out the links section, i tried to list some of the websites that helped when i was in your position (not too long ago).
i’ll be away in hawaii for most of november (yeeha!), but like i said, i’ll be returning home for thanksgiving and will be visiting family in the Herndon/Nova area. lemme know if you have any questions, wanna meet up, or whatever. i can bring down some of my shaping dvds if you want to check 'em out too.
ttyl!
kc
Find someone to help you. Preferably someone who has done at least one before.
good ole john carper shaping 101 . is how i got my start. but iwas checkin you tube the other day and theres lots of video footage of shaping and glassing .
oh werd, i live right in great falls right behind the safeway… thanks for all the info…
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Read every word on Special K’s blog. There are also several links on his site – go to all those links and read every word,
especially http://www.surfersteve.com/introduction.htm (“How to Shape a surfboard”) and the Sways Shaping Hints.
Buy and watch this DVD series: http://www.damascusproductions.com/MasterSeries.php?ID=Shaper
After you’ve done all that, you’ll know exactly which specific questions to search for here at Sways. You probably won’t need to ask a single question – search the archives and you will find ridiculous amounts of info about everything.